Senior Staff

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Steve Blass is a Financial Service Representative for Vision Financial Group.  Steve has a Bachelors of Science in Childhood and Special Education from Daemen College and a Masters of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Medaille College. Steve brings fundraising and development skills and knowledge from previous work experiences to the board. Steve has been helping Family Promise of WNY since 2014 and on the Board since 2017.  

 Katherine Dibble is an attorney at Lipsitz, Ponterio & Comerford, LLC   Her interest in joining the Board of Family Promise stems from both her personal and professional life.  As an attorney, she has had the opportunity to be on all sides of difficult situations, and has had to counsel people through some of the most trying parts of their lives.  In these moments, she has realized how important it is to have robust support systems in place to help anyone and everyone who needs a hand.  As a life long Buffalonian, she could not be more proud to be part of a community that fosters places like Family Promise and protects the most vulnerable people in their most vulnerable moments.  She finds having some small role in assisting in the mission of Family Promise to be a privilege. 

Kaylei Russell, CPA is a Senior Accountant with BS&P CPA's and Consultants where she focuses on providing taxation and attestation services to small businesses and individuals. After graduating from SUNY Fredonia with a degree in Public Accountancy, Kaylei relocated to Buffalo and is passionate about becoming involved in the local community. She is eager to use her professional experience to aid the mission of Family Promise and play a small role in making a lasting impact in the lives of others. Outside of work Kaylei enjoys hiking with her dog, cycling, kayaking and spending time with friends and family.  

Dawn is the Director of Programs at Every Person Influences Children (EPIC), an agency offering parenting, family engagement, and professional development programming.  Prior to EPIC, Dawn supervised a preventive services program for five years preventing children from foster care placement or assisting with their return back to their parent’s care.  Dawn has been working with children and families for over 17 years in different capacities.  Dawn has a Bachelors of Arts in health and human services from the University at Buffalo and a Master in Business Administration from Medaille College.  She is a Buffalo native who has a strong passion for helping others and serving her community. 

Matthew currently works for Verizon as the Senior Manager of Learning and Development. In this role, Matthew is responsible for overseeing the L&D needs for Verizon vendor partners from a national perspective. Matthew is a native of Buffalo, New York and currently resides in Amherst with his wife, Asia, and 2-year-old son, Matthew2. Matthew graduated from St John Fisher College with a degree in Business Management. Matthew is involved with serving with Buffalo Prep and is passionate about helping serve the city of Buffalo. 

Marissa Desiderio is the Senior EAP Clinician & Training Coordinator with Child & Family Services of Erie County. Prior to Child & Family Services, Marissa was a Supervisor with Say Yes to Education Buffalo and Catholic Charities. She has been working with children and families for over 15 years in various capacities. Marissa is also a clinical social worker who maintains a small private practice. 

Andrew Hahn is the Senior Executive for Northwest Investment Services division. He has a Bachelors of Science in Finance and MBA from Canisius College. Andrew is also a graduate from the Consumer Bankers Association Executive Banking School and holds multiple FINRA licenses. He is currently a committee member of Northwest’s Diversity and Inclusion Council. Andrew used to serve on the Junior Achievement board and was also co-chair of JA’s Stock Market Challenge fundraising committee. Born and raised in Western New York, Andrew currently resides in Snyder with his wife, Amy, and daughter, Sydney. 

Christian Hoffman is the Director of Communication at Community Missions in Niagara County, the largest private provider of basic human needs and of mental health services in the area. Since joining the Mission in February 2013, Mr. Hoffman has garnered unprecedented media coverage for the agency, launched several new initiatives, and helped secure hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant funding.  He resides in Cheektowaga with his wife, Toni, and two children, Elliana (6) and Jack (3). He has served on the Board of Family Promise of WNY since 2014.  

Melissa Keith is the Media Director at Abbey Mecca. Joining Abbey Mecca in 2006, Melissa has held various positions in the media department. In 2020, she was named to her current role as media director for the agency. She oversees and manages research, planning, buying & post-buy analysis for both traditional and digital advertising for agency clients. A Western New York native, Melissa has more than 15 years of experience in media management. Melissa recently graduated from the Leadership Buffalo Class of 2021 Rising Leaders. 

Danielle Maurice is a Social worker in the Erie County Court System. Prior to working in the court system, she was a preventive case worker at Say Yes to Education Buffalo and Catholic Charities.  Danielle has experience working with many marginalized populations and has worked in the child welfare system for over 10 years. Danielle believes "People appreciate and never forget that helping hand especially when times are tough." by Catherine Pulsifer.