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OUR TEAM
About Me
Colette Anderson, Executive Director
Colette spent over thirty years of her career at the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) where she last served as the Chief Executive Officer of Western CT Mental Health Network. Colette has an MSW from the University of Connecticut, is an LCSW, and maintains her ACSW. As Executive Director, Colette is responsible for the oversight of all programs and funding streams, and for connecting with community providers. When asked what she likes about working at the Consortium she said, “the comradery of the staff and learning new things”. Outside of work, Colette enjoys spending time with family and friends. Her favorite quote is by the Dalai Lama, “Our prime purpose in this life is to help others and if you can’t help them at least don’t hurt them.”
Sheila Kinscherf, Executive Assistant
As the Executive Assistant at the Consortium, Sheila provides support to the Executive Director by organizing her calendar, preparing for Board of Director’s meeting, and so much more. In addition, she coordinates the Women’s Services Program Improvement Collaborative and the Trauma and Gender Learning Collaborative. Sheila has a bachelor's degree in fine arts and a master’s in organizational leadership. Sheila says that she loves everything about working at the Consortium, especially the leadership and her coworkers. Currently, Volodymyr Zelensky provides her inspiration. Sheila loves her family and has many creative passions, such as sewing, painting, and drawing. A phrase she lives by is, today is a good day for a good day!
Anne-Marie Whalen, Director of Administration
Anne-Marie Whalen is a talented professional with a Bachelor's degree in accounting and a minor in math from Fairfield University. Her role involves overseeing crucial administrative functions, including payroll, benefits, and accounting, ensuring the smooth functioning of our organization. Anne-Marie finds inspiration in the quote, "You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you look," by A.A. Milne, which motivates her to embrace her potential. Outside of work, Anne-Marie cherishes her family, pets, and friends, considering them three indispensable aspects of her life.
Jaquanna (Quanna) Soules, Marketing Coordinator
Quanna is the Marketing Coordinator for the Consortium. In this role, she manages core marketing responsibilities, including building the Consortium’s website, designing the training catalogs, and developing promotional materials. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Clark Atlanta University. Quanna’s favorite thing about working at the Consortium is being surrounded by “strong accomplished women”. Her passion is photography, and she simply cannot live without family, faith, and technology.
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Alana Valdez, Project Coordinator
Alana is the Project Coordinator at the Consortium. In this role, she creates social media content, edits the Trauma Matters newsletter, and manages the Trauma Services Provider Directory. Her favorite thing about working at the Consortium is the opportunity to use her creative skills to make the community a better place. Outside of work, Alana is most likely crocheting or painting, playing video games, or spending time with friends and family.
Alicia Feller, Director of Programs
Alicia spent almost 30 years of her career at the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) where she last served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Southwestern CT Mental Health System. Alicia obtained her MSW from Southern CT State University and is an LCSW. She obtained a Masters in Arts in Integrated Health and Healing in 2019. As Director of Programs Alicia oversees and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the department. Her favorite thing about working at the Consortium is the ability to create new training opportunities for the behavioral health professionals of CT and knowing that the work done at the Consortium helps create better care for the residents of CT. Alicia’s favorite quote is by Maya Angelou – “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Amy Lane, Administrative Training Coordinator
Amy has a BS in food science and nutrition from the University of Rhode Island and recently completed her 200-hour YTT from the CT Yoga Center and is Reiki Level 2 certified. She is currently pursuing her energy healing certification under the Healing Touch Program (TM). As the Administrative Training Coordinator, Amy is responsible for submitting and maintaining state and national NASW continuing education certifications for Consortium trainings. She works closely with large agencies; registering staff and providing customer service to ensure positive experiences. Amy loves her work-family and the support they provide for each other. Amy can’t live without coffee, her porch, and stretching out in the warm sun. In her free time, she enjoys studying tarot, crystal healing, and other healing modalities.
Jordan Reda, Administrative Training Specialist
Jordan Reda is an administrative training specialist at the Women’s Consortium. She handles training coordination and provisioning, event planning, and data entry. Her favorite part of working at the Consortium is the closeness of the staff and the mental health education we provide. In her free time, she enjoys quality time with family and friends, as well as spending her free time relaxing on the beach or by a lake.
Marisa Pedron, Administrative Training Specialist
Marisa is an Administrative Training Specialist at The Connecticut Women’s Consortium and loves the rich sense of community that is embedded in the work environment. In this position, she collaborates with trainers about what is needed for upcoming training, processes CECs for workshop participants, and assists the Director of Education and Training in preparation for the upcoming training catalogs. When Marisa isn’t in the office, you can find her catching some sun by the pool or frequenting a local thrift store for some secondhand goods.