Community Advisory Board

Laurie Bajorek is the office administrator for a statewide labor union and proud mom of two college students.

Laurie has served Vernon Public Schools for over 15 years in a variety of roles, including: classroom volunteer, book fair chairperson, Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) leader, member of the Family School and Community Partnerships Committee, member of the Vernon Board of Education, and president of the Vernon Education Foundation. As part of her service and advocacy, Laurie has helped rally the Vernon community through the referendum process to restore $1,000,000 in proposed cuts to the school district's budget.

Laurie has over 35 years of experience in customer service in a variety of roles within the retail, insurance, tourism, and yoga industries, as well as more than 20 years in business support services (A/P, A/R, bookkeeping, etc.) for several small businesses and nonprofit organizations.

Additionally, Laurie has served as treasurer for two state representative campaigns, as deputy treasurer for a state senate campaign, and recently ran for mayor of Vernon.

Laurie continues to work toward a more equitable society where basic needs are met and all people are treated with dignity and respect.

Miriam Bleich and her husband live in West Hartford, CT where their four children attend West Hartford Public Schools.

Previously a licensed clinical social worker, Miriam has always advocated for the best interests of children and families. 

Having spent the last few years active in her local community advocating for special education, Miriam is now hoping to make an even greater impact on her community by running for board of education. Miriam is excited to join the Community Advisory Board and grateful for the opportunity!

Kathleen Callahan is the Policy and Civic Engagement Director for the Connecticut Cradle-to-Career Coalition and serves at the chair of her local political party in Stratford. Raised in a politically active family and immersed in civic responsibility from an early age, Kathleen is deeply committed to improving lives and communities through collective action and decision-sharing.

Kathleen has a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and spent over two decades as a software engineer before receiving a Master of Social Work. She thinks in relationships, systems, stories, and data, and she facilitates change by integrating all the necessary, available information.

Rachel Chaleski is a former State Representative from Danbury and served five years on the Danbury Board of Education, including terms as Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary. Her advocacy for equity and access around education began when her two children attended Danbury’s only interdistrict elementary magnet school.

Deeply committed to her community, Rachel has contributed countless hours through service on school and city-wide PTO executive boards, as a Junior Achievement facilitator, kindergarten interventionist, and parent ambassador, among other roles. She is a facilitator for the Parent Leadership Training Institute and member of the Civic Design Team, having graduated from the program in 2016. Additionally, she is a founding member and planning team member of the proposed Danbury charter school and a longtime member of the Danbury Music Centre. Through The New American Dream Foundation, Rachel volunteers her time delivering hot meals and human connection to seniors in low-income housing communities.

Rachel’s dedication to education has been recognized with the Parental Involvement Recognition Award from the State Education Resource Center for her advocacy efforts and the Children’s Champion Award from the Connecticut Early Childcare Alliance for her legislative work.

A resident of Danbury for approximately 25 years, Rachel lives with her husband, Carl, where they have raised their two children. She holds a degree in Biology from Concordia College and brings professional experience in corporate finance.

Melissa Hannequin is a passionate nonprofit executive specializing in policy and operations. She is dedicated to promoting equity, thinking systemically, and ensuring people have a say in their communities. She is currently the inaugural Executive Director of the Danbury Collective. In this role, she leads a new cradle to career initiative that works collectively to foster positive, measurable, and sustainable life outcomes for young people in Danbury.

Previously, Melissa worked for the New York City Department of Education, where she was a leader in expanding families’ access to free, high-quality early childhood programs through the 3-K and Pre-K for All universal preschool initiative, and opening preschool special education programs in New York City public schools.

Melissa earned her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and International Studies from Fairfield University and a Master of Science in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University. She also holds a Certificate in Education Finance from Georgetown University. She is a lifelong resident of the Greater Danbury area and a champion of public education and the arts.

Yukiyo Iida is the Associate Director of Parent Leadership and Family Engagement with the Connecticut General Assembly’s Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity (CWCSEO). With over 20 years of experience engaging families, youth, and community, Yukiyo leverages her expertise and passion for equity to drive positive change across Connecticut.

