Leadership Council

Working for a brighter future in Stamford and beyond

Diverse Perspectives

Our Leadership Council is comprised of dedicated leaders from across the organization who provide diverse viewpoints and work collectively to make insightful decisions about the many challenges Domus faces now and will face in the future. Together, we can continue to grow and innovate to best meet the needs of our participants, our partners, and the broader community.

Marylin Andrews

Director of Invictus

Marilyn has worked at Domus since 2009. She first served as a youth development professional in Domus’ group home for young men; she later became the home’s director. Marilyn was also a case manager for young women in Domus’ transitional living program. She joined Domus’ re-entry program in 2018, serving first as a case manager and now as the program’s director, supporting young men as they re-enter the Stamford community after a period of incarceration. Marilyn serves on Domus’ Holiday and Wellness Committees, the latter to ensure employees receive high-quality, valuable support due to the emotional toll experienced when working with traumatized youth. Marilyn graduated from Western Connecticut State University and enjoys spending time with family and traveling.

Chris Arenas

Director of Domus Vikings

Chris is the director of the Domus Vikings school engagement program. He joined Domus in 2011 as an educational advocate at Domus’ Chester Addison Community Center, supporting neighborhood youth in their educational success, forging relationships with public school personnel, and supporting families in connecting with schools. In 2017, Chris played a significant role in launching the Domus Knights school engagement program as a program director. He served in this position until January 2024, when he was chosen to lead the Domus Vikings program. Chris is a Domus Sanctuary Committee member, focusing on trauma-responsive programming and environments. He earned his BS in Human Services and Psychology from the University of Bridgeport. When Chris isn’t busy removing obstacles for high school students, he enjoys spending quality time with his family and playing soccer.

Alison Black

Director of Research and Evaluation

Alison, director of research and evaluation, joined Domus in 2016 and is responsible for developing an internal evaluation strategy, assisting with the development and refinement of program models, and managing all research activities to determine the success and effectiveness of programs. Previously, Alison worked at MDRC as a senior research associate where she employed various research methodologies to evaluate school-based interventions, conducted extensive empirical work examining alternative evaluation methods, and helped to identify high performing organizations serving disengaged and disconnected youth. Alison received a master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University. Before graduate school, she worked at the Vera Institute, supporting projects in the areas of child welfare, education, and juvenile justice. Alison can often be found in a hockey rink watching her sons play.

Julie Degennaro

Associate Executive Director

Julie joined Domus in 1993. She has worked as a youth worker, director of education, director of residential services, charter school co-director, and assistant executive director. Julie now serves as associate executive director, overseeing all Domus programs and ensuring fidelity to each program model and the Domus Relational Model, which help the organization achieve excellent outcomes for youth. She oversaw Domus’ engagement with the esteemed Edna McConnell Clark Foundation as part of their PropelNext 2012-2015 cohort, a national initiative that selected a small number of nonprofits with promising practices and helped them improve their performance. Julie was one of ten Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame Education and Empowerment honorees in 2013. She has a bachelor’s degree from Connecticut College.

MITCH DEPINO

Director of Workforce Development

Mitch is the director of workforce development and has been with Domus since 2010. Prior to joining Domus, he worked at Street Smart Ventures building workforce development programs for Family Services Woodfield (now LifeBridge Community Services), Family Re-Entry, and other nonprofits in the region. Mitch has grown and evolved Domus’ workforce development program over the years to ensure it addresses the changing needs of local industries and shifting youth interests. He has also focused on relationship building with local leaders so youth have access to more supportive employers. Mitch graduated from Southern Connecticut State University and received the 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award from the Hamden Education Foundation. When Mitch isn’t paving a path to family-supporting workforce opportunities, he can be found spending time with his family, playing guitar, and exercising.

MICHAEL DUGGAN

Executive Director

Michael joined Domus as its executive director in 1991 when the organization had just one program, Domus House, and a budget of under $300,000. He served in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps for two years before working at Good Shepherd Services in Brooklyn for nine years. He is a graduate of Holy Cross and received his master’s in social work from Hunter College. Mike was one of five 2002-03 Frances Hesselbein Community Innovation Fellows awarded by the Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management. He is the recipient of a 2010 Sanctae Crucis Award, Holy Cross’ highest non-degree recognition bestowed on an alumnus. Mike is the subject of a 2012 episode of Turning Point, a public television documentary program. In January 2012, he was honored to receive one of five Lewis Hine Awards given by the National Child Labor Committee to distinguished professionals in the world of youth service; he was nominated by Connecticut’s then- Governor Dan Malloy. Along with his wife Karen, Mike received The Graymoor Community Service Award in 2015 from the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement for working “to heal, to unite, and to bring home those who have lost their way.” Mike is a native of Quincy, Massachusetts.

