Our Team & Trustees

Jessica Griffin

President

Jessica was introduced to the Sound Start Babies Program when her second child was diagnosed as profoundly deaf upon birth. Having seen first-hand the amazing results of the Program, she joined the Board of Trustees of Sound Start Foundation in 2014 with the goal of ensuring all children with hearing loss are provided with the same level of life-changing services that her son received. Jessica became President of the Foundation in 2016 and has since led the organization through a period of significant financial growth and a material restructuring. Jessica graduated from Loyola University Maryland with a BBA in Marketing and spent eight years in marketing, sales and customer service in the New York City hospitality industry. Jessica, and her husband Michael, have 4 young children and she spends any extra time she may have giving back to her children’s schools and the community.

jessica.griffin@soundstartfdn.org

Jack Gentul, Ph.D.

Vice President

Jack received his PH.D. in Higher Education/Administration from New York University. He spent 37 years as a student affairs administrator across six institutions of higher education. Jack was the Founding Director of the Henry and Lucy Moses Center for Students with Disabilities at NYU and served as the Dean of Students at NJIT. Jack joined the Sound Start Babies Board in 2016 after serving for ten years on the Mountain Lakes Board of Education.

Daniel Borgo

Treasurer

Dan is recently retired after serving as Business Administrator/Board Secretary for the Mountain Lakes School District. He also serves as Treasurer on the Board of Trustees for the New Beginnings for Tomorrow. Dan resides in Randolph NJ with his wife Robyn, they have two children Nicholas and Erica.

Alex Mitchell

Secretary

Alex Mitchell is a Senior Lending Officer in Corporate Banking at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. He serves as the Head of Endowments & Foundations Lending, the group responsible for the structuring, underwriting and delivery of senior debt solutions to nonprofit organizations. He currently lives in Mountain Lakes with his fiancé and two step-sons.

Stephanie Deyo

President Emeritus

Stephanie received her MBA from The Wharton School of University of Pennsylvania and worked for several international consumer package goods companies, specializing in new product development, business intelligence and acquisitions. She has also worked in Washington for the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Navy Department. She served for nine years as President of the Foundation. As an early volunteer trustee, she led the foundation’s rebranding, tripling the funds available to support critical early intervention for babies who are deaf or hard of hearing in New Jersey. Stephanie and her husband Russ raised their two children in Mountain Lakes, NJ and have recently relocated to Bay Head on the Jersey shore.

Cheryl Darpino

Trustee

Cheryl graduated from Rowan University with a B.A. in Communications and Public Relations. She worked in Human Resources at a large Financial Services firm until her first child was born in 2010. Her third child was born with hearing loss and went through the Sound Start Babies Program. Cheryl joined the Sound Start Foundation Board in 2018 and wants to devote as much time as she can to supporting the Program to show her deep gratitude for all that they’ve given her daughter and family.

Yana Garger, MD

Trustee

Dr. Garger is board-certified in Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism and Internal Medicine. She received her bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from Brandeis University and her medical degree from New York Medical College. Along with her extensive medical knowledge, Yana brings first-hand knowledge of the importance of the Sound Start Babies Program as one of her sons graduated from the Program.

Richard Kalfayan

Trustee

Richard received a B.A. in Finance from Richard Stockton University. He is currently a Managing Director and Senior Investment Specialist for the NJ Market of the J.P. Morgan Private Bank. In his role, he is responsible for advising high net worth individuals, foundations, and senior executives on a range of financial matters. Richard lives in Marlboro with his wife Denise and two children, Katie and Jake.

Jonathan Weizman

Trustee

Jonathan holds a Master’s Degree in Economics from Rutgers University. He has spent 20 years in the hearing healthcare industry in the private sector working for global manufacturers, as well as founding a private national hearing healthcare organization. Jonathan is a passionate believer in the benefits of treating hearing loss and proper education. He resides in Mountain Lakes, not far from the Sound Start Babies Program.

Bromme H. Cole

Chief Executive Officer

bromme.cole@soundstartfdn.org

Jessica Griffin

Jack Gentul, Ph.D.

Daniel Borgo

Alex Mitchell

Stephanie Deyo

Cheryl Darpino

Yana Garger, MD

Richard Kalfayan

Jonathan Weizman

Bromme H. Cole

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Our Team & Trustees