Meet Our Leadership Team

Dr. Ruzenski has served as the H​elen Keller Services Chief Executive Officer since February 2021. Prior to this, she was the Executive Director at Helen Keller National Center ​from October 2014 – 2020. In addition, Dr. Ruzenski worked as the Director of Direct Services for 22 years. During her 40-plus-year tenure at HKNC, she has led and worked with teams across the organization to implement innovative services and meet the identified priorities of the community.

As CEO, Dr. Ruzenski leads the HKS executive team, setting organizational goals and priorities, implementing strategic initiatives and support​ing development activities. She also serves as the liaison with the U.S. Department of Education. Dr. Ruzenski has high enthusiasm for collaboration among New York state and national partners, leadership development and mentoring, adult learning strategies and organizational change.

She received her B.A. degree (1980) from Dowling College in Special Education, M.A. degree from New York University (1985) in Deaf Education and her doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University (2019) in Adult Learning and Leadership.

John Filek was appointed as Executive Director of Helen Keller National Center on July 22, 2024.  Prior to this since 2021, John was the Regional Services Coordinator for the North Central region of six states and the largest team of employment specialists and service providers in the field. His close-knit team greatly expanded direct services in employment and independence. He successfully fostered strong collaborations with state vocational rehabilitation agencies, DeafBlind projects, centers for independent living, and consumer organizations. He supported and worked alongside DeafBlind communities in Ohio and Indiana to create SSP/CoNavigator pilot programs that provide access to DeafBlind individuals. He worked extensively with DeafBlind projects in Illinois and Wisconsin to develop family and youth activities preparing teens and young adults for work and college. His region is the first to achieve CARF accreditation for two of its states, bolstering standards of practice for both field and center services.

Prior to HKNC, John served as Director of Programs for six years at Vision Loss Resources where he managed DeafBlind Services of Minnesota (DBSM), Rehabilitation Services, and Community Services. For fifteen years, he managed the nationally recognized Children, Youth & Family Services program at DBSM providing access, direct services, and training to youth who were DeafBlind (birth through age 21) and their families.

John has built bridges, partnerships, and deep friendships among individuals and families of the DeafBlind community. As a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) and an advocate, he believes in Helen Keller Services’ mission — both professionally and personally. “Everyone has the right of access and inclusion; it is my job to serve everyone in reaching those goals. Like HKNC’s mission, I want to empower individuals who are DeafBlind to live, work, and thrive in the communities of their choice.”

Ms. Hebroni was appointed Helen Keller Services Chief Financial Officer in July 2020. She joined Helen Keller Services in June 2010 as the Director of Accounting for the Helen Keller National Center. In this role, she was responsible for all financial operations of HKNC, including accounting processes, compliance, financial reporting, budgeting, and oversight of all federal and state grants and contracts.

Ms. Hebroni comes to this role with over 20 years of experience in nonprofit accounting. Prior to joining Helen Keller Services, she worked as an auditor, specializing in the non-profit and healthcare sectors. She has a vast knowledge of all guidelines and regulations in both state and federal regulatory compliance. She brings to HKS extensive knowledge of nonprofit accounting, with a focus on developing policies and procedures to improve internal controls, performance and productivity. Ms. Hebroni is responsible for the overall direction, coordination and operation of the Accounting department of HKS as Chief Financial Officer.

Ms. Hebroni graduated from Queens College City University of New York with a B.A. in Accounting and Economics.

Mr. Kunkel was appointed Chief of Programs for Helen Keller Services for the Blind in August 2023. He has been working in the human services field for over thirty years, including working previously at Helen Keller National Center as the Supervisor of Independent Support Services and the Center’s Quality Assurance Professional. In addition, he has held positions in Compliance, Staff Development and Training, Incident Management, Strategic Planning and Data Analytics across a variety of non-profit, human services agencies. He has a BA in Psychology and an MS in Healthcare Policy and Management.

