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Administration
Executive Staff & Senior Administration
Frank De Lucia
Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer
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Mr. De Lucia has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from St. John’s University, and became a Certified Public Accountant in 1984. After working as an auditor for the City of New York and then a major bank, Mr. De Lucia spent 13 years in public accounting, performing audits and tax services. In 1986, he performed the first fiscal audit of Independent Living Association, Inc., and then joined the Agency as its Chief Financial Officer in 1992. He was also named Deputy Executive Director in May 2003. Mr. De Lucia specializes in Medicaid funding, not-for-profit accounting, financial projections and budgeting, as well as internal control policies and procedures. He wrote ILA’s manual of accounting policies and procedures, which has been lauded by auditors from the State of New York and independent auditing firms. Well-respected in the not-for-profit field, Mr. De Lucia now serves as Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of ILA, embarking on the next chapter of his distinguished career at the Agency.
Steven Bonici
Director of IT Services
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Mr. Bonici joined ILA in January 2006 as an IT Manager and was quickly promoted to IT Director. During his tenure with the agency, he has been committed to helping ILA quickly adopt new technology, while streamlining processes to improve productivity and better serve ILA’s Individuals.
Mr. Bonici began his career as a system administrator at a reinsurance company, where he was the sole creator of a Network and email system that helped to enhance communication between multiple offices. He later became a systems manager for a large retail company where he was instrumental in a Network redesign that connected three offices, a Point-of-Sale (POS) system, 70 outlet stores, and a warehouse.
In his spare time, Mr. Bonici, along with his wife and three children, perform a great deal of community service. During the holidays, they organize an annual toy drive in the name of Mr. Bonici’s brother in-law, a former New York City police officer whose life was taken while off-duty. The heartfelt event has been brightening the lives of children and families in need since 1995.
Ava Morgan
Deputy Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer
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Ms. Morgan joined Independent Living Association, Inc. in 1993 with 15 years of dedicated service to the developmentally disabled under her belt. Ms. Morgan worked for voluntary and New York State service providers before becoming a standards compliance analyst for New York State, where she audited community programs and became an expert in regulations. Prior to her current role as Deputy Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer of ILA, Ms. Morgan held a range of leadership positions at the Agency, serving as Director of Quality Assurance, Director of Residential Services, and Director of Operations, which comprised the oversight of four departments, 32 programs, and more than 600 employees.
Jonelle Best-Thomas
Assistant to the Director of Operations
Alex Kan
Chief Financial Officer
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As ILA’s Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Kan brings more than 30 years of experience in finance and accounting. A Certified Public Accountant, Mr. Kan worked as a Controller and Operations Manager in the fashion and medical supply fields before joining ILA as an Accounting Manager in 1998. Mr. Kan helped to oversee payroll, accounts payable/receivable, and other daily operations before being promoted to Controller two years later.
While serving as Controller of ILA, Mr. Kan was responsible for preparing the Agency’s annual budget and financial statements while coordinating accounting operations across all programs and departments. He has been instrumental in enhancing ILA’s payroll and audit processes while preparing working papers and financial reports for external audits and internal reviews. Mr. Kan has also helped to implement ILA’s policies and procedures for fiscal affairs, ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations, which he continues to do in his current role as Chief Financial Officer. While leading ILA’s financial operations, Mr. Kan is applying his many years of accounting expertise and extensive knowledge of the Agency to successfully steer ILA into the future.
Mr. Kan holds a Bachelor of Social Science in Public Administration from The Chinese University of Hong Kong and a Master of Business Administration from Baruch College.
Dr. Velma Bishop
Director of Vacancy Management
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After working as a Qualified Intellectual Disabilities Professional (QIDP), Dr. Bishop was promoted to the position of Residential Supervisor, overseeing dual sites while working on development for the Agency. Following a promotion to Quality Assurance Specialist, she led additional development projects while working to ensure the continued safety and well-being of ILA’s Individuals.
