Every Family. Every Child. Every Time.
 

Leadership Team


Margaret Hann // Executive Director

Margaret A. Hann has been the Executive Director of The Bridge Family Center since 1998. Prior to being named Executive Director, she served for eleven years as the Residential Director for the Bridge, directing all residential programs, including the Youth Shelter and the transitional living program for older adolescents. She also led the regional life skills and drug-prevention programs. Under Margaret's leadership, the Bridge has experienced tremendous growth, evolving and thriving as it continues to respond to the ever-changing needs of the communities we serve. 

Margaret's career began in Michigan at the Ingham County Juvenile Home as a Youth Worker. She moved to Connecticut in 1983 and served as the director of a group home for girls in Mystic, Connecticut. Over the course of her career, she has served on numerous community committees and nonprofit boards and has been actively involved in child welfare issues. Margaret earned both a Bachelor of Arts degree with a focus on Juvenile Justice and a Master of Arts degree in Administration from Michigan State University.

Margaret lives in Tolland with her husband of thirty five years and is the proud mom of one daughter, a registered nurse. In her free time, she is an avid bass fisherman and a big fan of the Detroit Tigers and Michigan State Spartans.

Hildee Fontanella // Chief Financial Officer

Hildee joined the Bridge in 2006 with more than 20 years of accounting, business, and nonprofit experience. She manages and supports our accounting, human resource, counseling, and technology staff. She is committed to working with our board of directors and staff to maintain a strong financial plan and is a key component in our financial sustainability. Hildee holds a Master's of Business Administration.

Doreen Tarascio // Director of Development and Communications

Doreen directs the development and communication initiatives of the Bridge. By partnering with individual donors, corporations, foundations, volunteers, and community organizations, she strengthens awareness of the vital services the Bridge offers while raising the necessary funds to support our mission. Prior to joining the team in 2018, she held communications and development positions at two local healthcare institutions. Doreen holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. 

Amy Raider // Director of Human Resources

Amy is responsible for our organization's effectiveness by attracting, developing, and retaining a talented and diverse workforce in a safe and productive work environment. She came to the Bridge in 2011 with 14 years of experience in Human Resources. Her diverse experience spans across entrepreneurial, legal, and global institutions. Amy has a Bachelor of Arts in psychology.

Kris Cool // Director of Family Resource Centers (FRC)

Kris Cool became the Director Family Resource Center in June of 2023. She is a graduate of Clark University and Saint Joseph College (now University of Saint Joseph), with dual certification in elementary and special education. She is a specialist in early literacy instruction and is a tireless advocate for equitable opportunities for students. Cool also served as a special education preschool teacher and a Birth-to-Three interventionist. 

Bryan Block // Director of Independent Living Program

Bryan is the Director of Independent Living Programs and oversees our Community Based Life Skills (CBLS) and Community Housing Assistance Program (CHAP). These programs are designed to help older teens develop a high level of self-sufficiency as they transition from dependent to independent living.  Bryan is trained in leadership development, crisis intervention, and life skills instruction.

He has a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology.

Chris Dutton, LCSW // Director of Clinical Operations

Chris Dutton, LCSW is the Director, Clinical Operations for our Outpatient Psychiatric Clinics located in West Hartford, Avon and Rockville. In this role, he is responsible for the overall operations of the clinics including staffing, compliance, licensing and regulation, revenue management and efficiencies improvement. He joined the Bridge in 2019 as Clinical Director of Community and School Services.  

Chris earned a Master of Social Work in Administration Degree from the University of Connecticut and a Bachelor of Arts in English Degree from Eastern Connecticut State University.

 

Kyeesha Clayborne // Director of Residential Services

Kyeesha is the Director of Residential Services. In this role, she oversees all residential programs of the Bridge and the Mosaic Parenting Center. The Bridge has three STAR (Short Term Assessment Respite) homes. The Moving on Project, located in Manchester, is a transitional living apartment program that assists males, ages 16 - 21, in developing the skills needed to live independently. The Mosaic Parenting Center provides structured support and coaching during family visitation sessions for parents who are working on family reunification after a child has been removed from the home.

Judy Halpern // Director of Performance and Quality

Judy Halpern is the Director of Performance and Quality Improvement. In this newly-created role, Halpern gathers data to support decision-making and ensure best practices. She conducts comprehensive business analyses to identify areas for improvement and develop strategies to enhance performance, collaborate with cross-functional teams to implement performance improvement initiatives, and monitor their effectiveness.  

She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Eastern Connecticut State University and a Master’s in Public Administration from Northeastern University. For the past 7 years, Judy has been engaged in assessing pharmacy higher education at the University of Connecticut and the University of Saint Joseph.

 

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