Board of Directors

Anne Fleming Anderson

MA, CCC-SLP

she/her • Pronounced /Aen FlEH-ming AEN-der-suhn/

Anne Fleming Anderson has worked as a Clinical Speech Pathologist for over 10 years. She holds a BA from the University of Toledo and an MA from the University of Akron. She works for the Cleveland Clinic, specializing in the use Augmentative and Alternative Communication devices with patients across the lifespan. She lives in Westlake with her husband, Mike, and her dog, Nick.

Lynda Appel

she/her • Pronounced /LIHN-duh A-puhl/

Lynda is a retired Data Manager for Westlake Schools as well as a former Production Planning Associate for PPG Industries. She was honored to serve on the Westlake City Council as the representative for Ward 1 for 8 years, 2014-2021. Lynda enjoys spending her free time with family, especially her grandchildren. She is newly retired, hopes to improve her golf game and is looking forward to exploring the world of pickleball. Lynda and Jeff live in Westlake; their three children are all married and they have two grandchildren with more on the way. She is excited to contribute to the excellent work of Connecting for Kids.

Shari D deCarlo

she/her • Pronounced /SHEH-ree dai-KAAR-loh/

Shari is a Founding Partner at NEO Advocates, working as a special education advocate, disability support coach and family support advocate. With six years running her practice and five years as a Parent Mentor, she brings over a decade of professional expertise to the ⁠Connecting for Kids board. She is also ⁠COPAA-trained and serves on the boards of Fare-Cle and ⁠The HELP Foundation. Her work is deeply personal. As the mother of two daughters—one who utilized 504 supports and another born with significant, lifelong disabilities—she understands firsthand the challenges families face. This lived experience fuels her mission to empower parents and ensure they never navigate disability care alone, and is why she is so passionate about Connecting For Kids. Shari lives on the East Side of Cleveland with her husband, daughter and two dogs. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, foraging, camping, gardening and hanging out with her grandson.

Kenneth Dix

he/him • Pronounced /kEH-nith DIHKS/

Kenneth is Director of Quality Assurance at Silver Lining ABA and has had the privilege of working with children in a clinical setting for more than a decade. He received bachelor’s degrees in psychology and history from Cleveland State University. In his free time, Kenneth enjoys spending time with his family and watching live music. Kenneth has had the privilege of serving on the Connecting for Kids Board of Directors for the past several years and takes great pride in seeing how the CFK staff positively impacts the lives of individuals and the Northeast Ohio community as a whole.

Leslie Dorsey

MBA, PMP, SPHR

she/her • Pronounced /les-LEE DOR-see/

Leslie Dorsey has 20 years of experience in the HR field and has degrees in business and holds certifications in project management and HR. In addition to Connecting for Kids, she also supports local organizations such as Rec2Connect, Bay Presbyterian Church, Night to Shine, VeloSano, and Engage! Cleveland.

Leslie resides in Fairview Park with her husband Derek, children Cailyn and Rylan, and golden retrievers, Maple and Pancakes. Their family is nicknamed “The Outdorseys” because they love outdoor adventures!

Leslie has had close ties to Connecting for Kids since about 2013 when she and her husband learned that Cailyn wasn't developing like neurotypical children. They began attending CFK's coffee chats, seminars, and Teach Me to Play classes (now called Share & Support, speaker series and Adapted Playgroups). Having the CFK community during these early years was incredibly helpful for Leslie’s family. They were able to learn from the staff and lean on other parents for support as they navigated the complexities of their situation.

Now that Cailyn is a teenager, Leslie is thrilled to spend time giving back to an organization that has been so supportive during her journey of parenting.

Marty Flynn

he/him • Pronounced /Mahr-tee FLinn/

Marty Flynn is retired from Dominion Energy where he spent 30 years providing natural gas service to large new construction projects. He and his wife Kate live in Shaker Heights. They have 4 adult children; the youngest, who is deaf, was adopted from overseas. They have 7 grandchildren, and are extremely fortunate that 5 of them live nearby. Marty and Kate volunteer at a women’s shelter in Cleveland where they help the staff care for babies, toddlers and young children. Marty and Kate also work out year round in order to maintain enough flexibility to enjoy summertime back-road trips in their little sports car.

Laura C. Fow

she/her • Pronounced /LOR-uh fow/

Laura Fow earned a Bachelor of Science from the College of William & Mary and a Master of Science in Environmental Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She began her career as an environmental consultant with ICF Kaiser before serving as an Environmental Manager for Nufarm Specialty Products.

Laura previously served on the Connecting for Kids Board of Directors from 2014–2017 and is honored to return to the organization. She has firsthand experience navigating developmental differences, special education, therapies and community resources across multiple states. Having walked that journey from early diagnosis through college, she is passionate about helping families find trusted resources and community during what can often be an overwhelming time.

Laura and her husband live in Chagrin Falls, where she looks forward to helping expand Connecting for Kids’ reach throughout Cleveland’s east side by building community partnerships and increasing awareness of its mission. In her free time, she enjoys running, traveling and spending time with her husband and their two adult children.

