Board of Directors
Greg Arcaro, Vice President
Anna Berardi
Anna Berardi is the owner of a sub-contracting stone installation company, Berardi Stone Setting, Inc. The company’s projects include the granite paving and benches at the WTC Memorial, the interior lobby and the exterior of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Breast Cancer Center and the interior/exterior of the Time Warner building at Columbus Circle.
Anna has served on the Board of Advisors for Mercy Center in the Bronx, NY. She received her Bachelor of Science in economics from George Washington University and a Masters in Education (ESL) from Manhattanville College. Along with her husband, Marco, she has three children: Alexandra, Marc, and Julia. It brings Anna great satisfaction to help the sick and the underprivileged.
Patty Damon
Patty resides in the Village of Tuckahoe with her husband and their two dogs. She is a licensed Associate Real Estate Broker, affiliated with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Westchester Properties. Prior to embarking on her real estate career, Patty worked in professional and leadership roles of increasing responsibility for 30 years at MasterCard Worldwide, Pepsico, and Nestle. She has a degree in accounting from Mercy College.
Gloria Dios, Secretary
Gloria Dios is a Financial Advisor and lives between Southampton and NYC. She graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she studied Film & TV and minored in business. After graduation, she worked as a casting producer and editor for various reality TV shows. Growing up the daughter of two financial advisors, she developed a passion for educating and helping others with financial literacy which led to her career change. She is on the Southampton Village Business Revitalization committee and a board member for Heart of the Hamptons, a food pantry and general assistance nonprofit in Southampton. Gloria serves as Secretary of Hearts to Homes.
Nicole Grogan
Nicole is Managing Director and Head of National Accounts at DWS, a global asset management organization. In her role, she is responsible for managing the firm’s strategic relationships with leading intermediaries in the financial services industry. Nicole has over twenty-five years of experience in financial services, received her Bachelor of Science at Villanova University and her MBA at Fordham University.
As a resident of New York City, Nicole has always felt it was important to give back to the local community. She previously was a board member of Cardinal McCloskey Community Services, and served as President of the founding board for the Cardinal McCloskey Community Charter School in Bronx, NY. Nicole is an active volunteer in supporting St. Joseph’s School – Yorkville. Her interest in supporting Hearts to Homes is rooted in a firm belief that all children and young adults deserve an opportunity to build an independent life for themselves, where they can achieve their personal goals, and lead a happy and fulfilling life.
Cookie Humphrey
Cookie Humphrey is the owner and publisher of Compulsive magazine, and a celebrity publicist. Prior to her publishing/media career, she worked as a consultant overseeing HR operations and management for the Ministry of Education in the Middle East and Asia. Cookie has served on the boards of Women In Motion, Rising Star Music Awards and The Bronx Hip Hop Museum. She holds a B.S. in human services from Springfield College a M.S. in HRD from the University of Bridgeport, and is completing the dissertation phase of her PhD in psychology. As a former foster child, and youth advocate, Cookie knows the importance of young people aging out of the system, and is delighted to be working with Hearts to Homes.
Jan Jason
Jan Jason joined the Hearts to Homes board after fifteen years at the Rockland County Department of Social Services where she served as Coordinator of Operations, Analysis and Planning. Her experience consisted of collaborating with management and supervisory staff on program administration including children and family services, child welfare, and adult services, as well as benefits programs. In her previous position as assistant to the Commissioner of Social Services, she served as liaison with government agencies, community organizations, and county departments to increase collaborative efforts and maximize resources to benefit clients. Jan retired in 2017 and since then has volunteered as a board member of Child Care Resources of Rockland, as a classroom aide in the East Ramapo, NY Early Childhood Learning Center, with the Soup Angels Food Program in Nyack, NY, and as a Surrogate Decision-Making Committee Member with the NYS Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs.
Arthur C. Lange
Arthur Lange is the owner of Arthur Lange, Inc., a four-generation, family-owned business focused on high-end renovations. His dedication to exceptional customer service has grown his company into one of the most prestigious remodeling companies in lower Westchester County and the New York City tri-state area. He is a husband, father to four and a graduate of Lynchburg College.
Mary Leitner
Mary is a graduate of Fordham University and Iona University and a long-time Westchester resident who currently lives in Mamaroneck. She spent her career in financial services and retired from UBS after 25 years. Supporting local organizations is important to Mary, her husband John, and their two adult children. Mary served on the board of the YWCA of White Plains and Central Westchester for over ten years, and recently as board secretary. The opportunity to empower young adults attracted Mary to Hearts to Homes.
Ameena Makhdoomi
Ameena is a college graduate with a Bachelor of Arts from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and three years of Marketing experience in the wine industry. She is a Class Correspondent for the Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, Connecticut where she attended high school. Ameena has also served on the Junior Committee of Hearts to Homes since 2019 and is currently on the Marketing Committee.
