Board of Directors
Laurie Barkowsky, President
Laurie is a Kingston, MA resident and has three children. She has worked for Mellon bank for over twenty years in their operations department. Her volunteer work is limitless ranging from Birthday Wishes party coordinator for over 10 years to working for the local food pantry and being a foster parent to cats and dogs before adoption.
Laurie was an avid horse rider and loved the way she felt working with horses! She enjoyed riding and used the confidence she gained from horseback riding to help her be ready for any of life’s challenges.
Katie Pinabell, Vice President
Katie lives in Foxboro, MA with her husband and is also a Step-Mom to one teenage son. She is the Creative Services Director for BKM Marketing, an agency based out of Braintree, MA and also coaches Foxboro Youth Softball.
Katie grew up participating in a lot of sports, but fell in love with softball from an early age. She played travel softball and then continued on to play Division II Softball at Bryant University. Katie is so grateful she had the opportunity to play, as she credits those days on the softball field for helping to grow her self-confidence, learn about teamwork, and develop her leadership skills.
Maura Dankert, Treasurer
Although Maura was born and raised in New Jersey, she has lived in Bourne for 22 years with her husband and four children. Her passion for supporting children and families was sparked early on when she worked in child protective services and group homes. She has volunteered for the Saint Vincent de Paul Society, Birthday Wishes, and the Friends of the Bourne Food Pantry. Maura works for the Bourne Public School as the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Coordinator and Falmouth Public Schools Parent Child Plus Home Visitor.
Maura views sports as one of the best ways to build confidence and long lasting friendships. Playing field hockey and softball was a great way to keep busy and learn how to balance school work, a part time job and sports.
Tammy Dzialo, Secretary
Tammy is a Bridgewater resident and mom of two children. She is the founder of Project Pack (Post Assault Comfort Kits) and works as a Domestic Violence Specialist for the Department of Transitional Assistance.
As a child, Tammy’s confidence was helped a great deal by dance. She learned teamwork and how to juggle a hectic rehearsal schedule while balancing schoolwork and social life. Tammy was introduced to charity work through dance by performing at events for Shriner’s Hospital and the Jerry Lewis-A-Thon. She continued with her passion by teaching dance to children as an adult and helping students prepare for dance competitions.
Maureen Outlaw, Member
Maureen Outlaw lives in Plainville, MA with her husband and two teenage children. She is an Associate Dean in the School of Arts & Sciences at Providence College. She participated in gymnastics as a kid and was active in theater in junior high/high school to build her confidence!
Denise Meurch, Member
Denise lives in Kingston, MA and has one son. Her career in Human Resources at the U.S. Postal Service began over 21 years ago. Denise found her singing voice by joining Chamber Singers group in school and continues today as a vocalist in a band.
Getting on a stage in front of a crowd is a major confidence builder! She also enjoyed Dance Class, Girl Scouts and other activities that instilled good work ethics and built great friendships. She wants to see that kids today can enjoy those and so much more without having to worry about cost.
Our Staff
Rachel Calabrese, Founder & Executive Director
Rachel is a Foxboro resident and a mom of three children. After working years in the nonprofit sector, Rachel worked as a Recreational Program Coordinator and learned first hand how many children would love to take programs but cannot afford to do so.
As a child, dance was Rachel’s confidence booster. Ballet, tap and jazz were highlights in Rachel’s childhood that built confidence and taught her about hard work and working together for a common goal.
Gerry Walsh, Smile Coordinator
Gerry lives in Marshfield and is a dad to three kids and grandparent to nine. He makes the application process streamlined and organized and is an amazing resource to our families. Gerry makes the smiles on our kids’ faces and we feel this is the most important work of our organization!
Kelly Tauber-Lalli, Development Coordinator
Kelly lives in Plymouth MA and is a mom to 2 boys. She has worked as an insurance agent since 2005 at Wayne Tauber Insurance. Kelly has been a volunteer with ConfiKids since 2020, fundraising with her family. In 2023, she became our Development Coordinator.
Kelly grew up participating in several activities: dance, cheerleading and softball. She started playing softball in kindergarten through high school and college at Bridgewater State. She loved being on the mound as a pitcher. Kelly thinks that playing sports is a great way to help kids build confidence at a young age and build close bonds with friends, some that last a lifetime.
Sandra Morin, Volunteer Coordinator
Sandra lives in Bridgewater MA with her husband and three sons. Sandra’s first initiative was working with a board member to recruit family teams for a summer long challenge raising funds for Confikids.
For the last 2 years, she has collaborated and developed fun and exciting means for families to participate each summer. As the Volunteer Coordinator, Sandra organizes volunteer efforts, post opportunities, and is available for volunteer inquiries.
Becca Leonard, Webmaster
Becca lives in Foxboro with her husband and three sons, and has been with ConfiKids since it first took flight. She is their webmater and loves to participate in the different events and fundraisers.
Becca is the Senior Marketing & Designer for Personal Best Karate’s four locations and is also training to become a second degree black belt. She has witnessed first hand how ConfiKids can change children’s lives within the karate school and is excited to be a part of this team to help more children get the chance they deserve.