Board of Directors
Jim Goggin, President
Jim Goggin, Board President, joined the NYS Board in May 2014. He was President of the Board from 2018 through 2021 and reappointed in 2023 ‘til current. He has held the position of Tax Collector in the Borough of Naugatuck since 2007. Jim’s wife Susan is a teacher in the Naugatuck School System. They have raised four kids, now young adults, who all attended Naugatuck Public Schools. He has coached in various sports leagues over the past 30 years and served on a few different community boards. He is an avid UConn Husky fan and of the Boston Red Sox. His favorite teams though are those that wear the Garnett and Grey of the Naugatuck Greyhounds. He has also been the chef at many fundraisers specializing in corned beef or pasta and meatball dinners.
Stacey Hofmann, Vice President
Stacey Hofmann, Board Vice Chair, joined the NYS board in February 2023. Stacey is currently the Chief Human Capital Officer at Community Mental Health Affiliates, Inc. Stacey holds a Master’s Degree in Labor Relations from the University of New Haven and has been working in healthcare and human services for over 25 years. Stacey previously worked for large health systems in the state but has since shifted her passion for Human Resources towards smaller not for profit organizations, with a focus on both organizational and leadership development. Stacey is an avid Buffalo Bill’s fan and loves nothing more than watching a football game with her family while eating wings. Her favorite wings are from Anchor Bar, the famed birthplace of the Buffalo chicken wing.
Bernice Rizk, Treasurer
Bio coming soon!
Sandra Heller, Co-Secretary
Sandra Heller has been on the Board of Directors for over 15 years. She has a background in school social work with teenagers and currently works as a therapist with her therapy dog, Filene. She raised 3 children in Naugatuck and now has 4 grandchildren. Sandra is on the Mission Impact Committee that works with staff to look at NYS programs to evaluate how well they meet our mission and to develop ways to enhance their impact.
Michael Cocchiola, Co-Secretary
Michael has been a board member of Naugatuck Youth Services since May 2021 and currently sits on the Governance and Project Impact sub-committees. He also volunteers as an Assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 5 in Middlebury. Michael works for Capitol Region Education Council as a Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and provides behavioral supports and consultations to several public schools, grades K-12. Michael earned a master's degree in Clinical Psychology and a postgraduate board certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analysis. Michael lives in Naugatuck with his wife Linda and has two grown sons who proudly went through the Naugatuck Public School system. A fun fact about Michael is that he would rather spend more of his day outdoors than indoors. He does this through gardening at home and spending time hiking year round.
Ethel Grant
Ethel is a retired educator, having been the Dean of Students at W. F. Kaynor Technical High School, and is presently a Naugatuck Board of Education member (10 years). As a member of the NYS Board since 2016, she has served on the Governance and Fund Development Committees and participated in a number of workshops and events with youth. The most recent event being "Girls on the Run" Day, which is one of the many programs sponsored by NYS and was so much fun... and, a great learning and confidence building experience for our young girls, their families and their mentors.
Nicole O'Connell
Nicole O’Connell has been a board member of Naugatuck Youth Services since October of 2017. She works as the Director of Special Services for the Naugatuck Public Schools, where she has been employed since July of 2017. Nicole received her Bachelor's Degree from the University of Dayton, where she studied special education. She earned her Masters Degree in Educational Leadership from Ursuline College. Nicole enjoys spending time with her husband and three children. She loves the Pittsburgh Steelers, all things Disney, and building legos. Nicole values the work that Youth Services does and is thankful to be a small part of it.
Stephanie Misiewicz Jenkins
Stephanie Jenkins is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has worked in the mental health field since 1997. She is a long time resident of Naugatuck where her children attend(ed) public schools. Stephanie is the Senior Clinical Director at Stokes Counseling Services also located in Naugatuck. She has worked in various settings including residential, in-home services, outpatient, and in the private practice setting and has experience working with youth and adults who suffer from ADHD/ODD, PTSD, anxiety, depression and grief and loss. Stephanie also has experience working with the LBGTQ+ community; including transgender clients and their families. She believes in the importance of offering a genuine and safe space for clients to be able to express themselves without judgment. Stephanie utilizes a strengths-based approach with her clients and also offers trauma focused therapy including Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART).
