Our Board
Since its founding in 2004, ELF has been governed by a non-salaried all volunteer board which seeks to represent a cross-section of the community. Our Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent assist our board in a non-voting ex-officio capacity. We also depend on many volunteers for help with our programs, events and publications.
Drew
Chieda
President
Drew joined ELF in 2017 and has been president since 2019. He is a physicist working at ASML in Wilton where he oversees the technology development of machines used to manufacture computer chips. He and his wife have two children in the Easton schools.
Dorothy
Gnidula
Treasurer
Dorothy joined ELF in 2012. She is currently the Vice President of Global Tax Reporting & Compliance at The Nielsen Company.
John
Foley
Jill
Kimball
Terri
Lenhart
Assistant Treasurer
Terri is an X-ray Technologist and was previously Manager of an MRI facility at Waterbury Hospital. She has also worked as a marketing director for a clinical laboratory and a pharmaceutical sales representative for Squibb Diagnostics. Terri presently devotes her time to volunteering in the Easton school system and at St. Vincent’s Medical Center. She has lived in Easton since 1996, and sent two children through the Easton school system.
Karen
O'Brien
Karen is a founding member of ELF and served as Vice President from 2004–2009 and remains an active board member. In her previous work experience, she was the Manager of Events Planning for Pitney Bowes Corp. in Stamford. Karen has lived in Easton since 1998, and sent two children through the Easton school system.
Shari
Pearlman
Joe
Plastina
Vice-President
Joseph Plastina is Chief Financial Officer of Solve Advisors. He has twenty years of experience as a finance, corporate development, strategy and operations executive at enterprise technology companies, including experience purchasing and selling more than $4 billion-worth in enterprise software companies. He earned his M.B.A. from The Wharton School and a Bachelor’s degree in engineering from The Cooper Union.
Diane
Ronen
Diane has lived in Easton since 2005 and joined the ELF board in 2018. She and her husband have three children that attend Easton schools. Diane is a dedicated PTO volunteer and has worked as a nurse for over thirty years.
Kathy
Thompson
Kathy has lived in Easton since 1992 and has two children in Easton schools. She is a marketing consultant and was previously a Director at the Brand Initiatives Group at BBDO NY, an in-house innovation and strategy team. She joined the ELF Board in 2018 and is active in the Easton PTO and the National Charity League, and believes that great schools shape and change lives. She has an AB in English and Economics from Duke University.
Donna
Viselli
Donna is the proud parent of three children that all graduated from the Easton school system. She works at Samuel Staples Elementary and previously spent time as a paralegal. Donna joined ELF because of a heartfelt belief in its mission of funding grants to enhance education.