Nicole Kwasniewski named Board Chair

GREENWICH, Conn., JUNE 15, 2023 – The Greenwich United Way (GUW) Board of Directors Annual Meeting was held on June 14 at Greenwich Country Club. Outgoing Board Chair Mario Forlini passed the gavel to Nicole Kwasniewski, who was named Board Chair, and the Board welcomed seven new members: Nina Bliley, Cliff Dank, Emily Kunschner, Sean McMurtry, Anuj Patel, Julia Simmons and Emily Wolowitz.

“The Greenwich United Way has always chosen the brightest and the best from the community to serve on our Board. We look forward to working with the new Board members as we begin our fiscal year and continue our vision to ‘find it and fix it’ as it relates to the most pressing human service needs of Greenwich,” said David Rabin, CEO of GUW. “A huge ‘thank you’ to the outgoing Board members who gave of their time, talent, and treasure to help us stay on a positive trajectory.”

Visit Greenwich United Way online for more information (greenwichunitedway.org) and engage on Facebook (facebook.com/greenwichunitedway), Twitter (twitter.com/GreenwichUW) or Instagram (instagram.com/greenwichunitedway) to learn more about the work the organization is doing and the people it serves in real time.

Upcoming Events
Seventh Annual Golf Tournament
Monday, October 2
Innis Arden Golf Club

90^th Celebration Gala
Friday, October 14, 2023
Greenwich Country Club

Annual Legislative Breakfast
December 2023
Greenwich Town Hall

Sole Sisters Luncheon
April 2024
Greenwich Country Club

Annual Meeting
June 2024

New Members of the Board of Directors:

Nina Bliley
Nina was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She attended Louisiana State University as an undergraduate and graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. Upon graduating, Nina worked as a cardiac critical care nurse, a travel nurse, a nurse at New York Presbyterian Hospital; she is licensed asan RN in CT, NY, and LA. Nina is an active volunteer at her children’s schools and is slated to join the North Street School 2023-2024 PTA Board as the Vice President of Faculty Support and Planning.  She is a sustainer member of the Junior League of Greenwich and was previously active in New York and Atlanta, where she served in multiple leadership roles. Nina also has other local volunteer and fundraising experience with REACH Prep, American Red CrossMetro New York North, YWCA, and the New Covenant Center. She was previously on the Putnam Indian Field School Board of Trustees and the Social Promise Board of Directors in New York City. With the Greenwich United Way, Nina co-chaired Brew Ha Ha and is currently on the Sole Sisters and 90th Gala committees. Nina loves to spend time with her family, cook, bake, dance, and travel. Nina, her husband, four children and two dogs recently moved back to Greenwichafter spending the prior three years in Atlanta.

Cliff Dank
Cliff was born in Ossining, NY and went to high school in Briarcliff Manor, NY. He received his BA at The Johns Hopkins University and got his MBA at the University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business. Cliff is currently aPartner at Goldsmith & Co, an executive recruiting firm focused on Private Equity, Hedge Funds, and additional Asset Management areas. Previously, Cliff worked at Bridgewater Associates as a Management Consultant, International Equity and Currency Trader. Cliff is a regular supporter of Tod’s Point, the Alzheimer’s Association, Stamford Hospital, and other local organizations. His family has sponsored three children in various developing countries through Child Care (formerly Christian Children’s Fund) for 20 years. With the Greenwich United Way, Cliff was a volunteer for this year’s Community Investment Process. Cliff is a member of the Riverside Yacht Club, plays golf, has dabbled in stand-up comedy, and briefly played college baseball. He lives with his wife and three children in Old Greenwich and his children attend the North Mianus School.