DeWygee Williams
DeWygee "Dee" Williams is a Christian, a wife, a mother, a community leader, and an entrepreneur. She joined the board in 2021. After gaining over 30 years of experience in the administrative field, in 2016 she decided to co-found Uniquely Cleaned, a residential and commercial cleaning company. Dee has always had a passion for advocating, empowering, and creating a safe space for the youth. Her mission is for every child to feel heard and supported in their journey to discover their life's purpose. She aims to be the person she needed when she was growing up, to the generations after her, and to help guide and support the next leaders of this world. "Our children are more than our future; they are our right now." -DKW.
Kate Murphy
Kate Murphy joined the Naugatuck Youth Services board in October 2022 after spending many years volunteering with us. She is a member of the Step Up Naugy Prevention Coalition and for the past 9 years has been the coach/coach liaison for the Girls on the Run program run through Naugatuck Youth Services. Not only does Kate serve on the NYS board she also serves on other boards and committees in Naugatuck. Kate has been a steadfast advocate for Naugatuck Youth in both her professional and personal life as a community volunteer and because of this she was the recipient of the 2020 Jane Lobdell Youth Advocacy & Action Award. When not volunteering Kate enjoys spending time on the beaches of Cape Cod, baking, reading and spending time with her family.
Mike Wawrzyniak
Bio coming soon!
Amy Morrissey
Amy Morrissey has been a Board Member since February 2023. Currently, she serves as the Board's Youth Representative. She is also a member of the Mission Impact Committee. Amy is a senior at Naugatuck High School and plans to attend Harvard College in the fall. Amy began volunteering with Naugatuck Youth Services in 2021. She has been involved with Naugatuck Youth Service's programming, serving as a Youth Leader in the Family Groups program, leading Girls Circle, and attending NYS' annual youth leadership conference. In addition, she is a Youth Representative for Step Up Naugy, NYS' prevention coalition. A fun fact about Amy is that she has lived in Naugatuck her entire life!
Elma Solomon
Elma Solomon joined the board at NYS in October 2023. She is a retired professor (Professor Emeritus) from CT State NVCC where she taught in the Business Department for 26 years. Elma continues to teach at NVCC and Post University in a part-time capacity. Elma has served on the board of the Ecumenical Food Bank as the representative of the United Methodist Church and as a long time Parks and Recreation Commission. Elma continues to serve Naugatuck as an alternate on the Finance Board. Beyond Naugatuck, Elma is a member of the Waterbury Black Giving Circle where she continues to engage in promoting and supporting activities that enrich the lives of young people.
Nate Testone
Nathan “Nate” Testone met the NYS team in the fall of 2022. After being resistant to join, he now has worked in Summer Lounge and Knowledge Drop as a youth leader. He has created bonds he never thought possible with the youth & staff of NYS. You can find him in the afternoon working on crafts, games, and sports with youth participants. Nate has a big family, with four brothers and two step brothers. Nate is an avid sports fan, following the Raptors, Penguins, Steelers, and Mets.
Kim Gallo
Kim Gallo joined the Naugatuck Youth Services Board in June of 2024. Kim enjoyed a forty-year career in education as a teacher, school counselor, and Middle/High School Principal, retiring in June of 2021. Since that time, she has enjoyed more time with her husband Tom, her three grown children, and her seven grandchildren; but her passion for community service led her to her work as a former member of the Naugatuck Board of Education and a current member of the Naugatuck Board of Mayor and Burgesses, where she serves as a burgess, specializing in educational issues. She also serves on the Elderly Commission and the Golf Commission, as well as Burgess Liaison to the Board of Education. In her spare time, Kim serves as a lector at her local house of worship, and as a Evaluation Committee Chair for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.