Co-founders
From left to right: Maria Szemplinski, Betty Breuder, Monica Rahilly, Liz Neville
Board of Directors
Liz Neville, President: Liz is a founding member of St. Gianna’s Place. After spending time in a maternity home as a young adult, she dreamed of one day giving back to God by helping other women who find themselves in a similar situation.
Liz has been a member of the St. Gianna’s Place Board of Directors since its beginning in 2016. After hearing God’s call to retire from a 35-year career as a speech pathologist, she is now able to dedicate even more time to the ministry. She volunteers at the house, helping with anything related to building and grounds.
Liz is wife to Bill, mother to 6 adult children, and a devoted grandmother to Robi and Gloria. She is an active communicant at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish where she is a lector, leads the fundraising committee, and helps run parish events.
Mike Redding, Treasurer: Mike lives in Merrimack, NH with his wife Janis and their two daughters. He is an active parishioner of Our Lady of Mercy Parish where he is a member of the Life Matters and the Men of St Joseph ministries. He has been a Knight of Columbus since 2015 and currently serves as the Grand Knight for Council 6752. Mike holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Roger Williams University. He is a professional civil engineer licensed in seven states. He currently serves as the Director of Civil Engineering for a solar energy developer.
Janine Condi, Secretary: Janine lives in Penacook, NH and is a parishioner at St. Peter Church in Auburn, where she lectors. She and her husband have four children, each of whom they homeschooled through high school. Janine holds a BA in English and is an avid reader, gardener, and artist. In 2019, she received instruction in braiding wool rugs and is currently teaching and demonstrating this art form.
Janine began volunteering at St. Gianna’s Place in December 2024. In addition to her work at St. Gianna’s, Janine volunteered for 10 years in a local food pantry with her children. She is heavily involved in 4-H, having served for over 10 years as a project leader, a judge for both county competitions and county fair projects, and as a mentor for club officers. Janine is most inspired by the philosophy of Pope St. John Paul II, and by Mother Theresa’s life of service.
Kevin Cronin: Kevin has lived in Londonderry for many years and is a husband and a father to five children. Over the course of his career, Kevin has gained senior financial and operational management experience in both large public companies as well as private early stage organizations. He has maintained leadership positions in a variety of key finance areas such as accounting, planning, contracts, facilities, public and private financing, SEC reporting, Sarbanes – Oxley compliance, and information technology.
Kevin holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Hartwick College in
Oneonta, New York and an M.B.A from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and is a Certified Public Accountant. He currently serves on St. Mark the Evangelist Parish Finance Council.
Rachel Veilleux: Rachel lives in Salem, NH with her husband Rick where they are members of Saints Mary and Joseph Parish. Together they have three married daughters and four grandchildren. In addition to being a board member, Rachel has been a volunteer at St. Gianna’s Place since June of 2022. She has participated in the direct care of residents, providing support in whatever ways are needed, and has also coordinated the Baby Bottle Drive in her parish. Rachel is a past area coordinator for the Chernobyl Children’s Project, has taught CCD, and was a Girl Scout Leader.
For the past 20 years, Rachel has been a fourth-grade teacher specializing in “Newcomers and English Language Learners” at an inner-city school in Lowell, MA. She holds a master’s degree in education from the College of St. Rose and a bachelor’s degree in rehabilitation from Springfield College.
St. Gianna’s Place Staff
Executive Director, Silvia Croteau: Silvia lives in Windham, NH with her husband & his college-age son, and is an active parishioner at St. Matthew Church. She holds a bachelor’s degree in infant psychology, but worked in the banking industry for many years before taking the helm at St. Gianna’s Place.
Prior to joining our staff, Silvia volunteered on our Finance Committee, and then joined the Board of Directors. As a board member, she became deeply invested in the needs of the house and our residents. Over time, she discerned a calling to leave the banking industry and use her professional experience to help guide St. Gianna’s Place into the next phase of growth. Silvia is honored to work alongside her colleagues and our volunteers to offer women in need and their children a welcoming home, dignity, educational opportunities, and hope for a brighter future.
Director of Resident Services, Donna Meade: Donna is a native of Lawrence, Massachusetts. She moved to New Hampshire over 30 years ago, married, and raised her two boys there. A member of St. Joseph’s Parish in Epping, she has served on several parish ministries.
Donna completed her studies in Social Work in 1989 from Springfield College. She has served the children and families of the Lawrence, Lowell and Haverhill areas for the past forty years. Her work has focused on supporting parents in raising young children as well as providing support to daycare staff. She was a program director of a child abuse prevention program and spent seven years as a director of a satellite mental health clinic for young children in Lowell. She spent the last twenty years in an Early Intervention Program where her knowledge of child development was expanded by the multi-disciplinary teams with whom she worked.