Emily Kunschner
Emily was born and raised in Greenwich. She attended Lafayette College where she received a Bachelor’s degree in English and Spanish. Emily went on to receive her Masters of Education from Bank Street College of Education. Previously, Emily worked in high-end residential real estate with Discovery Land Company and real estate sales in Greenwich with Centric Property and Houlihan Lawrence. Currently, Emily is an active member of the Greenwich PTA with various roles and a Board Member for The Coco Point Fund. In the past, Emily was a Deacon at First Presbyterian Church and a Member of the Associate Pastoral search committee. Emily also has volunteer experience within the Greenwich United Way with the Community Investment Process for two years and as a Reading Champion volunteer at Cos Cob Elementary School. In her spare time, Emily loves cooking, traveling, road biking, and skiing. She and her husband live in Greenwich with their two children.

Sean McMurtry
Sean was born and raised in Greenwich. He attended North Mianus School, Eastern Middle School, and Kent School. He went on to receive his Bachelor of Arts from Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Sean currently works in real estate sales at Compass Connecticut and is also a Credit Product Specialist at AXA Investment Managers, though he plans to “retire” from financial services in August 2023. Previously, Sean worked at AllianceBernstein LP (where he was a founding member of the Diversity Champions Council), BancoEstado, and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Sean is currently a Junior Board Member of The Family and Children’s Agency in Norwalk and served on the Board of theNewcomers Club of New Canaan. He has done volunteer work with Kids in Crisis, “Midnight Run” with Christ Church,and Mr. Bones & Co. Sean is also a Social Committee Member at Burning Tree Country Club. This year, Sean is a volunteeron the Greenwich United Way’s Community Investment Process and 90^th Gala committee. Sean enjoys cooking, gardening,architecture/design, venture/angel investments, and is an avid tennis and squash player. He and his husband reside inGreenwich with their two rescue dogs.

Anuj Patel
Anuj was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. He received his PhD in both Physiology and Biophysics. Previously, Anuj had a career in medical research. Currently, he is an investor with Patel Family, LP. Anuj has participated in various local volunteer activities with organizations such as Representative Town Meeting and the Round Hill Association. He is also a Board Member of the Greenwich Rotary Club. Anuj is an avid golfer. Anuj and his wife, who works at Greenwich High School, reside in Greenwich with their three children.

Julia Simmons
Julia was born and raised in Greenwich. She attended Greenwich Country Day School and Greenwich High School before attending Brown University for her undergraduate education in Education Policy and Human Development andthen Columbia University School of Social Work, from which she holds a Master of Science in Social Work in Clinical Psychotherapy. Julia is a licensed Clinical Social Worker in both Connecticut and New York. She is the Founder, Clinical Director & Psychotherapist at Integrative Therapy & Coaching, LLC located in Greenwich. Before transitioning toprivate practice, Julia was the Clinical Director at Backcountry Wellness, an IOP/PHP eating disorder treatment center where she oversaw all clinical programming and provided psychotherapy to adolescents and their families. She also previously worked as an Executive Functions Coach at Steel Advising and as a Clinical Psychotherapist at Cope withSchool NYC. She has done volunteer work with Safe Families for Children in New York, You Gotta Believe! in New York, and locally with REACH Prep. Julia’s interests include traveling, rowing, reading, and education reform and she and much of her family still live locally.

Emily Wolowitz
Emily was born and raised in Greenwich. She attended Greenwich Academy, The Hotchkiss School, and George Washington University. Emily is self-employed and runs her own interior design business. Previously, Emily worked in public relations and events for Hermes, NET-A-PORTER, and KCD Worldwide. An active volunteer, she was a co-chair for Wish Night with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and is an active volunteer with the organization. She co-chaired the annual Putnam Indian Field School auction and volunteers with other school-related functions. She is also a volunteer and committee member for the Greenwich chapter of Connecticut Against Gun Violence. This year, Emily is a co-chair of Greenwich United Way’s 90^th Gala and was a hostess for Sole Sisters. In her spare time, Emily loves cooking and trying new restaurants, traveling, and exploring inspiring interiors and antique shops. She and her husband reside in back country with their two young children.