THE HCC TEAM
Emily Zanleoni
Emily has been the Executive Director since 2020, when HCC received our Federal funding through a Drug-Free Communities Grant. Previous to 2020, Em was a member on the HCC Board for about 6 years and was the lead organizer of the Annual Block Party.
FROM EMILY:I care deeply about my community and especially our kids. I had been working in early prevention and intervention as a mental health provider embedded in a local high school and moving to community prevention seemed like a logical next/side-step.
I feel grateful for the opportunity to be able to support our schools, businesses and organizations toward the cause of creating a more healthy resilient Hartford. I do feel like I make a difference with the work HCC does and that really means something to me.
I hope HCC continues to thrive and grow and that our schools, community members, businesses and local organizations will continue to include HCC as we build a more stable, resilient and graceful community.
In my life outside of HCC, I’m a mom and a wife and those things take time! But I also enjoy gigging with my acoustic guitar player Nat Williams, mowing the law (I know, weird, right!?), and sleeping (we all don’t get enough!)
Kelly Clements
MPH Program Director, HCCDFC Program Coordinator
Kelly has been the Program Coordinator since January 2021.
FROM KELLY:I wanted to transition to a more community-based, hands-on public health role with a direct positive impact on those served. I also wanted to work with like-minded, fun people and partners. HCC has checked all of the boxes!
It has been wonderful to see Hartford’s town leaders go above and beyond for the well-being of the community. Talking with youth, parents, and other adults at our summer events and meal distribution sites has been a meaningful way to connect and hopefully make someone’s day better.
I am excited to see HCC and TABOOH grow and evolve to serve even more of our community. We hope to engage the Hartford High School prevention group students in person this year and support their work, in addition to more in-person events and trainings.
I enjoy gardening, tending our chickens, spending time on the coast of Maine in the summer and skate skiing in the winter! I also enjoy volunteering for Willing Hands.
Amie Wunderlich
HCCDFC Projects Director
Being able to make a life easier, a day happier, or leave things better than they were is what makes my heart full. As a teen I began volunteering with local children’s and animal organizations and later went on to work for one of the largest humane societies in the country. For the last 4 years I’ve enjoyed driving a school bus in the Hartford district and getting to know the youth and families in our community. In 2021 I arranged for the area school bus drivers to attend a workshop on Youth Mental Health First Aid; I was so impressed and excited by the work that the coalition was doing that I ultimately resigned from my role as a school bus instructor to join HCC as programs coordinator!
To be sure, Hartford is not without its weaknesses (as is anywhere) but I have been blown away by the good the area has to offer and the wonderful people who make up our community. The kindness, generosity, connections, support, and opportunities I’ve experienced as a Hartford resident are remarkable. We have a diverse population in various walks of life here and I look forward to helping meet the range of needs at hand. It’s my sincere hope that no one in our community ever feels as though they have fallen through the cracks. Ever the optimist, my goal is ensure everyone who calls this place home feels safe, valued and vested in the betterment of our town.
I’m a proud mother of two awesome boys and Beatles superfan. When I’m not chauffeuring the kids to hockey games (go Storm!) or renovating the house, I enjoy taking care of a menagerie of critters, nerding out on psychology, sociology and politics, and eating Thai food.
Rory Salzano
Summer Volunteer Coordinator
Take A Bite Out of Hunger
Cassandra is our Summer Volunteer Coordinator. During the School year, Cass is a Spanish teacher at Hartford High School.
FROM CASS: Food insecurity is something I am passionate about. I want to help however I can to make sure that our community members have access to food.
I love getting to know the volunteers and hearing about their “other lives” and hearing why they devote their time to our program (and tons of other programs in the area)! I learn something new everyday!
I hope that people continue to spread the word so that more people volunteer and access the program. At some point I would love if the program didn’t need to exist, but I’m so thankful that while the need exists, so does TABOOH.
I love to dance (most recently ballroom or choreographing the HMMS musical), travel, or hanging out by a body of water.