Meet Our Team

Officers

  • William P. Lauder Chairman of the Board
  • John N. Irwin III Vice Chairman
  • Wendy R. Flanagan President
  • LizabethAnn Rogovoy Eisen Vice President
  • Winthrop Rutherfurd, Jr. Secretary
  • Derrick D. Cephas Treasurer

Board of Directors

  • June Ambrose
  • Tiki Barber
  • Mariah Carey
  • Mats G. Carlston
  • Ahmed Deria
  • Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel
  • Hugh Grant
  • Donald L. Hawks III
  • Craig S. Ivey
  • Howard B. Johnson
  • Isabelle B. Krusen
  • Gregory D. Lee
  • Alexis F. Maged
  • Joseph J. Magliocco
  • David S. Perpich
  • Caroline Cummings Rafferty
  • Nancy Rooney
  • Greg Rosica
  • Kimberly E. Steward
  • Richard D. Thomas
  • Bradley A. Whitman
  • Steven M. Wolf

Executive Director

I am energized by the inspiring stories that our children, alumni and their families share with us. They highlight the magic in our work of introducing children to new environments, new people, and new experiences. What we do is simple, yet transformative.

Fatima Shama Executive Director Read More

Fatima Shama, Executive Director

Prior to joining the Fund, Ms. Shama served in Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s administration as the commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs from 2009 through 2013. From 2007 through 2009, she served as Mayor’s senior education policy advisor, and in 2006 when Ms. Shama joined Mayor Bloomberg’s office she worked on a special initiative on the intersection between health care, language access and literacy. Immediately after the administration and prior to joining The Fund, Ms. Shama served on the senior team at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York overseeing their External Affairs department and special projects.

Ms. Shama serves as a Trustee on the New York Foundation board, on the Board of Coro Leadership New York and the New York Immigration Coalition.

Ms. Shama earned a BA from Binghamton University and a Masters in Public Administration from Baruch College’s School of Public Affairs Executive Program.

My favorite memory of summer was finishing the school year and looking forward to just having a break and having some fun!  I continue to enjoy summer for the same feeling — taking a deep exhale and smiling, sunshine and fun. Now, I’m able to experience summer while serving thousands of children who can have that same feeling of joy!

Senior Management

Michael Clarke

Director of Sharpe Reservation

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Michael Clarke, Director of Sharpe Reservation

Prior to joining the Fund, Michael was a Social Studies Teacher in Northern NJ. He is a graduate of Kean University with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Communication and Secondary Education (History), and holds a Masters in Public Administration with a concentration in Public Policy from Long Island University. Michael joined The Fresh Air Fund full time in 1999 as a member of the Community Outreach Department where he was responsible for recruiting and registering children for The Fund’s summer programs. He became the Coordinator of the Secondary Schools Connections Program in 2000. In the summers of 2002, and 2003, he served as Assistant Director of Camp Hayden-Marks Memorial and Camp Mariah, respectively. From 2004-2014 he was the Director of the Career Awareness Program (Camp Mariah). He is currently the Director of the Fund’s Sharpe Reservation in Fishkill, NY.

Michael has past board affiliation with Edwin Gould Services for Children and Families where he served as Vice-President of the Board, and Chair of the Program Committee. He currently sits on the board of Hudson Highlands Land Trust.

Michael’s fond memories of summer are connected to BBQs and being in the water. Swimming, boating, or just chillin on the beach. He has always believed the summer weather is a recipe for good times devoted to fun in the sun with friends and family.

Tara N. Gardner

Director of Community Outreach, Partnerships & Support Services

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Tara N. Gardner, Director of Community Outreach, Partnerships & Support Services

Tara is an executive leader with hands-on expertise in all facets of nonprofit management, operations, programming, and fundraising. She has impacted the lives of thousands of NYC children and families through her previous work at the New York City Mission Society and the Abyssinian Development Corporation, and in her current role at The Fresh Air Fund. Her dedication to communities of longstanding need extends beyond the workplace. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Ice Hockey In Harlem and the Friends of St. Charles Borromeo School. Her previous board memberships included Unique People Services, Inc. and Open Door Child Care Center.

Tara received a Bachelor of Science in Management from Boston College, and a Master of Science in Nonprofit Management from The New School for Public Engagement’s Milano School of International Affairs, Management and Urban Policy. Tara is a lifelong Harlem resident, where she currently resides with her son, Travis, a collegiate ice hockey player.

Tara loves everything about the summer – the sun, the heat, the energy! As far as she’s concerned, it could be summer all year round!

