Joyce Cadesca of Valhalla is an experienced general manager with a passion for early childhood education. Her corporate experience includes human resources, operations, and finance roles at a number of top firms, including her current role at Morgan Stanley. Joyce spent the first six years of her professional career in the nonprofit education sector, serving as the Director of Alumni Services at Beginning with Children Foundation. Previously, Joyce was an elementary and high school teacher . She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Columbia University and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.
Bryan Fryer of Pleasantville is a Senior Manager at Maier Markey & Justic, LLP, a White Plains-based accounting firm. Bryan acts as the outsourced CFO for many enterprises, with a concentration on nonprofits throughout the Bronx and Westchester. He has a deep understanding of the funding needs of his clients, and the difficulties of procuring these funds to promote the client mission. Prior to joining Maier Markey & Justic in 2015, Bryan acted as the controller of an ultra-high net worth family office, focusing primarily on the office’s tax and reporting compliance for individual, corporate and nonprofit interests. Bryan was recognized as one of the Business Council of Westchester’s 40 under 40 “Rising Stars” for 2017.
Lola Gazivoda of Bedford is a Senior Relationship Manager – Vice President with M&T Bank’s Business and Professional Banking Group in Westchester where she serves business clients with $2 to $30 million annual revenue. She proactively executes integrated sales, service and relationship strategies to support growth and retention of business customers, and develops new-to-bank business relationships, as well as cross-marketing /needs fulfillment for existing clients. Lola has more than 12 years of business banking experience, and held positions with Chase Bank and Capital One Bank prior to joining M&T Bank in 2013. Lola was born and raised in Albania and is very proud of her heritage. She is involved with many of that community’s nonprofits, supports March of Dimes, and volunteers with Grace Outreach.
Melissa Thornton of Greenburgh, Chief Executive Officer of LSW Chauffeured Transportation (LSW), was introduced to the transportation industry at an early age. Her parents, Douglas and Chris Thornton, were the owners of Biltom Tours, a charter bus service they founded in 1978, which evolved into a company that operates today as DLC Ground Transportation Services (DLC) and LSW. Melissa worked part-time in the family business as a driver and dispatcher while attending college and graduated from Pace University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Information Systems. She then spent 12 years working for Fortune 500 companies Phillip Morris, Pfizer Pharmaceutical, and Barclays Capital. Melissa joined the family business as Chief Operating Officer in 2008, and took the reins as Chief Executive Officer in 2012. With her investment in a first-class fleet, cutting-edge technologies, and ongoing staff development, LSW has doubled in size and revenue. It is a certified woman- and minority-owned business.
“The five professionals who have joined our Board of Directors this summer are not only talented but exceptionally committed to the care and education of young children,” said Child Care Council of Westchester Executive Director Kathy Halas. “I look forward to working with them toward a brighter future for our communities and county.”
