Burlington Dismas House, Two Homes
Buell
Street Dismas, Est. 1986
East Allen Dismas,
Est. 2008
RICHARD GAGNE &
KIMBERLY PARSONS: DIRECTORS
Richard Gagné
was on the Planning Committee
and
has been on staff since the first Vermont Dismas House opened in
Burlington, in 1986. He is the Director of East Allen Dismas in
Winooski. His previous work experience included working in a soup
kitchen in Manchester, NH and as a high school teacher. He is a
graduate of the US Air Force Academy.
Richard is an artist and
creates hand-carved furniture for the
annual Dismas Auctions as well as for many other occasions. Each
summer, Richard heads up the Burlington Dismas House softball team,
Dismas As Usual and is an avid Red Sox fan. He has played a
significant role in laying a strong foundation for Dismas of Vermont
Inc, through his dedicated Dismas work since 1986. He has three grown
children and makes his home at Dismas House. He is currently in the
process of building his own home and barn in Northern Vermont.
Kimberly Parsons, a graduate of the
University of Vermont, has been on staff since 1991. She is the Director
of Buell Street Dismas in Burlington. Her
previous work included working for the United Nations as a photo
journalist in Central America. Kim came to Buell Street Dismas in 1991
bringing with her, excellent organizational skills and fundraising
ability. Along with Richard, Kimberly has devoted herself to the growth
of Dismas House, especially with her work to establish the two
Burlington Satellite apartments. She has overseen the
Fundraising and Grant Writing for many years. Kimberly is a
craftsperson, spinning wool and knitting lovely garments from the wool
she has spun, which she also donates to the
annual Dismas benefits. She is an avid horse back rider. She is
the mother of two and a grandmother living with her husband Wilson and
family in Waterbury Ctr.
Anne Olivo
is the Assistant House Director for the Buell
Street Dismas House. While a "Vermonter" at heart, she has spent the
past decade living between the Northeastern US and Peru, South America.
With a background in Sociology and Education, Anne's career includes
work with colleges, childcare centers, schools, and other social service
organizations. She also co-manages a volunteer organization called Peru
109, and is fluent in Spanish. As a complement to her work at Dismas,
Anne coordinates international service programs at Saint Michael's
College and is a graduate student at UVM.
Sue Drollette
is the
Assistant House Director at East Allen Dismas. Sue came to Dismas in
September 2009 with a 25 year background as an Account Executive with
Eastman Kodak Company. Sue also co-managed a Marina in New York State
with her husband and son for 12 years. Sue brings excellent
organizational and communication skills to her position at Dismas. The
mother of two grown sons and grandmother of two, Sue lives in Richmond
with her husband Earl and their two Bernese Mountain Dogs.
MARY GOLEK: OFFICE MANAGER,
Buell
Street Dismas & East Allen Dismas
Mary
Golek,
came on staff as Office Manager in 2008.
She is energetic, has strong computer and financial skills, good at
problem solving and has an extensive background in business start up and
entrepreneurial experience. Besides excellent technical skills, Mary
has well-honed communications skills, both oral and written. She earned
her BA from Clark University in Worcester MA. Her past professional
history has included coordinating Mercy Connections and the Women’s
Small Business Program. Previously, Mary owned and operated
Stoneledge LLC, a commercial horseback
riding, boarding and training facility for several years. Mary, Josh and
Merideth make their home in Richmond.
Rutland Dismas House
103 Park Avenue
Rutland, VT 05701
Established in 1990
TERESE VEVERKA BLACK & VALERIE
PAGE, CO-DIRECTORS
Terese
Veverka Black joined Rutland
Dismas House in 2003, after serving as a middle school and high school
teacher for many years. She hails from Minnesota and is a graduate of
Clarke College in Dubuque, Iowa with a background in art. Her ability
with words and her sense of humor are a great combination in keeping
things light at Rutland Dismas House! Ms Black has been involved with
peace and justice activities throughout her life. During her many years
of teaching, she brought students to volunteer cook at Dismas House
regularly and served on the Board of Directors for many years. She is a
musician, with a background in leading church folk choirs. She is also
an enthusiastic volleyball player. Terese is the mother of three
children and one grandchild. She and her husband Rob, a Dismas
volunteer, make their home in Rutland.
Valerie Page
joined the Rutland staff in 2003 after spending 17 years as a paralegal
in Boston. Previously, she worked in Personnel at Honeywell Corp in
Massachusetts. She is a graduate of
Stonehill
College and also studied at Northeastern University. She came to Dismas
House after participating in a training with
Thresholds/Decisions, a program of Rutland Dismas House.
Valerie’s interests include: reading,
gardening, and she loves cooking. She and Terese enjoy
playing Scrabble together when at staff and
board retreats in Weston. Val has three grown children and four cats.
She lives in Rutland with her husband, Steve, a Dismas volunteer and
their good friend “Papa John.”
Thresholds/Decisions
A Program Of
Rutland Dismas House
Established 1974
JAY MERLUZZI,
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Jay Merluzzi
began work with Rutland Dismas House in
2002 as Program Director for Thresholds/Decisions. He is a graduate of
Northeastern University and has a Ph.D. from Boston University Medical
School. His past work, prior to early retirement was as a scientist. He
has also taught at City University of NY and presently teaches at some
area colleges in the
Rutland
area. Jay has studied Structured Thinking with Robert Fritz over
the past 10 years. This deals with understanding current reality and
plans to achieve goals by truly understanding current reality in one's
life. He enjoys the outdoors and lives in Sudbury, Vermont with his wife
Jessica, and their two sons. He is the Master of Ceremonies for the
annual Rutland Dismas House Benefit, each year.
Dismas Of
Vermont Inc
Established in 2001
RITA WHALEN McCAFFREY, EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR
RITA Whalen McCaffrey has been
involved with her community for the past forty years. She has been
active in establishing programs to give prisoners and former prisoners
support for 34 years. A graduate of Immaculata
College of Washington and Trinity College of Vermont, she established
the Thresholds/Decisions Program in Rutland in 1974, and is the founder
of the Burlington and Rutland Dismas Houses. Her training and early
career was as an elementary school teacher. Rita enjoys gardening, music
and athletics. Originally from the Boston area, she is an
avid Red Sox fan. She
has been active in peace and justice endeavors for the past 40
years. Rita and her husband, Frank, who is a Committed Member of Dismas
of Vermont, have four grown children and six grandchildren. They make
their home in Weston, Vermont.