CINDY FOUNTAIN

Director of Human Resources

As Director of HR, Cindy oversees all areas of human resources for Domus Kids, including HR compliance, benefits administration, payroll, and employee relations. She has been employed with Domus since 1999 and has served as its Organizational Coordinator, Educational Advocate for a Domus group home, and as Mentoring Coordinator. Cindy has served in the HR department since 2006, developing all the department’s policies and procedures and ensuring best practices are followed. She has also been a member of Domus’ Wellness and Sanctuary Committees. Cindy earned her bachelor’s degree from Connecticut College. A native of Massachusetts, Cindy has been a Stamford resident since 2003, living in town with her husband and two sons. She enjoys traveling and spending time outdoors with her family.

GAGE FRANK

Director of Development

Gage is a lifelong Connecticut resident with over a decade of experience in political strategy, communications, and fundraising. Raised by a single mom in Bridgeport, his early mastery of problem-solving and storytelling propelled him to politics, electing progressive leaders across Connecticut. Gage ran the 2019 campaign to elect New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker and managed his transition team, then served as communications director and spokesperson throughout the COVID pandemic. Later, Gage assisted with external affairs for the State Treasurer’s Connecticut Baby Bonds initiative. He joined AVANGRID’s corporate communications team, managing its three Connecticut operating companies. Gage then returned to community work, becoming the development director at Clifford Beers Community Care Center. Gage has a Sociology degree from the University of Scranton and likes to volunteer, cycle, play pickleball and guitar, cook, and hike with his dog Hendrix.

ASHLEY HAMPTON

Clinical Director

Ashley Hampton, LCSW, is Domus’ Clinical Director; she has worked at Domus since 2009. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Ashley specializes in building skills rooted in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and recognizing trauma among underserved and underrepresented populations. She provides trainings on trauma, CBT skill building, and neuroplasticity and cognitive development in children and adolescents. Ashley has collaborated to provide workshops with various Fairfield County School Districts as well as community-based nonprofits and holds a Connecticut educator’s certificate in School Social Work. She currently sits on the Board of Directors for Sterling House Community Center in Stratford and HomeBridge Ventures in Bridgeport; she is the Scholarship Committee Chair for Les Treize, Inc. Ashley was published in Affilia: Feminist Inquiry in Social Work as a co-author of “Ping-Pong Housing: Women’s Post-Incarceration Trajectories” (2020).

MICHAEL HYMAN

Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Michael joined Domus in 2006 and is the director of diversity, equity, and inclusion and co-leader of The Equity Institute @ Domus. For 10 years prior, he was director of Domus’ Chester Addison Center, a vibrant family-centered community hub in Stamford’s Waterside neighborhood. As a life-long activist and organizer concerned about social justice issues, Michael is a former Stamford NAACP president and board member of several educational, social, and religious agencies. He serves as vice chair of Stamford’s Ferguson Library. In 2022 Michael was elected to Stamford’s Board of Education and currently serves as its vice president. A self-educated history enthusiast, Michael was an Aspen Institute presenter on the “What Every American Should Know” national panel. A graduate of Franklin & Marshall College, Michael is an ordained Baptist minister.

LILIAN IJOMAH

Program Director at Domus HJDC

Lilian Ijomah, Ed.D., is the program director at Domus’s year-round school at the Hartford Juvenile Detention Center (HJDC); she joined Domus in 2017. Lilian has a doctorate and a master’s degree in educational leadership with Connecticut certification in Administration and Supervision (092) and a bachelor’s degree in English from Central Connecticut State University. She also has a master’s degree in special education with comprehensive special education (K-12) certification from University of Saint Joseph. Previously, Lilian worked as a classroom teacher and an administrator in the same school for nine years. At HJDC, she works collaboratively with HJDC staff, Court Support Services Division staff, school districts, and outside partners to ensure students receive equitable and high-quality educational services. Lilian enjoys cooking traditional Nigerian food and reading.

TOM LANGAN

Chief Justice Officer

Tom serves as Domus’ chief justice officer and oversees the organization’s workforce development program and the Juvenile Review Board for Stamford; he also supervises the re-entry and street/gang outreach programs, of which he oversaw the creation. Tom chairs the Stamford Re-Entry Roundtable of the Connecticut Re-Entry Collaborative. He joined Domus in 1997 as a residential youth worker; Tom soon became the transitional living program intake coordinator, then the coordinator for the transitional living program and group home. He was appointed director of residential services in 2002, overseeing both residential programs; Tom worked in that capacity while also overseeing Domus’ family advocates in the Stamford Public Schools’ alternative high school between 2004 and 2007. Tom received his bachelor’s degree from Central Connecticut State University and is an avid New York Giants fan.