Ms. Meade began her career at Helen Keller Services for the Blind in 1995 as a Supported Employment Training Specialist. She has spent the last 25 years working in a variety of positions with both youth and adults to increase their independence and opportunities for employment. In her current role, Ms. Meade oversees the Children’s Learning Center, all vocational rehabilitation and adaptive living programs and Camp Helen Keller.

Ms. Meade graduated from Iona College with a B.A. in Psychology and an M.B.A. in Organizational Behavior.

Ms. Murro is the Chief Administrative Officer for Helen Keller Services. Ms. Murro is an executive team leader with over 20 years’ progressive experience working across all areas of Human Resources. Prior to being appointed to the Chief Human Resources Officer position, she held the position of Director of Human Resources at the Helen Keller National Center for DeafBlind Youths and Adults (HKNC). Ms. Murro currently oversees all aspects of Human Resources management for the organization including recruitment, organizational development, benefits and compensation, training and employee development, safety and labor relations.

Before joining HKNC, Ms. Murro was the Human Resources Manager at Bertelsmann Direct North America, the largest direct-to-consumer distributor of media products in the United States. She was responsible for HR services to over 1,000 employees and held several Human Resources roles of increasing responsibility including staffing, employee relations and employee engagement.

Ms. Murro graduated from Hofstra University with a B.A. in Psychology and Business Management. She also earned a Certificate in Human Resources from LIU Post and is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management.

Mr. Odland serves as the Associate Executive Director at the Helen Keller National Center for DeafBlind Youths and Adults. With a background steeped in advocacy and service, he previously held the role of Assistant Director of Field Services, offering strategic guidance and support to field services nationwide in developing and managing in-state employment-related and rehabilitation services. As a vital senior leadership team member, Mr. Odland actively contributes to the organization’s strategic initiatives, fostering innovation through collaborative efforts with professionals and community stakeholders both domestically and internationally.

Mr. Odland’s educational journey includes earning a B.S. in Psychology from the Rochester Institute of Technology and an M.A. in Special Education from Gallaudet University. He is also recognized as a Certified Rehabilitation Leader (CRL) by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification. Mr. Odland has held diverse roles throughout his career, including Project Coordinator of the New York State iCanConnect program and Regional Representative for the Mid-Atlantic, North Central, and Rocky Mountain regions at HKNC. His experience also extends to roles such as Outreach Consultant at the Colorado Commission for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind, as well as Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor with the Minnesota State Services for the Blind.

Ms. Rocchio joined the Helen Keller National Center for DeafBlind Youths and Adults (HKNC) in 1984, serving in a variety of capacities with a real penchant for supporting consumers with DeafBlindness and intellectual disabilities. Ms. Rocchio currently serves as director of direct services. In this role, she provides oversight to Destiny Home, New York State’s first home for individuals with DeafBlindness and intellectual disabilities. She also supports students in HKNC’s training program, coordinating adult learning, peer learning and mentoring opportunities to help them lead their own lives. Ms. Rocchio is an advisor to the HKNC Town Hall Committee and a board member of the New York Parent Association for DeafBlind.

In his role as director of facilities for Helen Keller Services (HKS), Mr. Mastrangelo manages the operation and maintenance of the physical plants of the agency’s two divisions, the Helen Keller National Center for DeafBlind Youth and Adults (HKNC) and Helen Keller Services for the Blind (HKSB). Mr. Mastrangelo, who has been with HKS for more than 25 years, oversees the work of outside contractors; manages his area’s budget; and supervises employees in the maintenance, landscaping, housekeeping and dietary departments. He also handles union-related staff issues.

Mr. Mastrangelo’s previous experience includes the installation and servicing of fire and safety equipment as well as the wiring of electrical installations in industrial, commercial and residential settings. He completed coursework at the Nassau Technological Center and the Buildings Technical Training Center, and holds an Air Conditioning Contractors of America certificate in refrigerant transition and recovery.

