FCLNY STAFF
FCLNY Executive Director, Kelly Vincent-Brunacini, MS; Ed.-Before taking the position of Executive Director, Kelly served as board President from 2007-2010 and as a board member since 2005. Kelly has worked on such varied issues as raising the minimum wage in New York State, support of Unborn Victims of Violence legislation and anti-death penalty legislation, opposition to New York’s Reproductive Health Act, educating the public about partial birth abortion and education and opposition of embryonic stem cell research and the use of taxpayer funds to compensate women for egg donations for ESCR. She has written and lectured about the abortion industry and pro-life feminism at high schools and colleges in and around the Rochester area. Kelly has had numerous letters printed in New York newspapers and is the editor of The Fourth Wave, FCLNY’s bi-annual newsletter. Kelly is also a board member of The Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum in Adams, Ma and developed preliminary acquisition guidelines for creating some of the museum’s exhibits, cataloged period garment acquisitions and developed background for a future children’s shoe exhibit. In her spare time, she is an antique textile enthusiast and a volunteer for Junior Achievement.
Kelly is a teacher specializing in early childhood education, has been married for 13 years and has two young sons.
FCLNY Coordinator for Special Projects and Development, Hannah Maria Del Murphy was born to Mary Dahl and Ken Maher in Reston, VA, in 1983. She and her six siblings were raised in a Catholic/Quaker household. Her mother is a midwife and professor of nursing and also a member of the Feminists Choosing Life of New York (FCLNY) Board of Directors; her father retired from the healthcare field and is currently an editor and writer. Hannah’s family moved to the inner city of Rochester, NY, in the late 1980s. Brought up by parents who met raising funds for famine relief in Africa and worked alongside César Chávez, Hannah learned at a young age the purpose of helping the disenfranchised. She was an outspoken youth—once wearing a shirt that read “Abortion is War” to school; the shirt made many people uncomfortable and in turn led to an organized public debate between Hannah and a pro-choice peer. Hannah worked as an archivist for FCLNY during her high school years. After graduating, she attended SUNY Brockport where she graduated summa cum laude with a certification in early childhood education. She is currently on leave from Nazareth College’s graduate program in literacy. Hannah resides in Rochester with her husband and one-year-old son. She spends her days playing with her son and working as the Coordinator for Special Projects and Development for FCLNY.
FCLNY BOARD OF DIRECTORS
FCLNY President, Margaret Smerbeck MS; Ed joined the board of Feminists Choosing Life in 2002. Coming from a family of teachers, Meg has followed suit professionally, teaching general music, piano, pre-school and currently special education. Her involvement within ministry has encompassed helping pregnant and early parenting women who are experiencing economic and emotional challenges. Personally witnessing such significant discrepancies in how our society makes saying “yes” to life so much harder for some than others, was a chief reason Meg decided to join FCLNY and advance its pro-woman/pro-life ideals in policy as well as practice. A recipient of the Democrat and Chronicle’s “Golden Pen” award, Meg has had several letters to the editor published on behalf of FCLNY. These letters have not only focused on issues related to abortion, but other justice issues such as the death penalty, embryonic stem cell research, health care reform and the rights of individuals with disabilities. In 2005, Meg received the Vita award from the Catholic Diocese of Rochester; an award given to persons who uphold and live out the values of the consistent life ethic. A married mother of three, Meg enjoys skiing, playing the piano and traveling with her family.
FCLNY Vice President, JoAnn White B.S.; M. Ed joined the board of Feminists Choosing Life after her retirement 5 years ago. She is married and has 3 adult children who have blessed her with 5 grandchildren on whom she loves to dote! Years ago, she was introduced to economic justice issues when she was part of a grass-roots Head Start program. Her continued passion for education and growing social justice concerns played a part in her decision to become a Religious Education Coordinator for 23 years. She currently coordinates a volunteer tutoring program in a Rochester school and helps with social ministry projects at her church. She was happy to find FCL because it is a wonderful organization that recognizes the dignity of the most vulnerable among us, especially our pre-born children who have no voice of their own.
