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MOVERS AND SHAKERS
Douglas joins Bregman as co-executive directors of Vera House
Effective Dec. 1, Randi Bregman and Angela Douglas now serve as co-executive directors of Vera House, Inc. Bregman was appointed executive director of Vera House, Inc. in 2001 and has been with the agency since 1990. During her first 11 years at Vera House, she served as the coordinator of the Syracuse Area Domestic Violence Coalition. Over the past 19 years, she has overseen the everyday work at Vera House and is responsible for administration and financial management, supervision of staff, fundraising and fund development, community education and professional training and program development for the agency. Douglas left her role as executive director of Mercy Works to join Vera House as associate director in the fall of 2017. She had also served as the executive director and founder of Visions for Change, another local human service agency. Douglas came to Vera House having served on several non-profit boards and with extensive experience as a consultant on leadership, conflict resolution and board development. “Angela has the experience, skills and talent to be the executive director of Vera House,” said Bregman. “Furthermore, she is a woman of color and a survivor - identities that help our agency advance our strategic direction and further our mission. I am confident that Angela serving as co-executive director will strengthen Vera House as we head into 2021 and beyond.” “I am passionate about the mission of Vera House, the quality of the work we do and the staff who implement our programs and services,” Douglas said. “Working together, we can enhance the impact Vera House will have on the communities that we want to serve. We will leverage our strengths outside of the traditional avenues and build greater community partnerships that impact clients and center the voices of survivors.” Bregman and Douglas will formally share leadership of Vera House in partnership with other executive leaders. Both will be actively engaged with
January 2021
the board of directors and foundation board of trustees, and will play key roles in budgeting, program development and fund development. “The combined leadership, skills and talents of Randi and Angela is a recognition of the reality of how Vera House can operate more effectively,” said Barbara Karper, president of the board of directors.
Regan’s Acts of Kindness brings holiday joy to families Regan’s (“ree-gan’s”) Acts of Kindness is proud to announce it brought smiles to the faces of more than 1,000 children and adults, thanks to the generous response to the 2020 Regan’s Ornament Drive. The annual event got off to a slow start; due to the COVID pandemic, donations to local businesses were way down. But then, with the help of social media and an Amazon Wish List, donations started pouring in. The record was 36 separate boxes delivered in one day! Ornaments were given to babies born at St. Joseph’s Health Hospital, Albany Medical Center in Albany, and Fairview Hospital in Great Barrington, Mass. Hundreds more were handed out to children who are patients at Golisano Children’s Hospital, the Upstate Cancer Center and Joslin Diabetes Center in Syracuse. Still more are going to residents at the Nottingham Assisted and Independent Living, Vera House, McKinley Brighton Elementary School, and Tillie’s Touch. Regan’s Acts of Kindness is a 501c3 charity started after 3-year old Regan Shetsky was hit by a car and killed in her nursery school parking lot in Eastwood. January 4, 2021 will be the 4th anniversary of her death. For more information, visit regansactsofkindness.com or follow them on Facebook. Regan Shetsky’s big brother, Gavin, and little brother, Grayson, help with deliveries of ornaments that Regan’s Acts of Kindness is distributing to are children and families. SWM
10th Anniversary Edition
