Board of Directors

Roger Cooper has been Chairman of the Board of the CLC Group of Companies since almost its inception (the first two years he was the Treasurer). During that time CLC has grown from a small residential program to the multi-faceted service organization serving some 2,500 people, with 450 employees in areas including Residential, Transportation, Equine Therapy, Financial Trusts, Arts and Epilepsy.

Roger’s background is varied with education in Mexico, England and USA and working in fields as diverse as – Research Chemist, International Investment Banker, Linguistic Anthropologist (Maya Hieroglyphs), Movie, Broadway and off-Broadway Producer, University Finance Chairman, and Educator amongst other areas of endeavor.

Roger was born in Mexico City, educated in England, studied Chemical Engineering in Mexico, Chemistry and Physics in California, Anthropology in New York and received a PhD (Hon) in Arts & Sciences in Connecticut. His Chemical research was in Detergent development at Procter & Gamble. He held many positions with Citibank living in Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Venezuela and New York, before joining JP Morgan Chase managing the Investment Banking Operations for the Americas. His life as Educator involved teaching Languages (fluent in 4), Sciences at High School and Seaweeds & Computers at the University level. He headed the Honduras National Security Council, combating terrorism in the Banking Industry and managed the second largest IBM Data Center in Venezuela, writing the textbook “Information Systems in Banking” for use at the Metropolitan University in Venezuela. The Linguistic Anthropology at SUNY Albany arose from long time interest in The Maya Culture and where he specialized in deciphering the Maya hieroglyphic codices or books. In the Arts, with partners, as Producer, he has been involved producing many movies and Off-Broadway shows, and Broadway / West End (London) productions have garnered some 25 “Tony” nominations and 10 “Olivier” (UK) Nominations. He has been on the Board of the University of New Haven for some years and as Finance Chair over the past 5 years.

Perhaps what he is most proud of, is his involvement as Chairman, for the past 30 + years, of The CLC Group helping special needs individuals in a variety of ways. This started as a private “Mom & Pop” residential program for 14 people (One being his son, Robin, living there since 1982) and which now includes 40 residential homes and apartments; a therapeutic riding academy for children on the Autism spectrum, and wounded warriors; a medical transportation company; management of 400 Special Needs Trusts; a Theatre / Art program and The Epilepsy Foundation of Metropolitan New York. The details of this can be found in the detailed history and Timeline.

He and his wife Anne spend their time between their various homes in New York, Vermont, Canada, London, and Mexico visiting their 6 siblings, 2 children, 2 grandchildren, 24 nephews & nieces and 7 great-nephews and nieces.

Priscilla Orr has been involved with CLC since its inception. Beginning in the accounting department. This began a career that spanned over 20 years. Priscilla, in 1999 assumed the position of Controller, and during her tenure the agency was able to convert many of the existing Community Residences to IRA’s, received approval to use the regional average salaries for budget purposes, creating additional funding for the agency, and received permission opened the Kitchawan and Curry Street Houses.

Prior to retiring in 2012, Priscilla and John Porcella successfully received the approval of the local DDSO to start the CLC Day Habilitations Program. After a retirement of 12 days she was asked to temporarily fill in and run CLC Transportation.

In January of 2013 Priscilla was asked to serve on the Community Living Corporation Board of Directors. At the same time, CLC Foundation was negotiating to merge with Winslow Therapeutic Riding Center. Priscilla was asked to work alongside Susan Ferro to make the transition run smoothly. She currently occupies the position of Controller for CLC Foundation, Inc. assisting with the budgeting and accounting supervision at the both the Mt Kisco and Warwick locations.

Priscilla resides in Saugerties, NY with her husband Lindsay. She enjoys traveling and one of her favorite destinations is North Hollywood, CA, where she visits her son William and Daughter in Law Kimberly.