Yukiyo’s background includes roles at the National Parent Leadership Institute and Parent Leadership Training Institute in Connecticut, as well as experience as a public school teacher. These experiences have provided her with a comprehensive understanding of how parent and youth leadership and capacity-building drive systemic change. Through these roles, Yukiyo has also consistently demonstrated her ability to build strong partnerships, drive systemic change, and advocate for policies that benefit families, youth, and marginalized communities.

In addition to her professional responsibilities, Yukiyo serves on several work groups and advisory boards, underscoring her commitment to creating equitable and inclusive communities through various avenues. 

A proud immigrant from Japan, Yukiyo brings a global perspective shaped by her experiences across various cultural, linguistic, and professional contexts. Yukiyo currently resides in West Hartford with her amazing teenager and their mini dachshund named Miso.

Justin Matley, founder of Black Oak Sound, is an award-winning post sound/re-recording mixer, sound designer, and music director and supervisor who works on a plethora of television, film, radio, podcast, internet, and experiential-based projects for the broadcast, news, motion picture, and advertising industries. Along with individual accolades and nominations, his projects have won dozens of awards, including Academy, BAFTA, Emmy, Cannes Lion, and Promax awards, and are featured across international festivals, broadcast networks, and digital media worldwide. He is also adjunct faculty at the University of Connecticut and Western Connecticut State University where he teaches coursework in sound technology, and is a News and Documentary Emmy voter.

Serving his community, Justin is on the board of directors of a local news website (Nancy on Norwalk), the founder of a local education organization (the Norwalk Parents Initiative), and on the Leadership Committee for the Norwalk Film Festival. He's an avid Red Sox fan, skier, amateur gardener, and lover of most things outdoors. Above all, his most important roles are as a husband and father to two amazing girls.

Versha Munshi-South is a former public school teacher, instructional coach, and principal navigating the school system as the parent of two teenagers. Currently, she supports school, district, and state education leaders as a consultant at TNTP, a national education nonprofit.

After graduating from the Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) in 2021, Versha was inspired to run for office. She currently serves as the Vice President of the Stamford Board of Education.

Versha is passionate about local politics and, in particular, supporting the campaigns of candidates from underrepresented groups.

Mark Olynciw is an experienced community program leader with a deep commitment to fostering community engagement and promoting educational initiatives. 

Currently, Mark serves as the GUIDE Program Manager at The Connecticut Hospice, Inc. where he supports a Medicare initiative for dementia care. Previously, Mark worked for the United Way of Central and Northeastern CT where he expanded early literacy programs and coordinated volunteer efforts.

Based in Hamden, Mark holds a Master of Arts degree in Teaching from Sacred Heart University, a Master of Arts in Political Science from the University of Chicago, and a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Cornell University. He's also a proud new father.

Jennifer Quay-Hudson serves as the Advocacy Director for the Open Communities Alliance (OCA), whose mission is unwinding Connecticut's history of segregation by reducing social, economic, and health disparities experienced by low-income families of color and generating access to “opportunity” by establishing pathways to affordable housing in thriving communities.

Prior to joining OCA, Jennifer relaunched the A Better Way Foundation, having raised $1.1 million for the relaunch in the first year, growing the client base by 200%, opening a state of the art co-working space, and hiring a full staff team.

Additionally, she helped lead a statewide tax reform campaign that called for racial equity in taxation and a redistribution of wealth through significant tax cuts and refunds for the state’s neediest families. Jennifer’s work on this campaign started a statewide conversation about the unique wealth and income inequality in Connecticut and ultimately the implementation of a $250 child tax rebate that was meant to offset the cost of raising children in Connecticut.

Jennifer has played a significant role in shaping union campaign strategy for Educators for Excellence-CT, helping to develop the lobbying capacity of a regional education policy nonprofit by supporting the work of starting a 501(c)4, and building out the external college work of a local charter network to boost college acceptance rates and formal partnerships with institutions of higher education. She is currently an acting board member of the New Haven Legal Assistance Association and resides in New Haven with her husband and children in the very same neighborhood in which she grew up.