FCLNY Secretary/Treasurer, Kathleen McQueen, LMSW was pleased to join the FCL Board in June 2009. Her many pro-life activities have included serving on the board of Common Ground of Upstate New York, lobbying in Albany, and participating in marches locally and in Washington, D.C.
She is actively involved in refugee resettlement, initially through the social ministry committee at her parish. Assisting women in understanding and adjusting to life in America is an integral part of refugee resettlement, (i.e.: hosting a baby shower for an expectant mother from Somalia).
Kathy is a medical social worker employed at Monroe Community Hospital.
She and her husband, John, are parents of 3 adoptive children from Korea, David, 25 and twins Grace and Anne, 21. The family hosted a Fresh Air child, Larry, from the Bronx for 11 years and continue to maintain a close relationship with him and his family.
Board Member, Toi Clawson, BS, has served on the board of Feminist Choosing Life since 2006. Toi has worked with refugee resettlement in Rochester through the Catholic Family Services with both Vietnamese and African families. She and her husband have been deeply involved in Africa with helping communities become self-sufficient. Through their humanitarian organization, Reach the Children, they have worked with villages to: create enterprises, educate children, care for orphans, teach AIDS prevention, give vocational training, etc. Toi is married and has five children.
Board Member, Carol Crossed- has played a leading role in the American Indian movement, promoting relations between native North American and Latin American indigenous peoples; in the Developing Countries Visiting Journalist Program; the Women’s Peace Encampment; the World Health Conference on Women and Children, and in the founding years of Bread for the World.
Carol was awarded the World Food Day Stamp for the Food for People Network.
In 2000, she received the Susan B Anthony Award in Rochester NY, and the Gaudete Medal from St. Bonaventure University. She was the subject of an article that won second place in the National Catholic Press Association Awards.
She is currently on the Board of Directors of Consistent Life International, Inc., a federation of over 200 organizations that support the consistent life ethic and oppose war, abortion, capital punishment, euthanasia, economic injustice, and racism.
In 1999, she co-founded Democrats for Life of America.
Carol is currently owner and director of the Susan B Anthony Birthplace Museum in Adams, MA. Last year, she received the Woman of Achievement Award from the Berkshires Business Professional Women’s of Northern Berkshires. In December 2009, she received the Janet and Ethan Welch Award from St. Joseph’s Villa, a home for troubled youth.
Carol has 6 children and 17 grandchildren.
Jeanne Gehret joined the board of directors in the spring of 2012. She was one of the first laywomen to graduate from St. Bernard's Seminary, writing her master's thesis on a new ministry for women. Before having children, she and her husband volunteered at a shelter for abused women and a home where pregnant teens could bring their babies to term. A former theology teacher, Jeanne is currently a free-lance educator, writer, and public speaker who founded a publishing company to release the first children's book on learning disabilities. Since writing a biography of Susan B. Anthony in 1994, she has been portraying the famous reformer in costume, encouraging women and girls to use their gifts to make a difference. Her connection with FCL began when she became aware of early feminists' repugnance for restillism, the 19 century term for abortion and their dedication to prenatal education, lying-in hospitals, orphan asylums, etc.
Board Member, Mary Maher, PhD (c), MPH, CNM, Ob/Gyn NP, RN, teaches undergraduate nursing and women’s studies courses in maternity, women’s health, transcultural care, and health care policy. As a certified nurse-midwife, she has worked in her own private practice as well as an employee in a hospital system and in a federally funded community health center, attending births at home and in hospital. She currently is completing doctoral research on the birth outcomes of low-risk mothers and infants with a focus on Latina migrant farm workers. She is an international partner in the world’s first transatlantic dual degree nursing program in which students study in the US and Europe and receive baccalaureate degrees from institutions in US and Hungary.
Mary lives in Rochester’s 19th Ward neighborhood where she and her husband, Ken, moved in 1987 following study and work in Africa, Europe and Latin America to raise their 7 children. They are still very actively involved in their community and as grandparents to 7 grandchildren.
