Board of Directors

Katie Pinabell, 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.

Denise Meurch, Vice President

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.

Sarah Dunn, Treasurer

Sarah was born and raised in Kingston, MA and after graduating from Stonehill College, she became a CPA and works in Boston. She heard about ConfiKids on the news and knew it was the best organization to help positively impact the lives of so many local children.

Growing up Sarah played soccer, softball, and cross-country, but since her first lesson at age six, she forever fell in love with horseback riding. This challenged her to build so much confidence and she loves continuing to help others explore activities to gain new experiences, build great friendships, and have memories that last a lifetime!​

 

 

 

 

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!

Lynne Abbott, Member

Lynne lives in Walpole with her husband and two daughters. She’s been teaching preschool for 14 yrs. When she heard about Confikids on channel 5 , “Five for Good”, she immediately knew she had to get involved! After a few years volunteering she has joined the board and is overjoyed to be part of this team helping to impact so many children’s confidence!

Growing up Lynne was a serious dancer even going into college to major in dance then off to New York to pursue her dream to perform professionally. She believes it’s vital to have the opportunity to explore new activities and gain confidence through extracurricular activities. 

 

Laurie Barkowsky, Member

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.

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 boys, 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.