MIKE MCGUIRE

Director of School Support

Mike is the director of school support. He earned his BA from the University of New Haven and his MA in Educational Supervision and Administration from the University of Phoenix. Mike is a Connecticut public school certified teacher (026), coach (600), and administrator (092). He started his Domus career in 1999 as a middle school math teacher. Mike then served as principal of Domus’ charter middle school in Stamford and was asked to open Domus’ charter high school and Domus middle school in partnership with the New Haven Public Schools, serving as principal in each school. Currently Mike oversees the year-round school and summer educational enrichment programs at the state’s juvenile detention centers in Bridgeport and Hartford. Outside work, he enjoys coaching competitive baseball, reading, and spending time with his family.

EDWIN NAVAL

Chief Financial Officer

Edwin, who joined Domus in 2007, is the organization’s chief financial officer. He has nearly three decades of financial and management experience in the nonprofit and publishing industries. Edwin oversees all financial matters at Domus and works closely with the executive director, the Domus Leadership Council, and the Board of Directors. Prior to joining Domus, Edwin served as controller for Metro, a free daily newspaper with New York, Boston, and Philadelphia editions, and controller for a nonprofit catering to homeless people in New York City. Edwin spent several years in public accounting serving a variety of clients in for-profit and nonprofit industries. Edwin earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting in the Philippines. Edwin enjoys training and conducting agility and conformation activities with his dog.

ERICA NEWTON

Director of Domus Knights

Erica is the director of the Domus Knights school engagement program. She has worked for Domus since 2007 in a variety of roles: Erica was the director of a residential program, worked in Domus’ transitional apartment program, works in Domus’ street outreach program, and leads an elementary school after-school program. She has also served on Domus’ Sanctuary Committee to create and sustain a trauma-responsive organizational culture. Erica graduated from Norfolk State University, where she was Miss 2003 Norfolk State University Student Ambassador and an intern at the AFL-CIO in Chicago. Erica has a certificate in motivational interviewing and was a 2016 Leadership Roundtable participant. Erica enjoys traveling, watching football, cooking, spending time with her family, and collecting shoes. She also volunteers for local political campaigns and one day hopes to represent her community as an elected official.

DONN REID

Director of Training

Donn joined Domus in 1991. A skilled presenter, he ensures fidelity to our core principles and relational model through staff training, professional development, and coaching. Donn is a sought-after facilitator for internal meetings and community gatherings around the region. Since 2014, Donn has co-led Domus’ Race Action Committee for Equity, an organization-wide initiative challenging and sustaining Domus and the communities we serve by building racial literacy, educational equity, and trauma responsiveness. Donn was the long-time director of the Domus Training Institute as well as Domus’ two residential programs. A graduate of the University of Northern Colorado, Donn’s focus on social justice began early in his career. Prior to joining Domus, Donn worked in the mental health field and is a reiki practitioner.

BIANCA SHINN-DESRAS

Director of Family Advocacy Middle Schools (SPS) and After School Progams

Bianca Shinn-Desras, MPH, MS, CHES, is the director of family advocacy for middle schools; she joined Domus in 2015. Bianca previously worked at the Connecticut Department of Children and Families and the United Nations. She serves on the boards of the Connecticut League of Women Voters and Connecticut Office of Early Childhood Parent Cabinet and is a founding member of the Alliance for Black Achievement. Bianca has advanced degrees in school health education, public health, and urban studies from Southern Connecticut State University. Bianca is certified as a health education specialist by the National Commission of Health Education Credentialing and as a health education teacher by the Connecticut State Department of Education and teaches high school health in Stamford Public Schools’ adult education program. Bianca enjoys gardening and has 61 indoor plants.

DENISE THOMAS

Deputy Director

Denise Thomas, MPA, was named Domus Deputy Director in January 2024 after serving as director of the Domus Vikings school engagement program and director of family advocacy at Domus’ charter high school. She joined Domus in 2018. Denise has served in leadership positions in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors with a focus on project management, program development, and public policy. She earned her BA in Psychology from the College of New Rochelle and her MPA in Public Policy and Criminal Justice from John Jay College. Denise holds a Connecticut Charter School Administrator Certificate, is a facilitator for Stamford’s Parent Leadership Training Institute, and sits on Stamford’s Parent Teacher Council executive board. When not advocating on behalf of youth or forming new community partnerships, Denise enjoys traveling and spending time with her family.

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