Jay Annadurai - Program and Events Director

Jay joined NPN in 2006 following the birth of her daughter. Desperately needing some support and companionship, Jay joined NPN’s New Moms Group and met an amazing set of friends for herself and daughter. Her experience was so rewarding that she began volunteering as a neighborhood co-chair and, in 2007, joined NPN’s programming department. Helping families find the resources they need through educational, fun events and programs is the best part of her job! Jay has a BA in Anthropology and Masters of Education in Middle Childhood Education from The Ohio State University. Prior to joining NPN’s staff, Jay was a 7th grade teacher in the Chicago Public School system. Jay and her husband Zubin live in Roscoe Village with their daughter Leela and son Shiven.

 

Alison Ray  - Event & Social Media Director

Alison joined NPN before the birth of her oldest daughter in 2007.  An award-winning Certified Meeting Planner, Alison has over thirteen years’ experience as a professional meeting & event planner and eight years as the CEO of Metropolitan Marketing & Event Group. As the Managing Editor of  Sassy Moms in the City, Alison provides women with resources and information necessary to maintain sophisticated and sassy lifestyles while raising children in the city. Alison lives in Old Town with her husband and two sassy daughters.

 

 

 

Amy Archer - Program Manager

Amy joined NPN in 2003 shortly after the birth of her first child. A neighbor told her about the New Moms Group program where she met an amazing group of moms who helped her through the first few years of motherhood and with whom she built life-long lasting friendships! Believing strongly in giving back to her community and inspired by her New Moms Group experience, Amy volunteered with NPN over the years as a New Moms Group hostess and doing data entry work before joining NPN’s program department in 2007. Prior to NPN, Amy was a contract manager with a non-profit community based organization. She graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor’s degree in Community Health. Most days, you can find Amy running to keep up with her two boys in the Lincoln Square neighborhood!

Ellie Ander – Advertising Director

Ellie became a NPN parent member just after becoming pregnant with her first child in 2009. Frantically seeking experience and information of working parents for the best day care provider, she became glued to the discussion boards for advice. Shortly after the birth of her son she joined NPN’s New Mom’s Group in search for current and future play dates for both herself and her son. Ellie has a BA in Interior Design from Design Institute of San Diego. She enjoys employing her 10 years of corporate and creative skills from an Architecture and Design background into the roll of NPN’s Advertising Director. You can often find Ellie, her husband, Jeremy, son, Tycen, and daughter, Brielle goofing around at various parks near at the lake!

 

 

Beth Cohen-Dorfman - Program and New Moms Group Support

Beth has always been interested in helping young children and families and has a BS in Early Childhood Education from Indiana University. After graduating, she spent two and a half years utilizing her degree as a Peace Corps Volunteer in rural Paraguay which was an incredible and life-changing experience. Upon returning state-side in the spring of 2001, she found another satisfying challenge working in the North Lawndale community of Chicago teaching first grade for four years. She also taught kindergarten at Lincoln Park Preparatory and was the first Curriculum Coordinator at Concordia Place preschool on Seeley before leaving the working world to become a full-time mom in December of 2006. She became a member of NPN in early 2007 and has benefited so much from her involvement in her New Moms' Group that spring. She is thrilled to be taking on the new challenge of organizing the New Moms' Groups so hopefully other moms can gain the same support base she did from that experience! She lives in East Lakeview with her husband Mike, daughter Evie and son Nathan.

Leslye Whittman - Events Manager

Leslye joined NPN after her sister-in-law said, "If you are living in the city and have a baby, you MUST join NPN!" and after that statement, she joined in 2010 after her daughter was born. Leslye has enjoyed access to the message board to find her babysitters, window tinting companies, travel advice and much more. Prior to joining NPN in August 2010, Leslye has experience working in non-profit and for profit organizations. She has planned events various events with the likes of Aretha Franklin and many of the top Execs of Google. When Leslye is not planning the School Fair or Silent Auction, you can find her, her husband and daughter trying out a new restaurant or at the local park in their Irving park neighborhood.

BJ Slusarczyk- Operations Manager
BJ is a happy wife to Robert and mom to Sonia and Timothy. Aspiring to be a lifelong learner, she has already been an elementary school teacher (with a Master's degree in literature and teaching from Jagiellonian University in Cracow, Poland), an ophthalmic technician, a homeschooling mom and much more. She’s been with NPN since spring 2006, performing many different tasks and duties. Believing that parenthood is one of the most important professions in life, she feels privileged to work for an organization that helps parents to do their job better.

Dollie Schombert - Web Developer
Dollie was recruited to join the NPN tech team in 2004. She desires to help families to grow with love. Dollie became a techno-geek when she took her first computer class at DePaul University. When she's not computing, you can find her & her family, riding bikes along the lake front.

Nelia Opperman - Accountant
Nelia’s involvement with NPN started in 2005 when she was approached by NPN management regarding tax issues facing the organization. Since then, she continued on being involved with NPN doing various tasks including data entry, event postings, bookkeeping, budgeting and planning, research, audit, tax and financial reporting. Nelia’s work experience includes international tax management positions at Motorola, Aon, and Baxter Labs. She has a BS degree in Education, an MBA, CPA, and attended Roosevelt University and De Paul University.

Mara Yurasek- Team Support/Project Manager
Mara became a member of NPN soon after her son was born to meet other city parents. She was so impressed with the benefits that she had received from being a member, that she became part of the staff in 2008. Her current position is the Administrative Coordinator and Special Projects Manager. Mara has a B.AA. in Theatre from Barat College in Lake Forest, IL. Before NPN, Mara performed in plays throughout the Chicago area and traveled extensively. Mara lives with her husband and 4 year old son in Andersonville.

Jill Chukerman - Managing Editor, Parent to Parent
Jill has been the managing editor of NPN's quarterly magazine Parent to Parent since 2007. She is the owner and principal of JAC Communications, founded in 1994, which handles publications and public relations programs for a variety of corporate and non-profit clients. One of Jill's passions is theatre, and since parenthood has caused her to give up acting for a while, she finds herself doing a lot of "performing" while reading aloud to or listening to music with her five-year-old daughter, joined by husband Tom, a professional voiceover and on-camera talent.

Kathy Luppo - School Database Manager
Kathy joined NPN in 2007 to meet families with young children in her Portage Park neighborhood. Immediately, she volunteered as co-chair for the 60641 social neighborhood group and after a year she joined the staff at NPN. Her current role is managing the online school database, publishing the printed school directory, and maintaining the email database. Kathy’s background includes working for Hammacher Schlemmer as the Director of their not-for-profit product institute and various market research positions within Walgreens. In her free time, Kathy enjoys singing with children in her circle time group, exploring kid-friendly spots with her husband Pete and their daughter Kalyna, and arranging play dates with her the neighborhood friends that she met through NPN.
 

Past Executive Directors

• Christina Deaton DeMeara
• Liz Burgess
• CHerrie Sanchez
• Bonnie Pomposelli
• Shana Trombley
• Faith Spencer
• Sylla Zarov
• Heidi DeStigter
• Becky Binks
• Mary Hennessy

Volunteers

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Since NPN was founded in 1980, by a team of pioneer parents that volunteered their time to develop NPN, we have been so lucky to keep volunteering as a core part of our community.  Our volunteers run our social and support groups, lead neighborhood clubs, plan our annual Family Festival event, and make up a number of Board and topic specific committees.  Their energy, enthusiasm, and commitment are unmatched and we are so grateful to each one of them!

Coming soon! Our directory of Volunteer team members.