Meet Our Leadership Team

John Pfeifer began his career supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities 37 years ago as a Direct Support Professional in a residential setting. He entered the field with a Bachelor of Science degree from Loyola College in Maryland. John’s impact was immediate—within six months, he was promoted to Residence Manager.

Three years later, John was asked to open a new home for six adults with varying developmental disabilities, serving as a live-in Residential Manager. He was later promoted to Assistant Director of Crisis Management at a large Day Treatment Center, where he supported over 90 individuals. There, John developed academic and pre-vocational curricula in a highly structured environment and handled all critical incidents, significantly improving behavioral outcomes. Reflecting on this experience, he noted, “The leadership at that program helped refine my clinical skills and deepen my understanding of OPWDD regulations.”

While working full-time, John pursued further education, earning a master’s degree in education from Hofstra University and becoming a nationally Certified Rehabilitation Counselor. This training focused on clinical strategies to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities, including support toward achieving meaningful employment.

In 2001, with 13 years of experience and a master’s degree, John joined Life’s WORC as Associate Director of Clinical Services. He was soon promoted to Director, overseeing Physical, Occupational, Speech, and Psychological therapies across the agency. With expertise in both Residential and Day services, John quickly became a vital leader. He recalls, “I was overwhelmed by the talent around me and the shared philosophy. I knew I had found where I was meant to be.”

After 15 years as Director, John was promoted to Senior Director, adding oversight of the Admissions and Nursing departments. He became the go-to leader for special projects, including launching a Day Habilitation program at the Family Center for Autism. Within a year, the program served 28 individuals from both Life’s WORC residences and the local community. He also led a specialized residential program for a young man with autism and helped him successfully transition to a certified residence.

“As a Senior Director, I was given the autonomy to innovate and develop person-centered programs,” John shared. He also represented Life’s WORC at conferences and received a Health Care Hero Award for his clinical excellence.

In 2019, John was promoted to Assistant Executive Director. During recent transitions in the CEO role, he remained a steady presence, always willing to take on new challenges. His recent promotion to CEO of Life’s WORC is a natural progression for someone who has made supporting people with developmental disabilities his life’s work.

Jenny Antony, Chief Financial Officer, CPA, has a unique combination of public accounting experience and working with nonprofit organizations, making her the perfect person to lead the finance team at Life’s WORC.

Jenny joined Life’s WORC in 2018 as Senior Director of Finance, and was later chosen to become its Chief Financial Officer in 2021. She brings her 15-plus years’ experience to the organization, with 10 years in public accounting, as well as expertise in audit and consulting services for nonprofit organizations, rate reimbursement and cost allocation methodologies.

In addition to her time spent at Life’s WORC, Jenny is committed to continuing education, attending and participating in provider association finance committees, obtaining CPE credits and maintaining her CPA licensure

Robert White, Chief People and Culture Officer, MS, SHRM-SCP, has dedicated his career helping organizations acquire, engage, develop and retain talent, making him a valuable asset to the Life’s WORC team.

Robert joined Life’s WORC in 2022, bringing not only his expertise in talent and human resources management strategies and innovation, but years of experience in the non-profit sector including the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities field where he worked in similar roles at other agencies.

Robert’s human resources education, experience, training, and knowledge makes him a great fit to oversee Human Resources and Talent Management at Life’s WORC. In this role he leads the efforts of the Human Resources and Training Departments that enhance our commitment to acquiring, developing and retaining quality employees to work with the people we support. Robert holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Hofstra University, a Master’s Degree from New York University, and a Certificate in Strategic Human Resources Leadership from eCornell.

Lauren Accovelli, Chief Administrative Officer, M.A., ABA Certified,  joined Life’s WORC is 2022 bringing with her extensive experience in the nonprofit sector, with a particular focus on supporting people with developmental disabilities and autism. 

Throughout her career she has developed significant expertise in quality and compliance, regulatory standards, operational oversight, innovation, and the support of both certified and non-certified programs.