Dr. Bishop’s outstanding work in conjunction with OPWDD led to the development of many new residences at ILA over the years, an accomplishment she remains “deeply proud of.” In her newest role as Director of Vacancy Management, she continues to be instrumental to the growth of ILA, helping to expand the Agency’s reach in the New York City community. Dr. Bishop holds a BA in Psychology and an MA in Industrial Psychology/Human Behavior from Brooklyn College, and a Ph.D. in Philosophy (with a concentration in Disaster, Crisis & Intervention) from Walden University.
Frank De Lucia
Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer
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Mr. De Lucia has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from St. John’s University, and became a Certified Public Accountant in 1984. After working as an auditor for the City of New York and then a major bank, Mr. De Lucia spent 13 years in public accounting, performing audits and tax services. In 1986, he performed the first fiscal audit of Independent Living Association, Inc., and then joined the Agency as its Chief Financial Officer in 1992. He was also named Deputy Executive Director in May 2003. Mr. De Lucia specializes in Medicaid funding, not-for-profit accounting, financial projections and budgeting, as well as internal control policies and procedures. He wrote ILA’s manual of accounting policies and procedures, which has been lauded by auditors from the State of New York and independent auditing firms. Well-respected in the not-for-profit field, Mr. De Lucia now serves as Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of ILA, embarking on the next chapter of his distinguished career at the Agency.
Ava Morgan
Deputy Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer
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Ms. Morgan joined Independent Living Association, Inc. in 1993 with 15 years of dedicated service to the developmentally disabled under her belt. Ms. Morgan worked for voluntary and New York State service providers before becoming a standards compliance analyst for New York State, where she audited community programs and became an expert in regulations. Prior to her current role as Deputy Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer of ILA, Ms. Morgan held a range of leadership positions at the Agency, serving as Director of Quality Assurance, Director of Residential Services, and Director of Operations, which comprised the oversight of four departments, 32 programs, and more than 600 employees.
Alex Kan
Chief Financial Officer
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As ILA’s Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Kan brings more than 30 years of experience in finance and accounting. A Certified Public Accountant, Mr. Kan worked as a Controller and Operations Manager in the fashion and medical supply fields before joining ILA as an Accounting Manager in 1998. Mr. Kan helped to oversee payroll, accounts payable/receivable, and other daily operations before being promoted to Controller two years later.
While serving as Controller of ILA, Mr. Kan was responsible for preparing the Agency’s annual budget and financial statements while coordinating accounting operations across all programs and departments. He has been instrumental in enhancing ILA’s payroll and audit processes while preparing working papers and financial reports for external audits and internal reviews. Mr. Kan has also helped to implement ILA’s policies and procedures for fiscal affairs, ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations, which he continues to do in his current role as Chief Financial Officer. While leading ILA’s financial operations, Mr. Kan is applying his many years of accounting expertise and extensive knowledge of the Agency to successfully steer ILA into the future.
Mr. Kan holds a Bachelor of Social Science in Public Administration from The Chinese University of Hong Kong and a Master of Business Administration from Baruch College.
Steven Bonici
Director of IT Services
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Mr. Bonici joined ILA in January 2006 as an IT Manager and was quickly promoted to IT Director. During his tenure with the agency, he has been committed to helping ILA quickly adopt new technology, while streamlining processes to improve productivity and better serve ILA’s Individuals.
Mr. Bonici began his career as a system administrator at a reinsurance company, where he was the sole creator of a Network and email system that helped to enhance communication between multiple offices. He later became a systems manager for a large retail company where he was instrumental in a Network redesign that connected three offices, a Point-of-Sale (POS) system, 70 outlet stores, and a warehouse.
In his spare time, Mr. Bonici, along with his wife and three children, perform a great deal of community service. During the holidays, they organize an annual toy drive in the name of Mr. Bonici’s brother in-law, a former New York City police officer whose life was taken while off-duty. The heartfelt event has been brightening the lives of children and families in need since 1995.
