Meet the Staff

Lee Eastbourne

Executive Director

Lee was born and raised in Bradford, England, approximately four hours north of London. He completed his undergraduate education in the United Kingdom and currently holds a Bachelor of Arts (with Honors) in Sport and Education Studies from Liverpool Hope University.

Lee moved to the United States in late 2004 for what he thought was a short commitment to work and gain valuable experience before returning to England to pursue a career in Education. That plan never came to fruition as Lee met, and is now married to Jennifer, with whom he lives in Gales Ferry, CT. They have a daughter, Emmeline and son, Noah.

During his time in the United States, Lee has held roles in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors, serving as Client Services Manager, Account Executive, and Operations and Marketing Manager, and most recently the Jonnycake Center’s Director of Development before being announced as the Center’s Executive Director starting in July 2017.

401.377.8069 ext. 106

leastbourne@jonnycake.org

Bambi Poppick

Development Director

Bambi joined the Jonnycake Center staff in June 2017. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from State University of New York at Cortland and attended Bowman Gray School of Medicine. Bambi is a Board Member of the Eastern Connecticut Community Gardens Association and is a volunteer for the Connecticut Humane Society.

Bambi has held positions in the non-profit sector for her entire career, serving as Community Outreach Director, Membership and Marketing Manager, and Director of Membership before taking on the position of Director of Development with the Jonnycake Center of Westerly.

Bambi and her boyfriend Jon have lived in Mystic for 12 years. They have five daughters between them, three dogs, and three cats. She enjoys organic gardening, kayaking, horseback riding, and Block Island.

401.377.8069 ext. 105

bpoppick@jonnycake.org

Sarah Teixeira

Pantry Manager

Sarah joined the Jonnycake Center in November 2015. Sarah has recently received her Bachelor of Science degree in Health Studies from the University of Rhode Island where she focused her studies on health promotion across the lifespan.

Prior to joining the Jonnycake team, Sarah was the Assistant Manager of greenhouses at Schartner Farms in Exeter. So, not only can Sarah tell you how to sneak more vegetables into your diet, she can also give you pointers on how to grow them!

401.377.8069

steixeira@jonnycake.org

Denise Acker

Marketing Coordinator

Denise has returned to the Jonnycake after a brief hiatus to assist a patient advocacy start-up in Baltimore, MD. She has 10+ years experience in project development & marketing strategy serving social service, environmental, education, and healthcare fields. She has been volunteering administration services to the Jonnycake over the past year and is excited to be back at the Jonnycake supporting marketing and community events!

When not at work you can find Denise volunteering at 96.7 The Buzz radio to promote local musicians through social media marketing. Denise also loves writing stories & poems, singing, dancing, and jumping in the Misquamicut waves with her little guy.

401.377.8069 x116

dacker@jonnycake.org

Susan Rosen

Program Director

Susan joined the Jonnycake Center staff in October of 2015.  Susan received her Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from Northeastern University and Master of Science  degree in Child Development and Family Relations from the University of Rhode Island. Susan is also a Board Member of The Greater North End Community Development, Inc.

Prior to coming to Jonnycake, Susan held the position of Domestic Abuse Victim Advocate at the Naval Submarine Base New London and still remains involved in activities  in conjunction with SafeFutures of New London  spreading community awareness about domestic violence.

Susan is excited to be a part of the Jonnycake community.

401.377.8069 ext. 110

srosen@jonnycake.org

Heather Vultee
Store Manager

Heather started in 2014 as the Receiving Manager in the Backroom of the Thrift Store. She loved it so much she decided to take on the front of the store as well! Heather’s thrilled when people are happy to find treasures in the store, but she’s even more excited that every penny of profit goes to Jonnycake’s overhead. While at Colby College in ME she was named one of George Bush Senior’s 1000 Points of Light for her work with Colby Friends, an organization that worked with Student Volunteers and Big Brothers/Big Sisters. She finds working with our volunteers very fulfilling and is always happy to welcome new volunteers, young and not as young, to the store. After college, Heather moved around New England as a Store Manager for various retail establishments, and eventually was promoted to a home office to work on special projects. Heather and her husband of almost 20 years live in Ashaway with their four children (two sets of twins), two dogs, two cats, a rabbit and a fish. She is not going to give in to her kids’ requests for a pet pig or a pet cow, but she might be talked into pet chickens.

401.377.8069 ext. 104
hvultee@jonnycake.org

Adrienne Hall
Volunteer Coordinator

Bio coming soon!

401.377.8069 ext. 114
volunteer@jonnycake.org

Grace Cipriano
Volunteer Coordinator

Grace Cipriano started volunteering at the Jonnycake Thrift Store in the Spring of 2014. In January 2015, she was hired to join the staff as a Volunteer Coordinator alongside Steve Symonds. The Volunteer Coordinators recruit new volunteers and oversee the work of all volunteers. They also provide opportunities for Community Service clients to earn their hours as volunteers at the Center. Grace is a retired State of Connecticut employee who had worked in several different agencies. She completed her 26 year tenure with the State of Connecticut as an Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Student Affairs at Eastern Connecticut State University. Grace was a native of Ludlow, Massachusetts but moved to Ledyard Connecticut in 1967. She graduated in 2013 from Eastern Connecticut earning her Bachelors Degree majoring in English and fulfilling a lifetime dream of attending college. Grace is married to Ken Dwelly and chose to move to this area which they both love.  As a couple they support the mission of the Jonnycake Center. They enjoy the beach, hiking, and spending time with their children and grandchildren who all live nearby.

401.377.8069 ext. 107
volunteer@jonnycake.org

Betsy Thoman

Administrative Assistant/Human Resources

Betsy joined the Jonnycake staff in January of 2017 bringing her passion and drive to
the agency. She completed her education at the University of Rhode Island with a
Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Science in Humanities degree.  She enjoyed returning to
school after her time away and found it to be rewarding academically.
Betsy truly enjoys working at the Jonnycake Center finding it to be very gratifying, and
she looks forward to coming to work every day. Her organizational ability has been a
tremendous asset in the newly created Administrative Assistant/Human Resource
position.
Betsy has two children who are the light in her life and has enjoyed the privilege of
watching them grow up into fine adults.  Along with her children, family and friends are a
huge part of her life and loves spending her free time with them.
Never been confused with being shy, Betsy enjoys meeting new people and finds joy in
sharing great conversation.
Outside interests include gardening, travel, spending time with family and friends,
vineyard hopping, photography, and is an avid scrapbook creator.
Her favorite saying is “Don’t look back you’re not going that way.”

401.377.8069 ext. 103

bthoman@jonnycake.org