Helen P. O'Reilly

General Counsel

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Helen P. O'Reilly, General Counsel

Helen joined The Fund as its first in-house counsel in 2020. Helen started her career in the non-profit sector working for three years at Advocates for Children of New York.  She then moved to Manila, Philippines and then Hong Kong, China where she worked on advocacy efforts to improve the working conditions of domestic workers. After law school, Helen then worked as a law clerk to the Honorable John Gleeson on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York and to the Honorable Barrington D. Parker on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit before joining the firm Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler. While at Patterson Belknap, Helen focused primarily on employment advising and complex commercial litigation.  She also maintained a thriving pro bono practice representing, among others, a young man in his successful petition for executive clemency from then-President Barack Obama.

Helen has a B.S. in International Politics from Georgetown University and a J.D. from Yale Law School. Helen is the daughter of immigrants from counties Clare and Kerry, Ireland. In 2010, Helen was among 30 people to receive a Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, which honors the contributions that immigrants and the children of immigrants have made to shaping this country. She grew up in Jackson Heights, Queens in a 4th floor walk-up apartment with her parents and two sisters. Helen still lives in Jackson Heights, now with her spouse and three children, Ian, Thomas and Eileen. 

Helen’s favorite summer memories as a child involved spending a week every summer either in Ireland or in the Catskill Mountains in East Durham, New York. Now, with three children of her own, Helen looks forward to summer as time to let her kids play outside and run barefoot as much as possible. 

Elizabeth Portland

Director of Development

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Elizabeth Portland, Director of Development

Prior to joining The Fresh Air Fund, Liz served as a leader and senior fundraiser for some of New York City’s top health and human services organizations, including NYU Medical Center, the American Red Cross in Greater New York, and the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation.

Liz brings extensive generalist experience and knowledge of all aspects of fundraising. She particularly enjoys the team aspect of development, not only working with donors, but building close partnerships with program staff to create opportunities to draw donors into the mission. She derives professional satisfaction from mentoring development staff and creating a culture of success, compassion and teamwork within large, complex organizations.

Liz received her B.A. in English from Dartmouth College. She lives with her husband on the Upper West Side.

Alicia Skovera

Director of Camping & Year-Round Programs

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Alicia Skovera, Director of Camping & Year-Round Programs

Alicia joined The Fresh Air Fund in 2007 and has overseen an expansion in both programs and facilities during her tenure. Most notably, she has led her team in the creation of the College Connections Program and Teen Leadership Programs, including the national award winning Young Women’s Giving Circle. She was recently recognized for her leadership by the American Camp Association as the recipient of the Thelma Hurwitz Leadership Award.

Alicia received her master’s degree from Hunter College School of Social Work in New York City and has spent over 25 years working with at-risk, underserved youth from low-income communities. She currently serves as treasurer on the Boards of the American Camp Association (New York & New Jersey Section) and the New York State Camp Directors Association. Prior to joining The Fund, Ms. Skovera worked with people living with HIV/AIDS, and was a director at The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center in New York City, where she provided counseling and consulting services.

Julie Silverman

Director of Communications

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Julie Silverman, Director of Communications

A native New Yorker, Julie has worked for The Fund for almost 20 years. Julie was a summer intern in 1999, and after interning for several summers, she joined The Fresh Air Fund’s full-time staff in 2002 as the NYC Volunteer Coordinator. In that role, Julie forged corporate partnerships and expanded The Fund’s Tutoring, Mentoring, and Job-Shadowing programs. Subsequently, Julie served as The Fund’s Director of Volunteer Programs and as the Associate Director of Development. In that role, Julie focused on donor communications and engagement. In 2016, Julie transitioned to the role of Director of Communications, where she enjoys promoting “all things Fresh Air” across social media platforms, promotional materials, and press.

Julie graduated from Kenyon College with a B.A. in International Studies and Minor in Cultural Anthropology. Julie holds a M.P.A. in Nonprofit Management and Public Policy from NYU Wagner’s School of Public Service, and participated in the Coro Leadership New York Program, a nine-month leadership program which brings together professionals from diverse backgrounds to explore public policy issues affecting New York City.

Julie has special memories of attending sleepaway camp as a child. She enjoys spending time during the summer outdoors at the beach or Prospect Park, and is a firm believer that ice cream tastes better during the summer.

NYC Staff

Executive

Finance & Technology

Development

Camping

Friendly Towns

Communications

Community Outreach

Research & Evaluation

Legal & Human Resources

Sharpe Reservation Staff

  • Igor Kharchenko

    Maintenance Technician
    Igor Kharchenko Maintenance Technician

  • David Morrison

    Maintenance Technician
    David Morrison Maintenance Technician

  • Patrick Norman

    Maintenance Technician
    Patrick Norman Maintenance Technician

Council

The Fresh Air Fund Council is a dynamic group of young professionals who are passionate about our mission and are an integral part of The Fund’s volunteer and internal leadership network.

Meet our Council
Join Our Team