Dr. Velma Bishop
Director of Vacancy Management
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Dr. Bishop’s 35-year career at ILA began in 1988 when she joined the Agency as an on-call direct care professional. She then became a permanent direct care professional and was later promoted to a psychologist assistant.
After working as a Qualified Intellectual Disabilities Professional (QIDP), Dr. Bishop was promoted to the position of Residential Supervisor, overseeing dual sites while working on development for the Agency. Following a promotion to Quality Assurance Specialist, she led additional development projects while working to ensure the continued safety and well-being of ILA’s Individuals.
Dr. Bishop’s outstanding work in conjunction with OPWDD led to the development of many new residences at ILA over the years, an accomplishment she remains “deeply proud of.” In her newest role as Director of Vacancy Management, she continues to be instrumental to the growth of ILA, helping to expand the Agency’s reach in the New York City community. Dr. Bishop holds a BA in Psychology and an MA in Industrial Psychology/Human Behavior from Brooklyn College, and a Ph.D. in Philosophy (with a concentration in Disaster, Crisis & Intervention) from Walden University.
Jonelle Best-Thomas
Assistant Director to the Director of Operations
Board of Directors
Carlton T. Butler, Esq.
Chairman & Secretary
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Carlton Butler’s distinguished career spans more than 20 years of service in managerial and attorney positions. For six years, Mr. Butler served as Assistant Commissioner, Criminal Investigations in the Office of Tax Enforcement at the New York City Department of Finance. Prior to that position, he worked for the Department of Sanitation, Department of Consumer Affairs, the Board of Education, and the Brooklyn and Queens District Attorney Offices.
Most recently, he worked as Managing Attorney for the Consumer Complaints Prosecution Unit at the Taxi and Limousine Commission. After retiring in January 2016, Mr. Butler, a graduate of Columbia University Law School, is now pursuing a number of personal interests and activities in addition to his role on ILA’s Board of Directors – a position he has held since 2004.
Robert McKenna
President
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With more than three decades of banking experience, Robert McKenna specializes in commercial lending, building loan portfolios from the ground-up for a range of New York financial institutions. Currently, Mr. McKenna serves as First Vice President – Director, C&I Lending at Hanover Bank where he is helping the bank expand its Commercial & Industrial lending business across the New York area.
Prior to his current role, Mr. McKenna served as Senior Vice President and Team Leader at Republic Bank on Long Island. He successfully expanded the Philadelphia-based bank’s presence on Long Island, while building a team to oversee C&I Lending and developing a vast commercial loan portfolio.
While serving as Senior Vice President, Relationship Manager at Astoria Bank, Mr. McKenna developed and introduced the Direct Purchase of Tax-Exempt Private Activity Bonds, resulting in the capability to provide lower cost financing for nonprofit organizations and qualified manufacturers.
After his five-year tenure at Astoria Bank, Mr. McKenna then served as First Vice President, Commercial Loan Officer at Valley National Bank, where he managed commercial loan portfolios comprised of not-for-profit and commercial and industrial (C&I) borrowers across New York. Mr. McKenna was recognized within the NY C&I Group for his expertise in the not-for-profit segment, working with organizations that provide services to individuals with developmental disabilities, mental health challenges, and to young people in foster care. ILA was among the many nonprofits with whom Mr. McKenna worked, benefiting from his strong knowledge of OPWDD regulations and the field of developmental disabilities services.
As President of the ILA Board of Directors, Mr. McKenna strives to help the Agency grow and continue its mission of enhancing the lives of Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Mr. McKenna holds a Bachelor of Business Administration, Finance, and a Master of Business Administration, Banking Finance & Investments from Hofstra University.
