Alex DiMaio

Chief Executive Officer

Mark Campione

Chief Financial Officer

Dina Hardy

Chief Compliance Officer

Stephen Matrone 

Chief Operations Officer

Yvette Forbes

Controller

Katrina Potter

Director of Day Services

Lorraine Elson

Director of Community Support Services

Charles Herold

Director of Development

Justin Castillo

Director of Behavioral Supports

Victoria Berger-Gross

President

Dr. Berger-Gross brings years of leadership and organizational transformation experience to Special Citizens and until her recent retirement, held the position of Chief Human Resources Officer and Senior Vice President at Tiffany & Co. Dr. Berger-Gross has also served as Senior Vice President & Director of Human Resources at Lehman Brothers and Senior Director - Human Resources at Bertelsmann A.G.'s BMG Entertainment.

Robert Beaudet

Vice President

Professionally, Bob is a Career and Internship Advisor for St. John’s University’s Peter J. Tobin College of Business. There, he is responsible for all aspects of the students’ career development, as well as creating student programming and serving as the primary liaison between University Career Services and the Business Faculty and Advisors. In addition to his work with Special Citizens, Bob also volunteers as a coach for special needs athletes. Bob resides in Rockville Centre, NY and is the proud parent of 4 wonderful children.

Michael Earl Brown

Trustee

Mr. Brown is the owner of several small businesses and has over 30 years of mortgage, property management, and real estate experience.  Mr. Brown continuously volunteers for a variety of political campaigns and non-profits. In addition to his wide breadth of experience and community involvement, Mr. Brown also has made it his personal mission to encourage entrepreneurship of youth and adults through his summer employment programs.

Ali Charkeih

Treasurer

Mr. Charkeih, a CPA and Certified Internal Auditor, has a distinguished background providing accounting, auditing, and advisory services to real estate and financial companies in New York, Canada, and New Zealand. He gained extensive experience through previous roles with various federal governments and KPMG. Currently, Mr. Charkeih serves as a Finance and Accounting Advisor for large publicly traded companies in the New York Metro area at The Siegfried Group. His consulting work with Blackstone and Credit Suisse, where he navigated tight deadlines and M&A activities, was highly valuable. In addition to his professional commitments, Mr. Charkeih has actively assumed leadership roles in various nonprofit organizations. He holds a deep appreciation for his late sister, who had intellectual disabilities, and the impact she had on his life.

Joseph Patuleia

Trustee

Mr. Patuleia is the Executive Director Emeritus of Madison Square Boys & Girls Club and formerly served as Vice President to the Special Citizens Board of Directors. During his tenure at Madison Square Boys & Girls Club, his efforts have ensured that every member was equipped with the necessary skills to succeed in life. Mr. Patuleia was also an educator and administrator in Massachusetts for more than 30 years and in 2004 he was nominated for Massachusetts Principal of the Year.

Michael J. Driscoll

Trustee

Mr. Driscoll is an attorney at Black Marjieh & Sanford LLP. Michael handles all aspects of litigation, representing both individual and corporate clients in the prosecution and defense of a variety of the firm’s matters, including products liability, premises liability, real estate disputes (with a focus on cooperatives and condominiums), and breach of contract, discrimination, construction defect, civil rights violations and toxic torts.

Victoria Andretta

Trustee

Victoria brings over two decades of strategic marketing experience to SCFU. She previously served as the Associate Director of National Marketing and Communications at Development Corporation for Israel (DCI)/Israel Bonds. Victoria played a pivotal role in generating sales, increasing organizational awareness, and enhancing the client journey, contributing to investments totaling $50B. Her commitment to fostering a sense of community through branding initiatives and campaigns addressing critical challenges is evident in her work at Smart Arches Dental Implant Centers. Victoria is enthusiastic about joining the SCFU Board and contributing to its mission of supporting and enabling individuals with autism, intellectual disabilities, and developmental disabilities.

Dianna Coles Lee Sam

Trustee

Dianna currently serves as the Head of Quality for MedStar Health in Washington DC, Dianna brings a wealth of experience in managed care and health systems. As the former Assistant Vice President of State and Custom Measures at Cotiviti, she oversaw custom quality measure development for over 26 states and 100+ health plans across the US. Dianna has also served as the Executive Director of Quality for the City’s Health Plan (MetroPlus), leading quality initiatives for various lines of business. Her educational background includes a BS and MHA in Health Administration, and she is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Health Administration. Dianna's extensive involvement in healthcare quality organizations and her commitment to promoting high-quality healthcare align seamlessly with our organization's goals.

Make a Difference For Others

Every success we have and contribution we make is because of the talent and passion of our people. If you see yourself making a difference to others, while doing the same for yourself, explore how you can be a part of SCFU.