BOARD CHAIR

Tania is the Human Resources Director for the City of Milford and has over 20 years of professional experience in the human resources field in both the private and public sectors. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in International Business from Fairfield University and obtained her senior professional certification from the Society of Human Resources Management in 2016. She is a graduate of the Parent Supporting Educational Excellence (Parents SEE) Program, Cohort 2.

She moved to Stratford in 2005 where she is raising her 7 year old twins with her husband Ben. Tania began volunteering at Sterling House in 2017 as a member of the Planning Committee contributing to the 5-year strategic plan for “The House”. She is involved in a number of civic organizations including the Stratford Junior Women’s Club, St. James Parish Prayer Shawl Ministry and the Stamford Federal Credit Union, where she is currently serving as the board chair. Tania enjoys cooking, traveling and spending time with family and friends.

VICE CHAIR

William C. Lesko is a Partner at PKF O’Connor Davies with over 30 years of public accounting experience. In this role, Bill is responsible for providing audit and accounting services for clients in a variety of industries, including financial services, health care, public utilities, manufacturing, and construction.

Bill frequently presents and has been a featured speaker at several New England Chapters of the National Association of Water Companies industry conferences. He is the author of a seminar on understanding and utilizing financial statements and is an instructor in local and national continuing education programs.

“I began my affiliation with Sterling House in the mid 1970’s, playing catcher on the Expos. Although it still surprises me that we were allowed to do it, I took archery classes in the fields behind Sterling House, where I spent many Saturday mornings happily shooting arrows at targets. I then coached Sterling House soccer for 9 years from 2008 through 2016 (Team Italy – Forza Italia!!). After finishing 9 years of playing soccer, I’m proud to say my son returned as a soccer referee and in 2019 he was awarded the Debbie Diaz Sportsmanship Award.”

SECRETARY

Susan Barksdale and her husband, Scott, have two daughters - both of whom were active at Sterling House throughout their childhoods, participating in soccer, art and dance programs, as well as the Sterling House pre-school. Susan was a volunteer in the Stratford Public Schools for many years, both in the classrooms and on the PTA, and was a Girl Scout leader as well. She served on the Stratford Board of Education from 2005 to 2009 and is currently the Human Resources Director for the Town of Darien.

Susan earned her Bachelors of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and her Masters of Business Administration from Pepperdine University.

"Sterling House is an amazing and unique place, where children of all backgrounds can participate in a wide variety of programs in a welcoming environment . It is part of the fabric of the Stratford experience and I am excited and honored to be a part of this wonderful organization that serves our residents so well."

TREASURER

Donald Bodnar joined our Development Committee in 2019 after attending our January 2019 Night of Entertainment event at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre and asked to get more involved. He has been an active Development Committee member since. Professionally, Donald founded Axiom Group in 1993 and Axiom Group International in 2003. Axiom Group and Axiom International provide technical engineering, support, project management and market data services to financial trading floors in the United States and Europe. Donald became a Founding Partner in Axiom Mentor in 2009 which is a Software as a Service (SaaS) company providing Online Research and Compliance Management software to the Higher Education and Medical marketplaces.

Donald has been a lifelong Connecticut resident growing up in Fairfield and has owned primary residences in Bridgeport, Shelton and Monroe with his wife of 42 years and family. Has settled back into Shelton where his son, a long-term Sikorsky Aircraft employee and a practicing RN at St. Vincent’s Hospital and Daughter, a long-term Barnum Financial employee, also live.

Jonathan D. Berchem is a Senior Partner who concentrates his practice in the areas of municipal law and general civil litigation. He has been recognized for his work by the U.S. News &; World Report’s The Best Lawyers in America (2023 Edition). Attorney Berchem is a member of the Milford, New Haven County, Connecticut and American Bar Associations, as well as the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Jon Berchem is a graduate of Syracuse University College of Law (J.D. 1995) and Fairfield University (B.A. 1992).

In November of 2011, Jon Berchem was appointed as Milford City Attorney. He had previously served the City of Milford as a Fire Commissioner from 2008 to 2011, receiving Public Sector Award from the Milford Chamber of Commerce for his work in these roles.

Jon is actively involved in community affairs in his hometown of Milford, CT, where he served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the United Way of Milford, Inc. for two years and has been a member for over 15 years. Jon is also a member of Board of Directors of the Milford Rape Crisis Center and is a member of Milford National Lou Gehrig Little League.

Jon is a recipient of the Good Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America-Connecticut Yankee Council, which recognizes outstanding leaders in the community who through their vocations or avocations provide exceptional role models for youth in the area. He is currently Vice President of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Milford. He has volunteered as a Connecticut Bar exam grader and as a member of the Grievance Panel for Fairfield County. In 2018, Jonathan Berchem was selected as a James W. Cooper Fellow of the Connecticut Bar Foundation, a collection of the State’s most outstanding lawyers, judges and teachers who devote their time and talent to sponsoring programs that address matters concerning the legal profession, the administration of justice, and the rule of law in society.

