RESOURCES' STAFF

Rachel Howard, Executive Director

Rachel joined Resources in early 2008. She is responsible for strategic planning, program development and implementation, publicity and public relations, personnel, financial development, and program evaluation. Rachel has worked in policy, advocacy, and services for children and adults with disabilities for over 20 years.

Helene F. Craner, L.M.S.W., Associate Director

Helene has been with Resources since 1983 and is one of RCSN's co-founders. She supervises RCSN's consumer service to parents and professionals and works to help them find schools, colleges, independent living and residential programs and services to assist them with the transition to adult life. She has worked in publishing and is the parent of a lawyer with a disability.

Edie Novicki, MBA, Finance Manager

Edie has a BS in Mathematics from the United States Naval Academy and an MBA from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business. With over twenty years of corporate finance and accounting she brings to RCSN strong Management Accounting skills.

Judith H. Sussman, APR, MA, Development Officer

Judith spearheads RCSN's fundraising and marketing efforts. She brings to the team more than 25 years of epertise in business development, public relations and sales promotion from marketing communications agency and corporate management positions.

Nina Lublin, M.Ed., Program Director

Since 1993 Nina has been RCSN's early childhood specialist. She helps parents and professionals find and obtain services and programs for children from birth to five years old, and conducts training for parents and professionals. Before coming to RCSN, she was the Head Start Special Needs Liaison for New York City's Agency for Child Development/Head Start program.

Roberto Romero, Program Director

Roberto is Co-Director of the Center Without Walls, RCSN's collaborative outreach, parent training and advocacy project with Advocates for Children of New York. He provides public school educational advocacy for children ages 5-21 and advocates in English and Spanish for parents seeking educational and related services.

Miguel Salazar, M.A., Program Director

Miguel provides educational advocacy in English and Spanish for children ages 5 - 21, and conducts training for parents and professionals about the school-age educational system and how it works. He is the parent of a child with a disability.

Gary Shulman, M.S.Ed., Program Director,

Gary helps parents and professionals find camps, summer programs, family support services, tutoring programs, after school and social programs, and "treasures" of all kinds. He is RCSN's Training Coordinator and conducts training for parents and professionals. He also coordinates RCSN's annual Special Camp Fair. Before coming to RCSN, he was Coordinator of Services for Children with Special Needs for the Brooklyn Children's Museum.

Jean Mizutani, Program Associate

Jean works with parents and professionals on accessing school-age services and conducts training on advocacy skills and special education options for parents and caregivers, supporting them and assisting them as they go through the process of finding appropriate educational programs for their children with special needs. Formerly a chef, she is the parent of a daughter with a disability.

Victoria Garwood-Burton, Executive/Development Assistant

Vicky keeps the executive functions running smoothly by maintaining the fundraising databases; helping to develop and maintain RCSN's administrative, staff and board materials; and coordinating development and marketing materials. She works with the Executive Director, Finance Manager and the Development Officer.

Lisa Berger, Database Manager

Lisa is responsible for updating and maintaining Resources' information and referral database. She assists with the proparation and production of the directories published from the database, as well as product promotion and advertising. Lisa provides sales support for the publication department.

Valerie Rodriguez, Administrative Assistant

Valerie answers RCSN's phones, is our receptionist and handles many administrative and statistical tasks. She is bilingual in English/Spanish.