Robert Brody is the treasurer for CLC Group, a Senior Vice-President, Portfolio Manager with UBS Financial Services Global Wealth Management, guiding affluent clients, families, and business owners through market environments over the last 35 years creating multigenerational estate planning strategies, tax-efficient retirement, and income planning. He has also the treasurer for the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Foundation New York South chapter for 30 years.

Sandra was born and raised in California. Upon graduating with a BSN from Stanford University School of Nursing  she went to work at a VA psychiatric hospital. Upon the birth of her first son who was born with Down syndrome she retired from nursing to raise him and subsequently  three other sons. In 1973 the family moved to Chappaqua, NY.

After 18 years of “retirement” she returned to nursing, working as a Staff Nurse for the Maryknoll Sisters in Ossining, NY.  She was promoted to Charge Nurse and then to Director of In-service Education. After 20 years with Maryknoll she retired from nursing.

From the time she was a young girl she  volunteered in many different agencies and in many different positions – “Camp Fire Girls” (as a participant for many years as well as when in  college running a troop for 10 year old underprivileged girls), school clubs and teams, PTA’s including Co-Chair at a Special Ed school, swim and tennis teams member, various positions at church including a Vestry position of Worship and Music  for 3 years, and as a Board Member of the local Special Olympics chapter.

For many years she and her family hosted students from NY City who came to the local high school for the Chappaqua Summer Scholarship Program. Currently she a member of the CLC Board.

My name is Christine Johnston and I joined CLC’s Board of Directors on January 1, 2015. I am a longtime resident of Mount Kisco and a retired interior designer. I reside with my son Anthony who has worked for CLC for over 25 years. I have a history of volunteerism. I donated my time to the ombudsman program for the disabled, the March of Times, Northern Westchester Hospital and the now closed St. Agnes Hospital. I was honored to be asked to serve on the CLC Board. I have enjoyed being a part of the growth they have made on their mission to further this wonderful agency.

Mina Sallis is a real estate agent who has worked at some of the leading agencies in Westchester County, New York for over 20 years. Mina qualified with a BA in Music and taught the piano professionally to children and young adults. She and her husband Dr. Jerry Sallis lived in South Africa for over 25 years where they raised 3 daughters. At the time Mina worked as a piano teacher and performed publicly in concerts and on South African radio. The Sallis family immigrated to the US where Mina not only pursued  her musical activities but entered the real estate profession. As the mother of a developmentally disabled daughter the wellbeing of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities has been a central and enduring concern throughout her life. Today, Mina continues pursuing both artistic and business interests while actively supporting the disabled as a longtime CLC board member.

Winslow Therapeutic Riding Center was on the verge of bankruptcy when Leo Kaytes, using his business and communication skills, transformed the operation. It went from a four-person endeavor working out of a trailer into a fully accredited organization with 25 horses and professionally trained staff serving 1,000 special needs clients annually.· Among his many contributions to the community, Leo Kaytes:

• Has served on The St. Anthony Community Hospital and Bon Secours
• Charity Health System’s Board of Directors
• Chaired the St. Ignatius Parish Council
• Was president of Winslow Therapeutic Center’s Board of Directors
• Was Warwick Valley Rotary president and long-time board member
• Played a major role in the start-up of Garden of the Child, an early childhood/middle school detection, intervention and prevention program for children in need
• Was a strong early supporter of Warwick’s Backpack Snack Attack and Warm Coats programs which reach some 300 children and has become the inspiration for more than two dozen other programs
• Is a former recipient of Warwick’s Citizen of the Year Award, 1999-2000
• Leo is also a kind, generous and unassuming gentleman…proud of his 67-year marriage to Gladys, their five children, 16 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.

Anne is on the Board of CLC, CLC Fund for the Disabled and The Epilepsy Foundation of Metropolitan New York and is happy to contribute her extensive experience in International Banking and Project Management to the future of the CLC Group of companies.

