Heather DeDominicus, President
Hi, I’m excited to be serving as president of the WCNS board this year! This is my second year serving on the board, and I enjoy being a part of the Westville community and nursery school. My daughter, Charlotte, went to WCNS and started Kindergarten at Edgewood this fall. My son, Jack started at WCNS this year, and is thriving at school here, and my youngest daughter, Grace, will be joining the WCNS crew in the fall of 2021. My husband, Gio, and I are so grateful our children go to a school with such caring and invested teachers. Currently, I teach full time at Norwalk Community College. My area of focus is Developmental English and First Year Experience.
Daron Cyr, Vice President
Matt Desfosses, Treasurer
"My wife Lisa and I are proud members of the Westville community. We have lived here since 2010 as the place we wanted to raise our kids. We are on the eight-year plan at WCNS having seen Meghan (now 7) through three years, Allie (now 5) is in her 3rd year and Tyler (now 2) will probably be headed there next year. We fell in love with this school right away when we visited. The staff is just incredible. The director and the teachers have an amazing depth of knowledge and experience – and we also really enjoy how each of them brings their unique selves to the class and the kids. It is a truly enriching and very fun environment. When I’m not being a dad, I’m a pricing actuary for a disability insurance company."
Ann Finateri-Laist, Secretary
Hi, I am Ann Finateri-Laist and I am excited to be serving my second year as WCNS board secretary. My husband, Randy, and I are long-time New Haven residents. Our son, Tony, attended WCNS for two years and is now a first grader at West Rock STREAM Academy in New Haven. Our daughter, Sharilyn, just started at WCNS this fall and is loving it. I have lived and traveled extensively in both West Africa and Latin America, and I’ve loved being able to come in and share stories and songs from around the world with the children. The WCNS program is amazing, the teachers are loving and dedicated, and the school really does feel like a family. We feel so fortunate to be a part of the WCNS community. Prior to having children, I worked for several years as a public school teacher. I currently work part-time as an adjunct instructor of art history for Goodwin College; and in my spare time I like to play trivia, sing in a women’s choir, and strum a few chords on the ukulele.
Christina Prekulag, Fundraising
I have lived in Westville my whole life and I'm super excited that my children get to be part of such a great community. The older I get the more I appreciate all that New Haven and Westville have to offer. My husband and I have two children. Our oldest, Juliana is 5 and is attending Kindergarten in New Haven. She is a former WCNS alumnus. Our youngest, Nico is 3 and he currently attends WCNS! Our children have learned so much from their time at WCNS. Our son is always excited to go to school and see his teachers and friends. Our family has enjoyed being part of the WCNS community. The teachers and director truly take the time to get to know each family and to make every child feel special. As a teacher myself, I know the hard work and time that goes into truly getting to know each child, and I feel so lucky that my daughter and all the children of WCNS get to experience this. In my spare time I enjoy taking long walks with my family.
Simon Hutchinson, Technical Support
Hello! We lived in New Haven for several years before we finally ended up settling down up in North Haven. We still spend quite a bit of time in Westville for work and play, so it's wonderful that WCNS provides another excuse for us to be around. My specialty is music technology, but luckily some of those skills transfer over to more general skills in technology so I'm happy to let my support to the technical needs of WCNS. In my spare time, I'm usually tinkering with something, programming pointless software, or out for a walk with the family.
Jesika DeMateo, Family Activities
My name is Jesika DeMatteo. I currently reside in New Haven with my husband, Mike, my son Tyler and youngest child, Daniella. Daniella has started her second year at WCNS where we are proud members of our school community. While I have lived in CT most of my life, I spent a 10-year period in the Dallas area of TX where I started my career in the logistics industry. I have worked for a variety of companies over the past twenty years where I have been able to develop and strengthen my skills. I currently manage the Planning/Forecasting and Logistics services at Unger Enterprises, LLC. I enjoy the organizational and planning aspects of both my professional and personal life. I love opportunities to plan and coordinate themed parties paying close attention to detail. On the weekends, we enjoy family time together at the beach, listening to music (live and recorded), trying new adventures in the local area, and spending time with extended family.
Chanell Bruton, Publicity Chair
Greetings everyone! I’m thrilled to be the Publicity Chair at WCNS. My husband and I are on our third year in Westville and we absolutely adore this neighborhood. Our son Teddy is currently enrolled in his second year at WCNS. This is my first year serving on the board and I’m excited to extend the warmth and support to new families that we’ve experienced at WCNS. I’m a social worker by trade but am currently enjoying my most challenging role yet as a stay at home mommy to our newest edition, Gus. I look forward to meeting you all soon!
Thabisa Rich, Community Representative
Thabisa is a mother of two with one of them currently attending WCNS for the second year. She is also a recording and professional singer and enjoys taking part in the building of the community. Thabisa has in the past volunteered in different schools working with the youth from schools such as Davies Street School working on a cultural exchange project with 3rd graders and as an assistant teacher at Neighborhood Music School. She enjoys giving her time or sharing her music, also, she loves to tell stories(tales) to the younger crowd to help them understand sympathy and importance of choice making. Thabisa is also a member of the planning committee at Westville Rennaisance Alliance (WVRA).
Carroll Possick, Community Representative
My WCNS experience began soon after my husband and I moved to New Haven in the 1970’s and our two sons attended the program in its early years. We loved WCNS then, and I still love it, appreciating it even more now due to the experience and knowledge of early childhood education that I gained during my years as a teacher and Director at the Children’s Preschool in New Haven. I am happy to serve on the Board as a Community Rep.
Stephanie Berner, Co-Chair of Family Activities Committee
Hello! My name is Stephanie Berner and my daughter, Evelyn, is in her second year at WCNS. I am the Co-Chair of the Family Activities Committee. We have lived in Westville for 4 years and found a sense of community here that we love. When pregnant with Evelyn we moved back to CT after 14 years of living outside of Boston. We are now parents to Evelyn (4) and Henry (1 1/2) and I never thought we’d find such a great community for our family. WCNS has added to that sense of belonging for us. We see schoolmates and teachers while out for walks in the neighborhood and at local activities. Interacting with the families at WCNS only strengthens those bonds, making the Families Activities Committee so special to me.