Our Leadership – WellMet Philanthropy | A Giving Circle for Women

No man is an island, entire of itself. Each is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” — Montaigne

Our leadership team generously donates their time, knowledge and expertise. They make sure our processes function seamlessly, and they are responsible for developing and implementing strategies to ensure WellMet’s success.

Deborah McManus

Anne Herrmann

A teacher and tutor for many, many years, Anne joined WellMet in 2004. She loves being involved in learning about and supporting small non-profits. She also sits on the Auxiliary Board at Mt. Sinai and the advisory board of City Year New York.

Kathy Cerullo

Kathy joined WellMet in the early 2000s and enjoys teeing up groups and reviewing others on behalf of WellMet’s Grantmaking Committee. In early career days she was a bond analyst and municipal finance banker. More recently Kathy has given her time to the Whitney Museum of American Art where she leads public tours as a volunteer docent. Kathy and her family have been supportive of sports opportunities for urban youth, services for undocumented youth, and early childhood education initiatives. A native of Pittsburgh, Kathy has lived with her family in Paris and New York, where she originally came to attend Barnard College. She also holds a TESOL certificate from Teacher’s College and has done some volunteer ESL teaching, advocacy work with CASA-NY and is a former Board Member of Brookwood Childcare, a foster care agency.

Image shows a person who is a member of WellMet

Shana Druckerman

In her current role as a member of the Communications Committee, Shana has enjoyed getting to know fellow WellMetters and every aspect of what makes this group so special.

Gail Gordon

A recent member of WellMet, is excited for the chance to explore the power of women's giving circles. Proud of her Bronx roots, Gail is drawn to supporting community based initiatives that address issues throughout New York City. Gail currently serves as Treasurer and Executive Committee member of New York Foundation, a private foundation that funds start up groups and projects that focus on community organizing and advocacy, and CityParks Foundation as well as a Director of the Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation. She strives to draw upon her experience as a portfolio manager (newly retired) to help expand their work.

Debra Levin

joined WellMet in December 2018. Debra recently retired from a career in investments which included both fixed income and equity analysis following various industries for major corporations. In addition, Debra is a contemporary quilt artist. She holds a BA in Economics and a BFA in Studio art from the University of Buffalo, an MBA from the University of Chicago, and in 2016 received a Certificate in Positive Psychology from The Wholebeing Institute/ Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health.

Joan Rosenthal

I joined WellMet in 2018 and am currently serving as both Chair and on the Membership Engagement Committee. I am an active board member of several NYC nonprofit organizations (BronxWorks & WPTI) focused on changing the lives of children and families, and a former financial management professional. I'm also a life-long New Yorker. A CPA by training, I joined Chemical Bank and later retired as a Managing Director at JP Morgan Chase. I got my BS in Accounting from the University at Albany and attended Hunter College High School.

Laura Ensler

Laura Ensler is the Founder of FirstStepNYC, a groundbreaking Prenatal to 5 Early Childhood Center co-located at IS41, a K-8 public school in Brownsville, Brooklyn. She is a consultant to public, private and not-for- profit organizations in early education providing guidance on instituting change management strategies, developing new and innovative systems, and coaches educational leadership. Laura serves as an Advisor to the CUNY Early Childhood Leadership Initiative and the Low Income Investment Fund’s ECE Community Advisory. In 2022, she co-authored The Five Commitments of Optimistic Leadership, a professional development guide for educational leaders. Laura is currently a Board Member at the Power of Two and a volunteer educator for Queens Public Library staff.

Linda Novak

As a recent member of WellMet I'm enjoying getting to know this wonderful group of women, and learning more about the community-based nonprofits working to address many of NYC's pressing issues. After retiring from my career in media and entertainment law, I joined CUNY/Hostos as an adjunct professor in legal studies. Seeing the impacts of the criminal justice system on many of my students' daily lives triggered my interest in criminal justice reform, particularly the issues surrounding incarceration and reentry. I currently volunteer with The Osborne Association and AmeriCorps as a coach in their job-readiness and reentry programs. As an avid music lover and passionate supporter of the performing arts in NYC, I'm eager to learn more about new initiatives to bring the transformative power of music into prisons.