Board Member, Peggy Ruscio, is a nurse who has worked in Psychiatry, Eating Disorders and Developmental Disabilities. She is also the Secretary on the board of directors of Compassionate Care and a hospice volunteer training facilitator and a hospice volunteer. Peggy is a member of Life Issues Subcommittee and Climate Subcommittee of Diocesan Public Policy Committee and involved in Our Lady of Lakes Parish as a parishioner and on their Social Ministries committee. She is a recipient of the 2004 Vita Award from the Rochester Catholic Diocese and a strong advocate for those with Developmental disabilities and migratory workers.
Peggy was born in Rochester, NY, has been married for 43 years, has two children, three grandchildren and is the legal guardian of a man with developmental disabilities.
FCLNY Advisory Board
Advisory Board Member, Jean Parker, MS; Public Health, MA; Theology, Cert.Bioethics, served on the FCLNY board of directors from 2004-2008 and is currently an advisory board member and the media spokesperson. In the 1980’s, Jean was involved in Dental and Public Health Research in MA and NY and in the 1990’s she served on the Institutional Research Review Board at the Eastman Dental Center and at the University of Rochester.
Jean is a passionate environmentalist who founded the Corbett’s Glen Preservation Group in 1994 and continues today as board President. She is also the past president of the Friends of Ahskwa Sanctary.
Advisory Board Member, Suzanne Schnittman; PhD, received her doctorate in History from the University of Rochester. She has taught history, with an emphasis on Women’s Studies at Hobart William Smith and in the State University of New York system.
Dr. Suzanne Schnittman is a co-founder and early president of Feminists Choosing Life, was on the national Advisory Board of Feminists for Life of America in the 1990’s, and is on the Advisory Board for Feminism and Non-violence Studies Association, a scholastic journal. Schnittman has a long history of justice advocacy. She has played a leading role in interfaith dialogue, the Sanctuary Movement, Faith and Resistance, and the Reconciliation Network in Rochester. Dr. Schnittman held the post of Life Issues Coordinator for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester New York, dealing with policy issues surrounding the death penalty, war, and abortion. She has lectured extensively for the New York State Department of the Humanities. Her opinions and essays appear frequently in state newspapers and newsletters. Besides serving on FCL’s Advisory Board, Schnittman is on the State Board of Directors for New York’s Alternatives to the Death Penalty and the Judicial Process Commission in Rochester which advocates for those affected by the criminal justice system.
She currently is writing a book on suffrage leaders and their daughters.
Advisory Board Member, Eileen Verdino is currently an Advisory board member and has served as bookkeeper for FCLNY for many years and also served as board Treasurer. In addition to her work for FCLNY, Eileen also volunteers and fundraises for several Rochester area organizations including Make-A-Wish Foundation, Mercy Residential Services, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Catholic Family Center and St. John the Evangelist Church of Greece.
Eileen is also a board member for Birthright, as well as a board member and bookkeeper for The Adult Stem Cell Initiative.
Eileen is the first recipient of the FCLNY Mary Dwelley Voices for Life Award.
Advisory Board Member, Wendy McVeigh served as FCLNY’s first Executive Director from September 2009-May 2010 and also served as FCLNY Vice President and board member since 2006. Wendy participated in our Legislative Advocacy Days, our Strategic Planning committee and has represented FCL in various speaking engagements including our Seneca Falls event in the fall of 2008. Since filling the post of Executive Director, Wendy initiated FCLNY’s Counter the Culture campaign that includes monthly electronic newsletter updates for our members, pro-life/pro-woman YouTube clips, speaking engagements and brochures. She collaborated with pro-life clubs at Rochester area campuses and worked with pro-life organizations in an effort to integrate abstinence and non-abortive alternatives to pregnancy into the sex education curriculum in Rochester City Schools. Wendy is passionate and committed to promoting non-violent solutions to the challenges faced by women today and to the advancement of human rights for children in the womb.
Wendy works in Veterinary medicine, is married and has four children.