Ben’s Lighthouse is committed to fostering children’s potential to build a more compassionate and connected world. To that end, BLH utilizes dedicated, trained staff members to create, implement and run programs and activities (with the assistance of volunteers).
Our Team
Francine Lobis Wheeler
Executive Director
Francine Wheeler is a wife, mother, actor, singer, writer, and teacher. Francine lost her son Ben at Sandy Hook School in December 2012. Francine took her twenty years of experience teaching young children and Ben’s love of lighthouses and conceived The Isle of Skoo, an original music and puppetry Ben’s Lighthouse program featuring characters who come to life in the community around a lighthouse. This music, mentorship, and arts program guides high school age youth in assisting and supporting children ages 5 through 8 while junior-high-age mentors learn from the high schoolers. This puppet show and the interactive world of Skoo also build strong social / emotional connections and foundations of expressivity for the younger participants and provides meaningful opportunities to learn mentor-based interaction skills for the older participants, all while having fun! This is Francine’s legacy to Ben, her own special lighthouse keeper, by giving other children the opportunity to be lighthouse keepers too.
Shannon D’Amico
Administrative Director
Shannon attended Western Connecticut State University, where her concentration of study was political science and conflict resolution. She has over 15 years of experience working in the legal industry, managing foreign and domestic intellectual property and performing corporate due diligence. She has assisted major corporations in obtaining patents and trademarks for their businesses in both the United States Patent and Trademark Office and foreign intellectual property offices. She has led legal teams through the intellectual property process, assisted in mergers and acquisitions, and provided training on foreign practices to team members. Shannon is a life-long resident of Newtown and she lives here with her husband Mark and their two children, Jessica and Nicholas. Shannon is excited to be part of an organization that is dedicated to creating a more compassionate and connected world.
Twyla Hafermann
Program Coordinator
Twyla Hafermann is an acting and musical theatre teacher, audition coach, and director in Newtown, Connecticut. She received her BFA from the University of Evansville, Indiana, and her MFA in Acting from NYU Tisch School of the Arts in New York City. Twyla has worked on the stage professionally as an actress in many regional theatres and festivals, some of which are Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Humana Festival, Cleveland Play House, San Diego Repertory, the Maryland and Utah Shakespeare Festivals, and the New Harmony Project. She also made several television appearances on One Life to Live. She originated the roles of Caitlin in the play Gunshy and Cory in the play Private Eyes. She has taught improv for the organization, Spark, directed plays for Parks and Recreation in Newtown, and directed plays at the Newtown Middle School and the Newtown Intermediate School. Twyla currently works to creatively inspire children 4 years of age to 18 years of age with teaching musical theatre and directing shows for Dance Etc.; teaching and directing plays for the Community Learning Project, a homeschooling community, in Newtown, CT; directing the Newtown Intermediate school play; and helping to facilitate the Isle of Skoo for The Ben’s Lighthouse organization.
Kinga Walsh
Volunteer
Kinga has been a volunteer with Ben’s Lighthouse for almost two years. Kinga, her husband Glenn, and their four kids (Logan, Gordon, Owen and Aniko), have lived in town for 18+ years. Throughout this time, Kinga has been actively volunteering for many town organizations in an effort to give back to a community she and her family value and cherish. Examples of programs she helps range from pre-school fundraisers to school PTA/PTSA events to education budget reviews to youth and high school sports teams to food or clothing drives to town programs such as the Community Center Commission and, most currently, chairing the Community Center Committee. She is also currently on the board for the Newtown Education Foundation. Her background is marketing and advertising/promotions and project management. Kinga is delighted to be a part of Ben’s Lighthouse and looks forward to continuing to support its mission of “..helping young people find their unique ability to make a difference in the world; to be beacons of hope and change; to be the light and lead the way.”
Ben’s Lighthouse is led by a dedicated volunteer Board formed in September 2013. (Prior to that, the Vestry of Trinity Episcopal Church performed Board responsibilities.) The organization was originally founded as a program of Trinity Church under its 501(c)(3) umbrella and in the summer of 2015, Ben’s Lighthouse became its own independent 501(c)(3). The Ben’s Lighthouse Board meets monthly and Board members will lead or participate in various committees to support the needs of the organization. Over time, new directors and advisors will be added as needed.
Keith Alexander
Chair
Keith, a software architect with a Bachelor of Science from Penn State, has written and designed software to distribute stock market data and drive industrial machinery. Keith has seven years of experience on the Board of Education in Newtown, half as Board Chair. During his tenure, the Board of Education implemented full-day kindergarten and added an elementary foreign language immersion program. He is currently serving on the Newtown Legislative Council. Keith and his wife, Elizabeth, have lived in Sandy hook for over 25 years. Their two children have grown up in town and are in various stages of moving out.
Tim Carlson, CPA
Treasurer
Tim is a public company CFO with extensive experience in accounting, financial planning, treasury, risk management, compliance, audit, and investor relations. Earlier in his career, Tim held a series of global finance, strategic planning, and auditing roles at various divisions of Campbell Soup Company and at Ernst & Young. Tim holds a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business, and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant.
Richard Gaines
Board Member
Richard is an IT consultant currently working with Salesian Missions, a Catholic non-profit which provides support for children in 130 countries around the world. Richard has extensive experience with non-profits, including but not limited to The Danbury Music Center, The Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance, and Flagpole Radio Cafe. He is proud to have served for 7 years on the Newtown Board of Education while he and his wife Barbara raised their children within the community.
Tracey Jaeger
Board Member
Tracey is currently a preschool teacher in town, and has been for the past 8 years. Before taking on this role, she was PTA President for multiple Newtown schools for 7+ years. She is passionate about supporting children’s education, as well as their social and emotional wellbeing. Along with her role as Secretary for Ben’s Lighthouse, she is President of the Sandy Hook School Foundation. Tracey and her husband have lived in Sandy Hook for 24 years and has raised their 3 boys here.
Priscilla Jones
Board Member
Priscilla has been a public school educator for 30+ years, working in schools in Nigeria, Michigan, Maryland, Wisconsin, and Connecticut. She has degrees in Education, Psychology, and Elementary Math and Science teaching. She is currently teaching in Westport, Connecticut, and lives in Newtown with her husband and two children. She enjoys gardening and hiking the many trails in town, as well as traveling to the Midwest to be with her extended family.
Michelle Urbina
Board Member
Michelle Urbina is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in the financial services and compliance industries. A native New Yorker, Michelle earned her bachelor’s degree in Economics from Tulane University, laying the foundation for her successful career in the financial sector. Michelle is currently recognized as a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), a testament to her commitment to upholding the highest standards of compliance and ethical conduct within the financial industry. Her dedication to regulatory adherence and ethical practices has contributed significantly to her professional success. Beyond her professional pursuits, Michelle is an active advocate for community engagement and youth empowerment. She believes in the transformative power of education and financial literacy, and she is passionate about creating opportunities for young individuals to thrive.
David Wheeler
Board Member
David, Ben’s father, is a designer and illustrator working in the gift publishing industry. His gratitude to the founders and other members of the Ben’s Lighthouse team is without end.