Born and raised in Stratford, Chris attended Second Hill Lane Elementary School, Flood Middle School, and Bunnell High School where he was a proud member of the Bunnell High School Marching Band. Initially pursuing a career in music education and performance, Chris attended the University of Hartford’s Hartt School of Music.

After earning a degree in performance, he taught privately and at the Little Red School in Stratford before making his way to People’s United Bank. Starting as teller in the Stratford business market, he quickly was accepted into the Retail Management Training Program and was promoted to Branch Manager, where he has spent the last 15 years.

He has earned certificates through various programs such as the CT School of Finance Management by the CT Bankers Association, and Leadership Greater Bridgeport. He currently holds a Life License, and a Series 6 and Series 63 investment licenses and spent several years as an adjunct facilitator teaching classes for bankers. In 2019, he was promoted to VP Stratford Market Manager, where he now oversees the five branches in the Stratford and Trumbull communities.

For the past six years, Chris has served on the on the board for the Barnum Museum. He is the current Treasurer and Secretary in the Executive Committee, Chair of the Nominating Committee, and Chair of the Finance Committee. He has been an integral part of the planning and redevelopment of the museum. Chris is a Stratford Chamber board member and is an active participant in various events in the Town of Stratford such was the Vicki Soto 5K, Celebrate Stratford, and the Main Street Festival. He currently resides in the city of New Haven.

Ashley Carr Hampton is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Director of a program initiative which implements strategies rooted in cognitive behavioral therapy at Domuskids, Inc. in Stamford. Her clinical work includes recognizing and addressing trauma among underserved and marginalized populations. She holds a Connecticut educator certificate in school social work. Ashley earned a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Connecticut, Storrs, and a Masters in Social Work from Southern Connecticut State University. While in graduate school she focused on the socio-economic disparities of incarcerated peoples and completed a thesis to examine the relationship between childhood trauma and rates of incarceration. In 2020, she was published in Affilia: Journal of Women and Social Work as a co-author of the article “Ping-Pong Housing: Women’s Post-Incarceration Trajectories.”

Ashley participates as co-chair of the scholarship committee at Les Treize Inc., a women's business and professional organization that awards college scholarships in partnership with Fairfield County Community Foundation. She is an active gardener at the Terry Backer Community Farm in Stratford and, as a Stratford native, spent much of her youth fondly at Sterling House participating in camp, karate and dance class.

Emily O'Connor Karolyi is a native or Stratford and graduated from Stratford High School. She is an experienced real estate salesperson with over 27 years selling residential real estate in Washington DC and Connecticut. Previously, she was a political and legislative affairs director at the National Association of REALTORS, was on the campaign field staff at the Republican National Committee, and also served in a Presidential Administration.

Emily attended Marymount College of Virginia, the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain, and graduated with a BA in Language and Education from Sacred Heart University.

Emily has two daughters in Washington DC, and another daughter who lives in Nantucket.

Growing up, Sterling House was a big part of Emily’s family activities… cooking classes, Brownies, art classes, dance classes, and other activities kept the O’Connor children busy. Emily was the SHCC summer camp swim instructor for two years in the early 1970’s.

Eddy Rodriguez is the Director of Finance and Information Systems at Penmar Industries, Inc., where he is responsible for all Merger and Acquisition activities. He is also charged with upgrading all information systems used by the company along with their related processes.

Eddy obtained his CPA while working in Audit at Deloitte & Touche and has used what he had learned at the firm to hold senior Internal Audit/Finance positions at large corporations including Sikorsky Aircraft, Homeserve USA and Amphenol Corp.

Eddy earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Accountancy at the University of Connecticut and his Master’s of Business Administration from the Kelley School of Business (Indiana University). Eddy has held a number of board position for the non-profit organization Prospanica (formerly National Society of Hispanic NBA’s) and is currently an executive board member/Treasurer for Sterling House in Stratford, CT.

Eddy lives in Monroe, CT with his wife, two sons and two dogs and is an avid reader and outdoor griller.

Jorge Santiago is Executive Vice President at The Milford Bank. He is active in the communities of Stratford and Milford. Jorge has two children who attend school locally and also volunteer their time for various community groups. Jorge enjoys dedicating his time to causes that support youth development.

“Supporting youth is always top of mind for me. Providing our youth with opportunities to learn, grow and play in a safe environment are fundamental to developing a strong community.”

Justin Schietinger began his involvement with Sterling House back in 2016 coaching basketball and is also a member of the Sterling Classic Golf Committee.

As the New England Territory Manager for Intsel Steel, he is able to contribute a valuable perspective from the building and construction industry during a critical time of restoration at Sterling House. He is also on the Board of Directors and Education Committee for the Steel Fabricators of New England.

Originally from Trumbull, he has volunteered his time at various public school events and is a strong advocate for his community; ensuring that Sterling House provides sound athletic opportunities, appropriate and safe facilities, and a fun experience for community members to enjoy the beauty of our community.