Staff / Board
Staff
Sarah Gerstenzang, Executive Director
sgerstenzang@nysccc.org 718-369-7363
Sarah was formerly Associate Director of AdoptUsKids and a Senior Policy Analyst at Children’s Rights. She holds a master’s degree in social work from Columbia University. Her child welfare policy and practice experience includes research and publication on a range of foster care and adoption issues as well as presentations at national and international conferences. Sarah’s most recent book is Another Mother: Co-Parenting with the Foster Care System
Sarah has been a foster parent and one of her three children was adopted from the New York City foster care system.
Susan Collins, Program Director
scollins@nysccc.org 607-398-9112
Susan has been the Program Director for the NYS Citizens’ Coalition for Children for over nine years. Prior to coming to NYSCCC, she served as the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Program Director in Chemung County and was the Chemung County Department of Social Services Director of Long Term Care and Adult Services. Susan has enjoyed a lengthy and varied career in volunteer community service and remains active today as President of the Chemung County Task Force on Children and Families, co-chair of Chemung County’s annual Strong Kids Safe Kids Festival, and a lay Eucharistic Minister at Trinity Episcopal Church, Elmira. She is the proud grandmother of Jaime and mother to Alexandra, a Chemung County Adoption caseworker and Cameron, an I.T. professional in St. Louis, MO.
2009 Board of Directors
Dr. Stewart Blechner – President
NYSCCC Board President since 2001, Stewart is a an adopted father and lifelong adoption advocate who lives in Queens County. His wife Maris is the Executive Director of Family Focus Adoption Services in New York City. sblechner@nyc.rr.com
Annette Sumter-Cotman – Eastern Vice President
Annette has been a certified licensed foster parent for 27 years and is a mother of seven children, including three adopted sons. She holds a masters degree in Public Administration, recently retired from the City University of New York, and is currently working with Little Flower Children and Family Services as a Foster Parent Advocate. Her volunteer affiliations include service as the Natl. Foster Parent Association Region 2 Vice President, President of the Little Flower F/A Parent Association, and a NYC Circle of Support Anchor Parent. Annette is an active advocate in promoting effective communication between agency staff and foster parents; and providing information, support, and resources to foster parents and the children they care for. She strongly believes that it is very important for foster and adoptive parents to be active in their agency, state, national foster parent associations and any other venues offering information and resources. ascoznprk@aol.com
Paul Hipworth – Treasurer
Paul, an adoptive parent of two and Certified Public Accountant, with over 20 years experience in the life insurance industry, is the proprietor of RAA Insurance Claims Solutions. phipworth@verizon.net
Marie Dolfi, LCSW – Secretary
With a strong belief in the need for adoption education, post adoption services and adoption advocacy, Marie is active in the field of adoption in the Capital Region of New York in numerous capacities. She is a founding member of the parents’ support group Adoptive Families of the Capital Region and is currently on the board of AFCR. Also, Marie is a member of the Advisory Board of the Post Adoption Resource Center at Parsons Child & Family Center. As an advocate for better foster care and adoption services and laws, Marie has often participated in NYSCCC Legislative Awareness Days. Additionally, Marie is a licensed clinical social worker with a private practice that provides services to prospective adoptive parents and members of the adoption constellation. mdolfi@nycap.rr.com
Lisa Maynard – Member at Large
Lisa Maynard, an adoptive parent and Executive Director of Hillside Children’s Center’s Adoption Resource Network (ARN), has been a long time coalition member and volunteer. NYSCCC gave Adoption Resource Network, Inc.(now ARN at Hillside) the original grant to incorporate and organize in 1991 with the goal to provide information, and support to members of the adoption triad in Monroe and surrounding counties. She was recently named as the Social Work Student of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) upon nomination by the University of Buffalo School of Social Work, where she is working toward a Masters Degree in Social Work. Lisa says she is “proud to have been a part of NYSCCC for many years, and now have the good fortune to assist with their work in the coming years.” lmaynard@hillside.com
Pat O’Brien, MSW – Member at Large
Pat is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of You Gotta Believe! The Older Child Adoption & Permanency Movement, Inc, a New York City area based agency that specializes in placing teens and pre-teens into legally or morally adoptive homes. Pat has worked for nearly 25 years to provide permanent parents for teens and young adults in foster care before they age out of care and he is a nationally known presenter and trainer. ygbpat@msn.com