Lola Simpson, MS
Board Member
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Lola Simpson has led an esteemed career in the public and private sectors improving data management, conducting program evaluation, and administering contracts. In January 2015, she joined The Fund for NYC Health and Hospitals, and within five months successfully streamlined contracts and fiscal procedures for the Cure Violence Initiative (valued at $9M), served on the evaluation committee for uninsured populations, and improved procedures across 11 hospitals to recoup lost revenue from insurance denials for medically necessary procedures. She now works as Senior Director for OneCity Health Services, a subsidiary of NYC Health and Hospitals, where she oversees Operations, Purchasing, and Contracts.
Prior to joining Health + Hospitals and OneCity, Ms. Simpson was a Senior Associate for Metis Associates, a national research and evaluation firm, where she consulted with clients in government, nonprofit, and foundations, and applied solutions to common organizational, technical, and programmatic challenges. Ms. Simpson, a recipient of the LaGuardia Management Fellowship, holds a Masters of Science in Public Policy and Management from the New School University.
Janet Koch, MS
Board Member
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In Janet Koch’s thirty-year career in human services, she has successfully navigated regulatory and funding challenges while ensuring exemplary care delivery for Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
She currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Variety Child Learning Center (VCLC) where she strives to “partner and work with young learners, families, and the VCLC team to continue to raise the bar and help children reach new milestones and accolades as they develop and grow.”
Prior to joining Variety in 2023, Ms. Koch spent eight years as CEO of Life’s WORC, an organization that supports thousands of people with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities. Before leading Life’s WORC, Ms. Koch served as CFO there for five years. Among Ms. Koch’s many accomplishments at the organization included managing a $62-million annual budget; overseeing the opening of the Life’s WORC Family Center for Autism and eight new residential homes; and expanding day programs and other services.
While serving on ILA’s Board of Directors, she continues to fulfill her passion for business and noteworthy missions while helping to create opportunities for Individuals to thrive in their communities.
Ms. Koch holds a Bachelor’s degree from Dowling College and a Master’s degree from Long Island University. She is active in a wide range of community organizations, with a special focus on education and services for people with special needs. In addition, Janet has received numerous awards for organizational excellence and leadership.
Jerry Glassman, CPA
Board Member
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Jerry Glassman, CPA is a retired partner from Baker Tilly, a national Accounting and Auditing firm. Currently, he is the CFO of DeBragga & Spitler, Inc, a meat purveyor in New Jersey.
While at Baker Tilly, Jerry’s practice consisted of clients in the real estate, construction, manufacturing, wholesaling, health care, food service and entertainment industries. Jerry also provided financial planning services to high-net-worth individuals and tax planning services for individuals and businesses.
Jerry lives with his wife in Florida and Israel.
Carlton T. Butler, Esq.
Chairman & Secretary
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Carlton Butler’s distinguished career spans more than 20 years of service in managerial and attorney positions. For six years, Mr. Butler served as Assistant Commissioner, Criminal Investigations in the Office of Tax Enforcement at the New York City Department of Finance. Prior to that position, he worked for the Department of Sanitation, Department of Consumer Affairs, the Board of Education, and the Brooklyn and Queens District Attorney Offices.
Most recently, he worked as Managing Attorney for the Consumer Complaints Prosecution Unit at the Taxi and Limousine Commission. After retiring in January 2016, Mr. Butler, a graduate of Columbia University Law School, is now pursuing a number of personal interests and activities in addition to his role on ILA’s Board of Directors – a position he has held since 2004.
Lola Simpson, MS
Board Member
READ MORE
Lola Simpson has led an esteemed career in the public and private sectors improving data management, conducting program evaluation, and administering contracts. In January 2015, she joined The Fund for NYC Health and Hospitals, and within five months successfully streamlined contracts and fiscal procedures for the Cure Violence Initiative (valued at $9M), served on the evaluation committee for uninsured populations, and improved procedures across 11 hospitals to recoup lost revenue from insurance denials for medically necessary procedures. She now works as Senior Director for OneCity Health Services, a subsidiary of NYC Health and Hospitals, where she oversees Operations, Purchasing, and Contracts.
