About Us
New Days Ahead
Our all-volunteer group is raising money because we know there are going to be financial needs for years to come. In the short term, we’re here to help the families of the 26 victims, those who were wounded but survived, the twelve kids who witnessed the massacre first-hand, and those affected by the shooting as students/faculty/staff of Sandy Hook Elementary and Newtown-located schools, and first responders from the area who were dispatched to Sandy Hook Elementary. We assist those who fall within these groups. Click here to contact us.
We issue press releases and have this Web site because we want the world to know where they can direct their good will, but we also have the Web site so those affected know we’re here to help, support, and honor them and their lost loved ones. We will continue to work on behalf of the those affected knowing that although we can’t take their pain and suffering away, we can help with expenses and treatment, such that they can focus on themselves and their family’s well-being. While we will remain financially transparent and will be audited annually to be in compliance, we will make no announcements about who specifically we have made disbursements to. We are not looking to publicize nor exploit those we’re trying to help.
We place our faces and backgrounds on this page not for self-ingratiating reasons, but so that you may know we are real, concerned volunteers with real lives relating to Newtown, and are dedicated to assisting in the long-term healing needs of those who remain, and the respectful honoring of those lost. If you see us in the grocery store or at church, we are happy to hear ideas, constructive criticism, or commentary so that we can continue to evolve to better serve the needs of those who are affected by this tragedy.
For more ways to help us, please visit our VolunteerMatch page.
Newtown Memorial Fund Board Members:
We established the Newtown Memorial Fund on the afternoon of December 14th, 2012.
![Mauriello](https://www.newtownmemorialfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Mauriello.jpg)
Brian Mauriello
Founder & Chairman
As a near-lifetime resident of Newtown and parent of a first grader that day, it was something that I felt I absolutely had to immerse myself in. My family moved to the Sandy Hook area of Newtown, Connecticut in 1984, where I attended Middle Gate Elementary School in Newtown. I graduated from Newtown High School with friends from all four elementary schools here in our great town. I eventually moved back to town in 2005, and I reside in Sandy Hook.
My child is a member of the class of 2024, and was attending school here in Newtown at a different elementary school than where the attack occurred. I decided to help our community have a proper fund for the proper memorialization of those who did perish, and to support and help strengthen all of those affected by this tragedy.
Consequently, we created an enduring memorial and assistance fund. You can read more about this on our Mission page as to its purpose and intended projects. Newtown Memorial Fund, Inc. is an all-volunteer 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
Priscilla Williams, C.P.A.
Treasurer
Priscilla A. Williams is a partner at Connecticut Business Services, LLC in New Milford, CT. She is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the state of Connecticut. Priscilla is a graduate of the Ancell School of Business at Western Connecticut State University where she earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in management information systems. Priscilla lives in New Milford with her husband and three children and is very active in New Milford and the surrounding communities. She is a member of the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Danbury Chamber of Commerce. She is a member of the Danbury Trailblazers, a BNI organization and is currently serving as their secretary/treasurer. Priscilla is also an active member of the Greater New Milford Woman’s Club and is the chair of their annual Thanksgiving Basket project. Previously she has served as the Trustees’ Chairperson of the New Milford United Methodist Church as well as the Handbell Director.
Julie Savino
Vice President
Julie has been a volunteer member of the Newtown Scholarship Association since 2004, previously serving as the Association’s President. She is the Executive Director of University Financial Assistance at Sacred Heart University (SHU) in Fairfield, CT, a position she has held since 1987. For over 30 years, Julie has helped countless students attain a higher education through the administration of financial aid. She is well known and respected in her chosen field, serving on several Boards of Directors and a frequent presenter at College Board activities. She regularly interacts with students and parents at high school financial aid nights and college fairs. Her technical knowledge of the field of financial aid is extraordinarily broad and her passion for helping students achieve their dreams of a college education is as strong today as it was in 1979 when she first joined SHU’s financial aid department as an assistant director. Julie and her family have called Newtown home since 1980. They moved to their current home in Sandy Hook in 1994. Their son Nicholas was educated in the Newtown public school system, as was his wife Kaitlin, both graduating from Newtown High School in 2001. The Newtown Scholarship Association, the people of Newtown, and especially the borough of Sandy Hook, are close to Julie’s heart, and she considers it an honor to be able to be a part of the Newtown Memorial Fund.
Gael Lynch
Secretary
Gael Lynch is a former Newtown educator, having served at both Sandy Hook and Reed Intermediate Schools across many grade levels. Earlier in her career, she worked with hearing impaired children, language delayed students and the youngest population of infants and toddlers with special needs. She also developed, implemented and administered a program for children with language and communication disabilities in Fairfield County. Gael is currently a consultant for Teacher’s College Reading and Writing Project from Columbia University, presenting professional development for teachers across the U.S. She is a longtime Newtown resident, drawn to this community for its tradition of family-centered values, its excellent schools, and of course, its iconic beauty. Her three grown children are products of Sandy Hook School and graduates of Newtown High as well.
Rick Mazzariello
Rick Mazzariello has been a resident of Sandy Hook for more than 35 years. The Mazzariello family moved from New Jersey and chose Sandy Hook because of the Sandy Hook Elementary School and the wonderful administration and teaching staff there. All of his children attended Sandy Hook Elementary School. Mazzariello’s wife, Cathy, worked there for 25 years, initially as a teacher and later as the Assistant Principal until she retired in 2007. She volunteered to go back to work in that capacity for the last half of the school year in 2013 to help with the transition to the temporary school location in Monroe. Rick is currently a Manufacturer’s Representative in the chemical industry. He has been employed by several major chemical companies and has served on the Boards of many industry organizations and most recently was President of the Metropolitan New York Coatings Association. He is a former Member of the Board of The Newtown Fund, a local charitable organization that organizes charitable activities and uses donated funds to help Newtown residents in need. He rejoins Newtown Memorial Fund to use his past business and charitable organization experience to help our organization achieve its mission.
Robert Davenport, C.P.A.
Prior Treasurer
Robert M. Davenport is a Certified Public Accountant and a Partner with the firm of Nanavaty, Nanavaty & Davenport, LLP. Over Bob’s career, he has specialized in serving the tax and financial needs of entrepreneurial companies and their owners. Bob holds a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration, Accounting and a Master of Accountancy with an emphasis in Taxation from the University of South Carolina. He is licensed to practice in the state of Connecticut. Bob is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants, Newtown Chamber of Commerce, St. Rose of Lima Church Finance Council, Treasurer of Newtown Nighthawks Football Association, and past Treasurer of Newtown Youth Football & Cheer Association, Newtown Youth Services, Inc., and Newtown Youth Baseball Association.
Bob handled the original incorporation and fast track with the IRS back in the days and weeks that followed the tragedy. He has served as an officer for the 5 years since the tragedy and will be stepping down effective 10/31/17. We thank Bob for his immense service, guidance and support over these many years.
Contact us for more information.