Lauren’s experience also includes providing support in crisis settings, assisting people supported with complex needs, behavioral challenges, and leading the development and opening of new programs.  Her broad operational and clinical knowledge has allowed her to effectively support teams and programs while maintaining a strong focus on quality, safety, and person centered services. 

Upon joining Life’s WORC, Lauren initially served in a quality and compliance capacity, however her extensive experience working with children and adults with complex needs and behavioral challenges led her back into operations where she could leverage her knowledge and expertise to strengthen and support Life WORC’s programs. 

In 2026, Lauren transitioned into the role of Chief Administrative Officer, where she continued to draw upon her experience in quality, compliance, and continuous quality improvement.  In this role, she helps advance Life WORC’s commitment to its core values while developing and achieving meaningful quality outcomes and standardizing processes across the agency. 

Lauren is dedicated to promoting person centered services and ensuring that the people supported by Life’s WORC receive the highest quality of care, support, and opportunities to live meaningful and fulfilling lives.  Outside of her time at Life’s WORC, Lauren is a member of the Interagency Council Committee, LIQA Committee, and  received a certification  as a Housing Navigator through the Center of Innovation & Learning.  

Denise Matos, Chief Compliance and Privacy Officer and Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, has worked in the health and human service field for over three decades in various roles as a DSP, Coordinator, Staff Trainer and Compliance Analyst. She has dedicated her career to working with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to be able to live their best lives.

In 2019 Denise joined Life’s WORC as the Director of Compliance.  She brought with her significant experience with regulatory issues, NY Medicaid program requirements and OPWDD regulatory compliance.  Her ability to lead, plan, organize and implement programs/systems lead to her promotion to SVP of Quality and Compliance in March of 2023.  In this role Denise has oversight of compliance and quality assurance standards and improvement and is responsible for the development, implementation, and evaluation of the effectiveness of the Compliance Program.

She is an active member of Life’s WORC’s Compliance, HCBS Waiver, Incident Review Committee, Human Rights Committee and Safety Committee. Denise is also an active member of the Interagency Council’s Membership and Quality Assurance Committees, The Alliance of LI Agencies Corporate Compliance Committee, and the Quality Management Taskforce Committee.

Nicky Faranda, Senior Vice President of Community Services at Life’s WORC, knew from an early age that she wanted to pursue a career that allowed her to help people achieve their best possible lives. She began her career working at nonprofit organizations working with people with developmental disabilities and her passion turned into over two decades of dedication to the field.

Nicky joined Life’s WORC in 2017 as the Senior Director of Community Services, and since then has also come to oversee the Respite and Community Habilitation programs, and most recently the Family Center for Autism. Under Nicky’s leadership, the Day Habilitation and Employment programs have greatly expanded their services, operations have been streamlined, and the departments boast a skilled, cohesive team equipped to support people of all abilities.

Outside of her work within the organization, Nicky also participates in the Inter Agency Council’s Adult Day Services and Individualized Community Supports committees. She has previously served on committees within the New York Alliance for Community and Inclusion as well as the New York Integrated Network for Persons with Disabilities.

Paulette Elbers, Senior Vice President of Trusts and Financial Support Services, has been an integral member of the Life’s WORC team for over two decades, helping to build and enhance the entitlements and financial service offerings and programs through her expertise and her commitment to supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism.

Paulette joined Life’s WORC in 2002 as an Entitlements Coordinator, and her impact in ensuring people maintained their benefits and receive their much-needed services was immediate.  She was promoted to Director of Entitlements in 2005, overseeing and ensuring benefit eligibility for over 250 people in our residential programs. Her expertise and understanding of government benefits ultimately led to the development and creation of the Life’s WORC Pooled Trust Program in 2007, and later the comprehensive Trust Services department in 2011, which Paulette oversees as Trust Administrator, managing over $9.2 million in trust program funds. In 2022 Paulette was promoted again to Senior Director of Entitlements & Financial Support Services, and has taken on the oversight of the agency’s newly expanded Planned Giving Program.

In addition to her professional role at the agency, Paulette is also an important member of and past Chairperson of the Life’s WORC Values Committee, and is helping lead the agency’s DEI programs and initiatives.

