Who We Are

Mark graduated from Bishop Hoban High School and then furthered his education by graduating from King’s College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting.  Has been employed at Catholic Youth Center since 1985, serving as Executive Director since 2010.  Board Member and volunteer at St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen, Board Member and classroom volunteer for Junior Achievement of NEPA.  Co-Owner of Studio Soprano letterpress printing.

Joleen Lazecki works full-time for Lockheed Martin Corporation, is a realtor with Homes of NEPA, and is a Barre instructor at The Salt Barre. In addition, she is an active community volunteer serving on the Board of Directors for Scranton Civic Ballet Company and an active Paint Pittston Pink committee member.

She had also served on the Tomato Festival and 5K race committees for over 20 years.  She was also a member of the Pittston Art Walk and the Pittston Arts Council. In addition, she is on the Board of Directors for the Suzuki School of Strings and a Board Member for the Greater Pittston YMCA.  She was honored to receive the Greater Pittston YMCA Sam Milazzo Volunteer of the Year award twice (2005 & 2018). A Pittston native and Pittston Area high school alum, Joleen holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from King’s College. Joleen is a mother of four children T.J., Hannah, Abby, Liam, and one son-in-law.

Bonnie joined the Board of Directors in 2020 because she feels NEPA Inclusive is a highly worthwhile non-profit organization that can make a difference in the lives of so many individuals. With over 30 years of experience, Bonnie has been the Manager at Forty Fort Borough for Forty Fort for six years, where she manages day-to-day operations and has been responsible for receiving over $4 million in grant funding for the borough. Bonnie is married to Joe, and together they have three children and two grandchildren. She enjoys gardening, traveling, and socializing with friends and family.

Richard D. Drust is the Senior Vice President and Retail Banking Officer of FNCB Bank. Mr. Drust’s responsibilities include overseeing the retail branch network, the marketing unit, treasury services, and the residential mortgage origination team, and he has held the position since February 2014. Richard has over 35 years of banking experience in various bank management positions.

He is a graduate of the Institute of Financial Education. He has been active in numerous community organizations and serves on the Wyoming Valley Challenger Baseball and NEPA Inclusive board, serving individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Elena Berzins received a B.S. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and is pursuing a master’s in Nonprofit Leadership at Lasalle University in Philadelphia. She has worked in the nonprofit sector for many years, including at Teacher’s College at Columbia and Weill Cornell Medical College. She served as Vice President of the Board of the Down Syndrome Group of the Ozarks and Event Coordinator at the ARC of Delaware County, PA. She served on the Montgomery County Down Syndrome Interest Group Board.

Elena currently works as the Development Coordinator for the nonprofit membership association LRFA. She also founded the local parent group, UMSEA, 2021 (Upper Moreland Special Education Alliance), to support families of children with disabilities in her school district. She is glad to be on the Board of NEPA, helping people live inclusive lives of their choice.

Jim joined the Board in 2021 to help expand the organization’s reach to meet the needs of people with disabilities in more communities. Jim is the Manager of Graduate Medical Education (West Region) at St. Luke’s University Health Network in Bethlehem, where he has developed and implemented operational goals for graduate medical education (GME) programs.

He leads GME business development across the health network and has developed over 15 brand-new medical residency/fellowship programs. Jim is an FAA-licensed pilot, ultra-marathon runner, and active triathlete. He holds a position on the Board of Directors for the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) – Eastern PA Chapter, and at Dale Realty LTD, Plains, PA, and Red House Realty Inc, Scranton, PA.

Kathy Healey is the Health and Physical Education teacher at Hanover Area High School and a member of the Pittston School Board. She is an active community volunteer, including Downtown Pittston events, projects to help the less fortunate, and events to collect school supplies for students in the Pittston Area. Access NEPA awarded her the 2021 Best High School Athletic Coach; the 2020 Attorney Joseph A. Saporito Award; 2018 Educator of the Year by the System of Care of Luzerne and Wyoming Counties; Best of the Best High School Athletic Coach in the Pittston Area 9 years; Coach of the Year multiple times for basketball; and was inducted into the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame in 2020. A Pittston native and Seton Catholic graduate, Kathy holds a Bachelor of Science from Marywood University and a Master’s Degree from Wilkes University.

Jeffrey shared a home with his mother until she passed away several years ago during the holidays. Determined to move through his grief and loneliness, Jeffrey started In-home Community Supports and Employment Support with NEPA Inclusive, and in a short time, he was working a part-time job which enabled him to successfully maintain a home on his own, start new friendships, and soon become chair of the NEPA Inclusive Recreation Committee.

NEPA Inclusive recognized Jeffrey as Volunteer of the Year last year and by Luzerne County Mental Health and Developmental Services during their Celebration of Abilities awareness event.

Lucille Piggott-Prawl is a Special Education/ Disability Rights Advocate. She has a Bachelor’s in Political Science/Urban Studies from Rutgers University. Presently she is working on completing her Masters in Community Economic Development at Penn State. Lucille has certification from Temple University in Grant Writing and Nonprofit Fundraising.

