Board and Staff

Tricy Cushner has served as a member of The Alliance for Safe Kids Executive Board of Directors since 2006. She served her first year as Treasurer and each year since 2007 as President and CEO.

Mrs. Cushner has also been a member of The Yorktown Central School District PTSA since 2004 where she served as both Treasurer and President. She was active for fifteen years on the YCSD PTSA Council, Wellness Committee, Mental Health General Network, Foundation for Excellence and PS We Care Committee and more than 10 years participation with Drug Crisis in Our Backyard, Yorktown Organizations United, Social Action Committee for Temple Beth Am and Yorktown Lion’s Club where she currently serves as Vice President on the Executive Board.

Mrs. Cushner holds a B.A. in Accounting from Columbia College, SC. She resides in Yorktown with her husband, Michael, where they eagerly welcome visits from their three adult children.

Dara Caputo is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with her R number and has worked in Westchester County with adolescents and their families in Private Practice, High and Middle Schools and Residential Treatment Centers for over 25 years.  She now works at Optum Tri-State as the Director of Provider Engagement and Experience.  She is a Mental Health First Aid Instructor since April 2014 and has been providing trainings for ASK as well as the rest of the county. Her Master’s Degree is from Hunter School of Social Work in NYC.

Dara Caputo has been a supporter of ASK since 2012 and joined the Board of Directors in 2015.

Ms. Caputo moved to Westchester in 1993 and currently resides in Yorktown with her husband and two daughters.

Through her work with ASK along with CoveCare Center, Rye Youth Council, and currently the Mildred E. Strang Middle School, she has found her passion in connecting families to resources they can use to thrive. Juliana led the initiative and piloted an engagement program at CoveCare Center to re-engage clients who have struggled to attend their counseling sessions. She also spent her first year of graduate school counseling children of Rye aged 12-17 and working with Rye High School students in peer groups. Juliana now interns at the Mildred E. Strang Middle School supporting the guidance program in counseling and also working to distribute resources to members of the community.

Juliana looks forward to expanding her role at ASK by becoming a board member. She also is excited to soon begin her career as a social worker after graduating this May. 

Stefanie Carbone is a licensed clinical social worker who has worked for over 30 years as an individual and family therapist as well as a high school counselor. She incorporates mindfulness, positive psychology and stress management skills in sessions and workshops with the students and families she serves.  Stefanie earned her Masters degree in Social Work from the Columbia University School of Social Work.

Stefanie’s relationship as a volunteer with ASK began in 2004 when her own children attended Yorktown schools.  In 2017, Stefanie joined the Board of Directors .  In addition, she has provided several trainings through ASK with the hopes of empowering children and families to better manage stress levels while also supporting others and recognizing  how resilient they have become , especially during  times of collective vulnerability. Stefanie recently became certified as a Forest Therapy Guide where she facilitates guided walks in the forest using Mindfulness and relaxation techniques to enhance overall well-being.

Stefanie and her husband have been residents of Yorktown Heights for over 27 years where they have also raised their daughter and son, both graduates of Yorktown High School.

Carol is co-founder of Drug Crisis in Our Backyard, a  grassroots organization that was founded in June 2012. After the death of her son Erik Christiansen and the death of her co-founders Susan and Steve Salomone's son Justin Salomone led to its formation. The organization is dedicated to raising awareness of the rampant use of heroin and opiates in the community, erasing the stigma of addiction, supporting families struggling with active addiction and working with legislators to improve treatment and make it more accessible to those who need it. Carol is committed to bringing awareness to communities and support for people who are suffering with addiction. Carol’s philosophy is to erase the shame families feel when a loved one is addicted.

Carol is the past Broker/Owner of an independent Real Estate Company “Café Realty” located in Mt. Kisco NY. Currently, since Café merged, Carol is the Manager of McGrath Real Estate in Mt. Kisco. A proud member of the Somers Lions Club, a past president 2013 and board member of Empire NY Women’s Council of Realtors. 2014 Realtor of the year, 2015 recipient of NYS Community Action Award and very proud to receive 2016 Women of Distinction Award from the NYS Senate.

Carol lives in Somers, where she raised her two children, with her husband Lou Christiansen, who sadly passed away in 2015.

Mary Anne Ruvo has been involved with the Alliance for Safe Kids as a volunteer for its various community events since 2006. She joined the ASK Board as Secretary in May 2015. Mrs. Ruvo has also been actively involved in both Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts and Yorktown PTA.

In addition to her current work in the community, Mrs. Ruvo served as the Chair of the Historic House Tour of Yorktown, which raised funds for the American Cancer Society – Relay For Life.

She attended Manhattan College where she earned her Mechanical Engineering degree and her Masters of Environmental Engineering degree. She was formerly an Environmental Engineer – Remedial Project Manager for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  She resides in Yorktown with her husband and two children.

Susan Salomone is the co-founder of Drug Crisis in our Backyard started in June 2012. The tragic loss of her son Justin on May 29, 2012 was the impetus for starting the organization.  The organization has been dedicated to education, family support and reducing the stigma associated with substance use disorder.

Susan is committed to forming alliances with other coalitions and like-minded groups to build a groundswell of support for people who are suffering with addiction. Susan has an MS in Counseling and is a Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Use Counselor. She has been working as a family support navigator as well as creating a family support group that meets every Tuesday virtually.

Susan has 3 adult children and she resides in Brewster with her husband, Steve.

Theresa Ryan-Onatzevitch has been involved with the Alliance for Safe Kids as a volunteer since 2008 and began her role as a Board Member in 2020.

Ms. Ryan-Onatzevitch has served on both the Yorktown Central School District Council and the High School PTSAs as President, Vice President and Secretary. In addition to serving as Husker Club Vice-President, she has been an active volunteer with the Yorktown High School Band program, Science Research program, Middle States Accreditation Committee, and the Community Service Initiative Team for many years.

Ms. Ryan-Onatzevitch graduated from the Bronx High School of Science and earned a degree in Psychology from Fordham University. She formerly held the position of Research Coordinator for the Bronx VA and Mount Sinai Psychiatry Departments, and is a published co-author on more than 20 peer- reviewed scientific articles.

She resides in Yorktown with her husband and two children.

Kimberly is an active member in the Yorktown community and has been involved with the Alliance for Safe Kids since 2011. Before joining the ASK  Board in 2020, she served on ASK's Community Advisory Board and was a dedicated volunteer.

Kimberly holds a B.A. in Human Relations, as well as a Masters in School Guidance and Counseling and currently works as  a Certified Teaching Assistant at Mohansic Elementary School in the Yorktown Central School District.

Ms. Vogel resides in Yorktown with her husband and three children.

Liz Talbert joined the Alliance for Safe Kids in December of 2013 as the Coalition Coordinator and moved into her current role as the Executive Director in December 2017. Ms. Talbert provides leadership in all facets of coalition activities, engages community partners and coordinates the day-to-day operations of the coalition.  Ms. Talbert develops and leads a team of community leaders, volunteers and contactors to plan and implement strategic goals and objectives that support youth mental health; substance misuse prevention, treatment and recovery; and opportunities for thoughtful service. She is responsible for ensuring sustainability of the organization through prudent fiscal management, grant management and fundraising.

Ms. Talbert is a dedicated member of the Yorktown community. Prior to joining the ASK staff, she was a key volunteer. Over the years she has been  involved with both the Yorktown Athletic Club and the Huskers Athletic Club, and volunteered on various PTA committees in the Yorktown schools. In addition to a background in sales and customer service, Ms. Talbert has professional experience working with school staff, students, and parents.

Ms. Talbert resides in Yorktown with her family.