Prior to joining Health + Hospitals and OneCity, Ms. Simpson was a Senior Associate for Metis Associates, a national research and evaluation firm, where she consulted with clients in government, nonprofit, and foundations, and applied solutions to common organizational, technical, and programmatic challenges. Ms. Simpson, a recipient of the LaGuardia Management Fellowship, holds a Masters of Science in Public Policy and Management from the New School University.
Robert McKenna
President
READ MORE
With more than three decades of banking experience, Mr. McKenna specializes in commercial lending, building loan portfolios from the ground-up for a range of New York financial institutions. Currently, Mr. McKenna serves as First Vice President – Director, C&I Lending at Hanover Bank where he is helping the bank expand its Commercial & Industrial lending business across the New York area.
Prior to his current role, Mr. McKenna served as Senior Vice President and Team Leader at Republic Bank on Long Island. He successfully expanded the Philadelphia-based bank’s presence on Long Island, while building a team to oversee C&I Lending and developing a vast commercial loan portfolio.
While serving as Senior Vice President, Relationship Manager at Astoria Bank, Mr. McKenna developed and introduced the Direct Purchase of Tax-Exempt Private Activity Bonds, resulting in the capability to provide lower cost financing for nonprofit organizations and qualified manufacturers.
After his five-year tenure at Astoria Bank, Mr. McKenna then served as First Vice President, Commercial Loan Officer at Valley National Bank, where he managed commercial loan portfolios comprised of not-for-profit and commercial and industrial (C&I) borrowers across New York. Mr. McKenna was recognized within the NY C&I Group for his expertise in the not-for-profit segment, working with organizations that provide services to individuals with developmental disabilities, mental health challenges, and to young people in foster care. ILA was among the many nonprofits with whom Mr. McKenna worked, benefiting from his strong knowledge of OPWDD regulations and the field of developmental disabilities services.
As President of the ILA Board of Directors, Mr. McKenna strives to help the Agency grow and continue its mission of enhancing the lives of Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Mr. McKenna holds a Bachelor of Business Administration, Finance, and a Master of Business Administration, Banking Finance & Investments from Hofstra University.
Janet Koch, MS
Board Member
READ MORE
In Janet Koch’s thirty-year career in human services, she has successfully navigated regulatory and funding challenges while ensuring exemplary care delivery for Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
She currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Variety Child Learning Center (VCLC) where she strives to “partner and work with young learners, families, and the VCLC team to continue to raise the bar and help children reach new milestones and accolades as they develop and grow.”
Prior to joining Variety in 2023, Ms. Koch spent eight years as CEO of Life’s WORC, an organization that supports thousands of people with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities. Before leading Life’s WORC, Ms. Koch served as CFO there for five years. Among Ms. Koch’s many accomplishments at the organization included managing a $62-million annual budget; overseeing the opening of the Life’s WORC Family Center for Autism and eight new residential homes; and expanding day programs and other services.
While serving on ILA’s Board of Directors, she continues to fulfill her passion for business and noteworthy missions while helping to create opportunities for Individuals to thrive in their communities.
Ms. Koch holds a Bachelor’s degree from Dowling College and a Master’s degree from Long Island University. She is active in a wide range of community organizations, with a special focus on education and services for people with special needs. In addition, Janet has received numerous awards for organizational excellence and leadership.
Jerry Glassman, CPA
Board Member
READ MORE
Jerry Glassman, CPA is a retired partner from Baker Tilly, a national Accounting and Auditing firm. Currently, he is the CFO of DeBragga & Spitler, Inc, a meat purveyor in New Jersey.
While at Baker Tilly, Jerry’s practice consisted of clients in the real estate, construction, manufacturing, wholesaling, health care, food service and entertainment industries. Jerry also provided financial planning services to high-net-worth individuals and tax planning services for individuals and businesses.
Jerry lives with his wife in Florida and Israel.