Her professional experience includes Mental Health/Intellectual Disabilities, State and Federal Government, Education, Intensive Case Management, and Housing.

Lucille serves on the boards and committees of the Pennsylvania Special Education Advisory Panel (SEAP), Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania, Monroe County’s Women’s Commission, Pennsylvania Right to Education Task Force, Local Right to Education Taskforce IU 20 and 21 – Past Co-Chair, Co-Founder Pleasant Valley School District Diversity Task Force, and the United Way of Monroe County PA – Funds Distribution Committee Member. Lucille is a former elected Pennsylvania Monroe County, Polk Township Auditor.

Jeff McLaughlin. Jeff is a Solution Specialist with Golden Business Machines with expertise in assisting regional businesses to leverage technology to improve business operations. A resident of Forty Fort, Jeff was elected to two terms on the Borough Council and is a Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority board member. In addition, he is a lifetime volunteer firefighter with the Swoyersville Hose Company #2.

Becky works for St. Luke’s University Health Network specializing in chemotherapy, home infusion, and specialty medications. In addition, she is a contract specialist leading the role in obtaining new limited distribution medicines into the network for employees and patients.

Dr. Jolene Carey-Pace was appointed Research Analyst at The Institute in 2021. As a research analyst, Jolene conducts research/development activities, analyzes data, and interprets results. Jolene also contributes to the design and delivery of research projects and collaborates with researchers to develop, execute, and interpret research projects and perform complex data collection and study methods. Jolene is experienced in quantitative and qualitative research, specializing in implementing, conducting, and analyzing interviews and focus groups. She is committed to building diverse, equitable, and inclusive communities through the assistance of data and is accomplished in evaluating and implementing DEI strategies, program evaluation, and leadership development.

A graduate of Wilkes University, Jolene earned her Doctorate of Education degree in Educational Leadership Studies. Jolene also earned a Master’s degree in Organizational Management and a Bachelor’s degree in English. Jolene also holds Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion certificates in the Workplace and Post-Crisis Leadership from the University of South Florida MUMA.

Before her time at The Institute, she worked as the Wilkes University Small Business Development Center program coordinator and as an Adjunct Instructor at Lackawanna College. Jolene began her professional career in the commercial insurance industry, working nine years in the regulatory compliance sector.

Jolene is also a Northeastern Educational Research Association member and was inducted in 2020 into Kappa Delta Pi, International Honor Society in Education.

Vanessa Vergnetti-Thomas is the proud mother of five children, including her sons Benjamin and Tristan, who have Autism. A certified K-12 Special Education Teacher, Certified Personal Trainer, and Master Colorist, she knows the way around IEP and the disability service system. With the help of NEPA Inclusive, her son Benjamin has a fulfilling purpose and personal pride through his job experience at a local pizza restaurant. She wants to share the mission of how NEPA Inclusive makes a real difference in the lives of students and adults with disabilities by spreading awareness of how essential inclusivity is in the community! She resides in Old Forge, PA, with her husband and children.

Dr. Carl J. Sheperis serves as Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies at Kutztown University. Dr. Sheperis has extensive experience in pediatric and family mental health and has served as an expert on various media outlets, including The Huffington Post, The Conversation, Parenting, Prevention, Disney Family, The Hill, and others. Dr. Sheperis has over 25 years of experience in pediatric and family mental health, and he has served as an envoy for professional counseling to UNESCO, the International Association for Counseling, the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Taiwan, Turkey, the Kingdom of Bhutan, and numerous other international organizations/governments.

Dr. Sheperis is the author of several textbooks and has published numerous academic journal articles. He was named the Outstanding Counselor Educator by the Southern Association of Counselor Education and Supervision and received the Counselor Education Advocacy Award from the American Counseling Association (ACA). In 2016, Dr. Sheperis received the David K. Brooks Jr. Distinguished Mentor Award from ACA, and in 2018 he was named a Fellow by the same organization. In 2022, Dr. Sheperis received the Carl D. Perkins Government Relations Award from ACA.

Beverly Braxton-Cannon has counseled in various modalities for over 30 years. She has worked in vocational school settings, state and local government, non-profit organizations, public health consortiums, and clinical substance abuse treatment facilities. Beverly has worn many hats throughout her professional career, including employment counselor, placement coordinator, guidance counselor, training director, HIV/AIDS counselor, family program director, and substance abuse counselor. She has personally and professionally helped countless individuals in her years of experience. She is a graduate of Douglass College (Rutgers – the State University of New Jersey) and is currently semi-retired. She now splits her time working between substance abuse counseling and life coaching.

Ms. Braxton-Cannon and her husband have been married for 33 years and have one adult daughter. Beverly is involved in her local community, volunteering with non-profit organizations and government agencies. She is honored and excited to have been asked to serve on the NEPA Inclusive Board of Directors.