Sharon B. Krumwiede

MEd

she/her • Pronounced /SHEH-ruhn CRUM-wee-dee/

Sharon is a dedicated Special Education Supervisor with a strong background in supporting students with diverse needs. With years of experience as a Behavior Specialist serving multiple school districts, Sharon brings a deep understanding of behavior intervention, program development and inclusive education practices.

A proud member of the LGBTQIA community, Sharon brings both professional experience and personal perspective to help create and foster safe and supportive environments promoting visibility and representation.

Outside of her career, she is a mother of two boys and an avid lover of the outdoors. She spends her free time hiking, being on the water and exploring national parks, combining her love for nature with a spirit of adventure and lifelong learning.

Bryan McManus

he/him • Pronounced /brAY-uhn mihk-MAEN-uhs/

Bryan is the Sr. Director at Faber-Castell. He manages the financial, administrative and other aspects of the corporation. As a foster parent, he has experience raising children with various needs and he has seen how difficult finding resources to support those needs can be for families. Bryan and his family like to go camping, travel and try new things. Bryan is excited to contribute to an already-great organization.

Andrea McMuldren

MEd, LPCC-S

she/her • Pronounced /and-REE-uh mic-MULL-drin/

Andrea began working as a direct support professional after graduating from Cleveland State University with a BA in Nonprofit Administration. She then shifted roles at UCP of Greater Cleveland to a home manager and then a habilitation specialist. Having the insatiable desire to learn how to support people with a greater capacity, Andrea earned her Master's in Education with a speciality in community mental health counseling in May of 2017 from Cleveland State University. Andrea has worked for Signature Health Inc since May of 2016. She currently supports a team of nine in both case management and counseling roles, while maintaining a small case load. She specializes in working with children, adolescents and all ages of people with developmental disabilities and ASD.

When not working, Andrea enjoys spending time with her partner, four kids and two cats. As the "planner" of the family, Andrea is always finding fun adventures for everyone to enjoy.

Andrea knows the value CFK brings to families, not just through a professional lens, but also having two children that have benefited from receiving various supports through CFK.

Stephanie McNamara

Pronounced /STE-fuh-nee MAK-nuh-MAIR-uh/

Stephanie McNamara has a BA in International Relations from Boston University and a JD from Case Western Reserve University School of Law. She is a Guardian Ad Litem with Voices for Children, Lorain County’s CASA program. She lives in Bay Village with her husband and has two mostly grown children, Molly and Daniel. She enjoys reading, playing pickleball and spending time with friends and family.

Zach Menoes

he/him • Pronounced /ZAK MEN-oze/

Zach is a data analytics professional at KeyBank. He received his bachelor's degree in finance from Miami University. Zach lives in Bay Village with his wife, Meg. Outside of work he enjoys spending time with family and friends, working out and reading comic books. He is passionate about Connecting for Kids because his brother-in-law Jamie is an adult with Down syndrome. Zach saw how the community, support and resources that were made available to Jamie in his childhood have made such a lasting positive impact on him and his family.

Meredith Mulford

MEd

she/her • Pronounced /MARE-dith MUHL-ford/

Meredith spent 15 years working as an office manager for a manufacturing company before stepping away to focus on her family and spend more time with her 5-year-old son. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Middle Childhood Education from Xavier University and a Master of Arts in Education from Baldwin Wallace University.

Meredith believes in supporting local organizations and is an active member of the Cleveland Chapter of the Travis Manion Foundation. She lives in Westlake with her husband, Ryan; their son, Ethan; and their two cats, Fritz and Killian.

Meredith’s family has found invaluable support and friendship through Connecting for Kids events, speakers and play groups. They never have to say I’m sorry or explain why.

Mackenzie Rini

JD

she/her • Pronounced /muhk-EHn-zee rEE-nee/

Mackenzie is a labor and employment attorney. She received her BA from the Ohio State University and her JD from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. Mackenzie is a born-and-raised Clevelander. She lives in Solon with her husband (Tony) and two dogs (Ted and Buzz). In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, DIY projects and traveling.

Kristi Stolarski

she/her • Pronounced /KRIS-tee STOH-larr-skee/

After more than 20 years driving campaigns at top agencies, Kristi now channels her expertise into her practice as a freelance marketing communications consultant. A Cleveland-area professional, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Speech Communication and Marketing Promotion from Miami University.

Kristi lives in Avon with her husband, Patrick, their sons, Ryan and Aidan and a lively household of pets. Whether they are traveling to new destinations, watching sports or spending time at their Catawba lake house, family time is always at the center.

"Being a parent is overwhelming—especially navigating the pressures and influences of today's society. I was so excited to find Connecting for Kids to help unite with other parents to learn and share experiences and resources to do what's best for our kids and our families."

Michelle Volpe-Kohler

MA

she/her • Pronounced /mi-SHELL VOL-pay KOH-ler/

Michelle leads the Marketing and Communications team at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. Before joining the Cleveland Fed, she held communications roles in both Cleveland and Washington, D.C. She earned bachelor's degrees in economics and English from Baldwin Wallace University and a master's degree in English from Ohio University.

Michelle lives in Rocky River with her husband, Christian, their sons, Cash and Luca, and their dog and cat. Connecting for Kids provided valuable support and resources to her family when their children were younger, and she is honored to serve the organization as a board member.