Mary Theresa McCombe, President & Executive Director
Mary Theresa McCombe is a founding member of Hearts to Homes and the mother of three young adults. She and her husband, John, have supported a variety of charities, including those in the foster care field. Mary Theresa has served on the boards of Iona Prep (New Rochelle), Mercy Center (Bronx), and The AES Crestwood Foundation (Crestwood). A graduate of NYU, a retired CPA with KPMG, and a volunteer fundraiser, she loves to share the story of the wonderful work that Hearts to Homes does. Mary Theresa serves as President and Executive Director of Hearts to Homes.
Maura Liptack McMahon
Maura McMahon lives in Eastchester, NY with her husband, Chris. They are parents to two daughters, Emily and Casey. After a marketing career with HSBC and American Express, Maura has been an active volunteer, bringing her marketing, communications and leadership skills to her community. Maura served on many of Eastchester’s PTA Executive Boards, helped form the Maria Regina HS Alumnae Association and the Eastchester Alumni Association, is a founding board member and Secretary of the Eastchester 5K Run, and serves as Vice President of the Eastchester Beautification Foundation. Maura is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and NYU’s Stern School of Business.
Allison Reich
Allison Reich is an advertising professional working as a Group Copy Supervisor at a Havas Group agency. She is a graduate of Lafayette College where she studied English and Studio Art. Her lifelong passion for contributing to her community and creating a better world through enacting change has led to volunteer work with local and national nonprofit organizations focused on the arts, health, and social causes. Allison previously served on the Junior Committee of Hearts to Homes, and she is thrilled to continue supporting young adults starting their lives outside of the foster care system as a member of the Board of Directors.
Greg Spero, Treasurer
Greg Spero is a consultant in the financial services industry and is the Board Treasurer for Hearts to Homes. Greg has served as a Client Services Officer at BNY Mellon and was the Executive Director of Mutual Fund Operations at Morgan Stanley and Legg Mason. He brings over 30 years of extensive experience in strategic partnership development, client services, innovative operational and business strategies, automation and workflow optimization. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception and resides in Maryland with his wife, Betty, and two sons.
Dan Suzuki
Dan is the Deputy Chief Investment Officer at Richard Bernstein Advisors, LLC and a frequent contributor to CNBC, Bloomberg TV, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times and Barron’s. Prior to joining RBA, Dan worked at Bank of America-Merrill Lynch in Global Research. Dan holds a BS in economics from Duke University and is a Chartered Financial Analyst® charterholder. He and his family reside in Westchester County.
Jeremiah Perez-Torres
Jeremiah Perez-Torres is a criminology doctoral candidate at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, NY. He is a professor for several undergraduate courses and outside of the classroom his work centers around the study of terrorism, war, propaganda and de-radicalization. He has worked for and contributed to several law enforcement agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Criminal Justice Services, and the Erie County Crime Analysis Center. Jeremiah is passionate about serving the people and creating a more just system. As a former foster youth he is particularly interested in making sure foster kids succeed and have everything they need to survive, live and thrive. A graduate of the State University of New York College at Buffalo, and dad to his pup Chance and cat Mowgli, he loves to give back and is excited to be a part of and contribute to the great work that Hearts to Homes is doing.
Christina Murray Trizano
Chris is an entrepreneur and has owned and operated over a dozen companies the past 35 years. She is a Licensed Customs Broker with over 35 years experience in the supply chain and logistics industry. She founded American Cargo Express, Inc. in 1988, a global logistics provider with offices worldwide, and in 2017, merged the operations with OIA Global where she remains on the executive team as the Director of Compliance. Chris also manages a real estate portfolio with both commercial and residential properties nationwide.
Chris serves on the Board of Directors at the Iona Preparatory School in New Rochelle. Chris was the recipient of New Jersey’s 50 Best Women in Business in 2012 and recipient of New Jersey’s Women of Influence in 2013. She has volunteered for several youth organizations and coached cheerleading, lacrosse and softball for more than 10 years. Chris received her B.A. from SUNY Albany. She resides in Eastchester, NY with her husband, Rick, and is the mother to four grown children. Chris is excited to be a part of Hearts to Homes that offers support to young people aging out of foster care.
Diane Vezza
Diane Vezza has been a long-time member of Annunciation Parish in Crestwood, NY. As an active member of the Parish she has worked to help those in need. She has been actively involved in Christian service as well as fundraising for Annunciation, Midnight Run, The Sharing Community Soup Kitchen, My Sister’s Place, Mercy Center, Cardinal McCloskey Community Services and Hearts to Homes.