Megan A. Conway, PhD, is the Director of Information, Research and Professional Development (IRPD) at the Helen Keller National Center. She joined HKNC in 2019 as a Research and Accessibility Specialist after 18 years as a faculty member at the University of Hawaii. Dr. Conway holds a Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of California, Berkeley.  Her experiences as a DeafBlind person have motivated her to focus her career on access to education, the workplace and community life for DeafBlind people and other people with disabilities. In her current role at HKNC, Dr. Conway is responsible for overseeing a robust research and professional development program to ensure that rehabilitation practices are informed by the latest research and shared with professionals and the community for the benefit of DeafBlind people. Dr. Conway also oversees the Older Adult program. 

Karen Barrett is a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor with twenty plus years of case management experience. For the past 4 years she has been supervising the Placement team. Ms. Barrett performs Diagnostic Vocational Evaluations (DVEs), is an Employment Empowerment (Soft Skills) Group co-facilitator, and provides individual vocational counseling, job development and job placement services. Ms. Barrett has a MS degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University, and is certified on the McCarron-Dial Comprehensive Vocational Evaluation System (CVES).

Gus Chalkias is the Program Director of Assistive Technology Services at HKSB. An assistive Technology Specialist with over twenty years of experience in the field, Mr. Chalkias is a graduate of Hunter College, earning Master’s degrees in both Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling.

Mr. Chalkias began his work in assistive technology at the Computer Center for Visually Impaired People at Baruch college in 2001 and ran the Demo Center project there from its inception in 2009.

Over the course of his career, Mr. Chalkias has developed a number of training programs for both pre-vocational students as well as vocationally oriented clients. These programs include working with both Windows and Mac operating systems as well as for many mobile platforms, using various types of assistive technology. He teaches the Looking Forward course on blindness related assistive technology at New York University through the Ability Project, which he created and developed.

Starting summer 2019, Mr. Chalkias teaches the assistive technology course for the TVI (Teacher of the Visually Impaired) and VRT (Vision Rehabilitation Therapy) programs at Hunter College. He currently sits on the advisory board of the Hunter College Rehabilitation Counseling Program, and recently gave the Key Note at the 2019 Annual NYS AER conference in Syracuse, NY.

Caity Graham is the Supervisor of the Vision Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT)/Orientation and Mobility (O&M) Department at HKSB. Before becoming certified through the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP) in both VRT and O&M, she earned her Master’s degree in VRT and O&M from Hunter College. She is currently working on her Master’s in Business Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Management. Caity has guest lectured extensively at New York University and Hunter College and is an active member of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AERBVI).

Ms. Henry serves as the Principal of the Children Learning Center. She has over 17 years of experience in the field of education. Over the past 17 years, Ms. Henry had been an assistant teacher/paraprofessional, assistant teacher, unit coordinator, assistant principal, and principal. She has worked in public schools, private schools, and as an early intervention provider. In addition, Ms. Henry serves as an adjunct professor helping educational professionals specialize in working with students with autism and training pre-service special education teachers. 

Ms. Henry holds degrees in childhood education, psychology, early childhood/special education, behavior analysis, and school administration. She  is currently a doctoral candidate majoring in organizational leadership with an emphasis in special education. In addition, she is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst and is licensed in New York State as a school building leader, school district leader, general education teacher birth-6th grade, and special education teacher birth-6th grade. 

Ms. McVetty began her career at Helen Keller Services for the Blind in 1990. During her 15 years, she started as  an instructor, became a mobility instructor and ended as a Program Supervisor. She returned in 2019 as a Director of Day Habilitation. Ms. McVetty is compassionate about furthering the mission of Helen Keller Services for the Blind to enable individuals with Developmental Disabilities, who are blind, DeafBlind or have low vision, to be an integral member of the community as well as develop further their Life Skills.

Ms. McVetty earned an B.A. in Human Relations with a minor in Special Education from St. Joseph’s College.

Liz Sergi is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW-R). She obtained her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Adelphi University. Liz joined Helen Keller Services for the Blind in 2015 after working as a psychiatric social worker on the children’s unit of a private hospital.

Since joining HKSB, Ms. Sergi has worked diligently in creating programing for all ages that promotes emotional support and socialization within the visually impaired community. Ms. Sergi also has extensive experience working in a private practice as a psychotherapist.