Anne truly has an international background. She was educated in Mexico, Canada, and the USA, in English, French and Spanish, lived in some 20 countries, fully tri-lingual and managed projects that spanned the globe in the Securities and Financial Auditing fields, while working for Citibank for 35 years.

Anne was born in Mexico — her mother from New York City and her father of French ancestry. From an early age she was, and continues to be, fluent in English, French and Spanish. Anne went to High School on Victoria Island just off Vancouver, Canada and holds a degree in mathematics from Stephens College. She has numerous post graduate courses / certificates in finance / risk management and administration from universities in Mexico and New York. During her 35-year career at Citibank / Citigroup, she held many positions, while living in places like Jordan (one of her favorites), Egypt, Morocco, Turkey, Austria, Spain, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, Mexico, and others, living for 20 years in New York. During this time, she focused on managing financial / technology related projects in the Securities (stocks, bonds etc.) as well as Auditing and Treasury with multiple teams scattered throughout the globe. One of her last experiences before retiring in 2016, was in the Global Client Liquidity Management Services Group where clients manage their liquidity 24/7. In this project she was working on adding hubs in Mumbai and Tampa to the existing Dublin hub.

Anne has always felt that a key part of her, as a person, is someone that volunteers to aid those that requires some special needs. “I have always volunteered, it is part of who I am,” she stated when asked recently. “I have volunteered to help in my church, my hospital, my community and having a personal connection to a CLC resident, I am anxious to continue what I have started by helping all the CLC affiliated group of companies,” she continued. At CLC she is helping residential clients achieve as happy and productive life as they can. She has been managing the overall project of moving from a group of companies to the CLC Group Services Organization.

When not volunteering for her Church and CLC, Anne enjoys time with her husband traveling, to their various homes in Europe and the Americas, and savoring time with her own extensive family (5 siblings, 19 nephews and nieces and 3 great-nephews and nieces).

John has worked in the non-for-profit world for over 50 years. He is the co-founder of Community Living Corporation, CLC Transportation, Westchester Foundation for the Disabled and CLC Foundation. John is also the founder of the CLC Pooled Trusts, the Trust is one of the first and largest in NYS. Currently John is serving on the Board of Directors of The CLC Group.

Fred Eisman, is the President of Westchester Foundation for the Disabled, General Counsel to the CLC Group, and the principal of Eisman Law. For more than 25 years he has provided comprehensive estate planning services to individuals, families and business owners in New York and Connecticut, along the way developing a particular expertise assisting individuals with special needs and counseling not-for-profit agencies.

Linda Jean Sampson, Esq., is the principal of the Sampson Law Group, PLLC. The practice focuses on Business Law, Trusts and Estates, Elder Law, Estate Planning & Probate Matters.  Linda is best known for her work in Asset Protection, Special Needs and Medicaid planning, Medicaid applications, and Commercial & Residential Property Tax Appeal.  Linda has participated in several Sections and Committees of the New York Bar Association, including:  Elder Law & Special Needs, Real Property Law, and the Trusts & Estate Law Sections. Sampson is an Accredited Veterans Attorney.  She also holds a New York State Real Estate Broker license.  Sampson aids not-for-profit organizations that enrich the lives of the developmentally disabled, those with Autism Spectrum Disorders and the elderly. She performs pro-bono work in her areas of practice and concentration, and by fund raising to support meaningful vocational and social activities for the disabled.

Matthew Persanis is an attorney who has been practicing law since 1991. He is a partner of Elefante & Persanis, LLP.  Matthew Specializes in Labor and Employment law and residential real estate.
Mr Persanis has been on the CLC Board since 2010.
Mr. Persanis has volunteered for many community based programs such as being on the executive Board of Troop  1 of the Boy Scouts of America, a founder and head coach of Pelham High School Varsity Rugby, Pelham Youth Soccer, and many other community based programs.
Mr. Persanis was awarded the James Marshall Award by the Town of Pelham for his outstanding work with the youth of the community.