Andrea DiVita, Senior Vice President of Residential Services, was drawn to help people with special needs early in life, as she observed how people treated her own sister who has a disability. As a result, she has dedicated her career to working with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Andrea joined Life’s WORC in 2017 as a Director of Residential services and was later promoted to Senior Director of Residential Services in 2019, Vice President of Residential Services in 2020 and Senior Vice President of Residential Services in in 2022. In this role she oversees the operations of our 45 homes and the support staff and services for the people we support living in those homes, as well as the development of additional homes across Long Island and Queens.

In addition to her official role at Life’s WORC, Andrea is also a member of the internal Incident Review Committee, Human Rights Committee and Events Committee, helping to further ensure that each person supported is living a happy, healthy, meaningful life. Outside of the organization, she is also a member of the Interagency Council Residential Committee.

Melina Madaia, RN, Senior Vice President of Nursing, understands the importance of quality medical care for the people we support. As head of the Nursing Department Melina oversees four Directors of Nursing and twelve Registered Nurses within the department. Melina leads the department with a goal to ensure that the people we support receive the best medical care they possibly can.

Melina started her career 13 years ago as a direct support professional and has never worked outside of the field of supporting people with disabilities. Melina’s compassion and sensitivity to the fundamental needs of the people she was supporting led her to pursue a career in Nursing. Melina understood that as a Nurse she could change a person’s life circumstances by improving their overall health through Nursing Plans of Care.

Melina has extensive experience in the field having worked in an Intermediate Care Facility (ICF), Crisis home, and several Individualized Residential Alternatives (IRAs).

Christina Abbinanti is the Senior Vice President of community and Day Services for Life’s WORC. She is responsible for supporting the operational growth and stability of Community and Day Services and managing their strategic initiatives.

With almost 15 years of human services experience, Christina is dedicated to improving services for people with a variety of developmental abilities and Autism. She is passionate about supporting teams to deliver the highest quality services. Christina has an exemplary track record of proven performance and has a well-established and outstanding reputation in the field of human services.

Prior to starting her career at Life’s WORC in 2017 as a Director of Queens Day Programs, Christina worked as a special education teacher enriching the lives of at-risk youth in public schools and a juvenile detention center in Florida.

In addition, Christina is a member of the Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE) as well as serves on the New York State Association of Day Service Providers (NYSADSP) as the membership director since 2021. Christina holds a degree from C.W. Post in Special Education. She received her Master’s degrees in Liberal Arts with a concentration in human services from Stonybrook University.

Diana Conelli, Senior Vice President of Finance, has 30-plus years of accounting experience in various senior accounting positions. She has dedicated the last 25 years of her career specifically working in nonprofit organizations and supporting people with developmental disabilities. During such time she has overseen all aspects of accounting including cash management, general ledger management, financial statements, and audits.

Diana joined Life’s WORC in 2020 as Controller of Finance and moved into the VP of Financial Reporting role and was  then promoted to Senior Vice President of Finance in 2024. In this role, she is responsible for overseeing Life’s WORC accounting and finance functions.

Jake Wickstrom oversees all aspects of Information Technology at Life’s WORC, ensuring the agency’s systems and infrastructure remain secure, reliable, and efficient. With over 30 years of experience in the IT field, including more than 25 years in leadership roles across healthcare, finance, and nonprofit sectors, Jake has led large-scale technology transformations that reduced costs, improved system performance, and strengthened cybersecurity.

Before joining Life’s WORC, Jake served as Senior Vice President and Security Officer at a national financial services company, where he oversaw enterprise-wide IT strategy, operations, and compliance. He began his career at a medical services company, advancing through a series of technology leadership roles over seven years.

Jake is a member of ISACA (formerly known as the Information Systems Audit and Control Association), the Long Island Chapter of the Association of Information Technology Professionals, and the Inter-Agency Council of IT Directors. He is recognized for fostering cross-department collaboration, driving innovation, and aligning technology strategy with organizational goals.