Staff

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Lu grew up here in Buffalo and left to pursue her undergraduate education at Georgetown University in D.C.  Following that, she spent several years in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps on the Colville Reservation in Omak, Washington before continuing on to earn her M.A. from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California.  Lu returned to Buffalo and spent 12 years as a campus minister at Canisius College before becoming the Executive Director of Family Promise of WNY.  She is motivated each and every day by the children and parents FPWNY serves to make this program better.  She lives with her husband and two children on the West Side of Buffalo.

Stephanie is a New York City native who moved to Buffalo to pursue her education at Buffalo State College.  She has spent the last few years in classrooms working one on one with students. Her recent position at Erie 1 BOCES gave her the inspiration to join our team here at Family Promise. She is looking forward to helping all the children and parents that we serve here at Family Promise.   

Hannah is native to Trinidad, having moved to the United States in the early 2000s. She started as a housekeeper at Family Promise and moved up to be our House Manager. Hannah is passionate about this position because she believes in the power of faith and positivity in difficult situations.

After graduating from SUNY Fredonia with a Music Business degree, Susana has spent most of her career in marketing/communications; starting off in concert promotion, working at a number of advertising agencies as well as several firms in their in-house marketing departments.  She decided it was time to use her skills for the greater good, serving the community and helping others in any way she can. She's extremely grateful to be a part of Family Promise. 

Annalyse is a recent grad from Canisius College where she studied Psychology and Environmental Studies. Throughout her time at school one of her biggest motivations was deepening community. Her love for people and inclusion is what brought her to Family Promise. She is looking forward to connecting to her local community and being a small part of an important cause. 

 Michael Lynch, LMSW, is an assistant clinical professor for field education at the University at Buffalo School of Social Work. Lynch works with the field department connecting students to meaningful agency placements. He has spent a number of years working with the field department in various capacities, including as a faculty liaison and a field educator. Additionally, he brings experience working in a variety of social work settings including urban education, program development, child welfare and community collaborations.   Michael lives on the west side of Buffalo with his wife, Meghan, and his son, Hugo. Michael has a strong commitment to social justice and equity and pursued helping at Family Promise after hearing about their mission and the impact the work is having on the community. 

Marissa Desiderio is the Program Manager of Case Management Services 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. 

Courtney Sullivan holds the position of Leadership Giving Officer at Canisius College where she connects alumni and friends of Canisius with philanthropic and engagement opportunities with the college. She graduated from Medaille College with a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education and received her Master of Science in Communication and Leadership with a concentration in Non Profit Management from Canisius College.   

 Keith Preston is a certified public accountant (CPA) in New York State specializing in providing audit and attestation services to small and medium sized businesses particularly in the manufacturing and construction industries.  He also audits a wide variety of employee benefit plans for private and public companies. Prior to auditing, Keith worked in small business consulting and taxation and specialized in providing tax preparation, attestation, and consulting services to a variety of closely held private companies and individuals.  In his spare time he enjoys reading, music, hiking and being outdoors, and spending time with friends and family.  

Katherine Dibble is a Pro Bono Staff Attorney at ECBA Volunteer Lawyer's Project, Inc.  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.