KIM R. COSTANZO
An award winning, innovative educator and a successful entrepreneur who has used her business experience to develop vocational entrepreneurial programs for developmentally challenged students.
The core piece of these programs is for profit businesses that provide participants with an income and programs with operational and growth funds.
Kim has sixteen years experience as a special education teacher and administrator. She has taught in urban and suburban districts including Elizabeth, NJ, Washington DC and Maryland where she has successfully developed curriculum and school to work programs for every level of developmentally challenged students. Kim also taught in Waterford and East Lyme schools in Connecticut.
Her experience includes twenty years of coaching Championship high school teams in state wide and international competition and directing the New Jersey Tournament of Champions for five years. She was named coach of the year, in back-to-back seasons in basketball and softball.
In addition to her years as an educator, Kim has owned and operated two successful Tampa Bay entertainment complexes that employed more than fifty individuals.
Kim has also served as project manager for one of the largest contractors in NJ where she coordinated on-site construction including an Atlantic City casino site. She also served as the vice president of the family corporation where she managed several apartment complexes, and residential developments.
Kim was the recipient of the Teacher of the Year Award DC Public School 1999 and the Grafton School 2002. She also served on the Board for the State of Maryland MANSEF.
ROSEMARY J. DEMPSEY
She has more than thirty years of Executive level management and project development experience. She is an attorney who served in Washington, DC, as the National Vice-President for the National Organization for Women and later as the Director of the Government Relations for the Center for Reproductive Rights. Rosemary has also established and developed several small businesses including two restaurant/clubs in Florida, a real estate management company and a law partnership in New Jersey where she and her partners challenged and impacted civil rights law. She is an educator who has taught elementary school through college level courses and has guest lectured at tens of universities.
Rosemary has been a community activist for all of her adult life. She was the first President of NJ NOW and a founding member of “Woman Space” the first battered woman’s shelter in New Jersey; Rosemary also chaired a statewide coalition to pass anti-discrimination legislation in New Jersey and was an early and long time National Board member of the LAMBDA Legal Defense and Education Fund.
Rosemary has a B.A. in Sociology from the College of New Rochelle in New York and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Rutgers Law School.
She has recently come back home to Niantic, Connecticut. Currently, she operates a summer business in southeastern Connecticut called Waterworks. Rosemary has recently been admitted to the Connecticut Bar.
MICHAEL G. KNETTEL, SR.
Michael G. Knettel is presently the President of Michael G. Knettel & Co., Inc.; a full service construction and design / build company. Projects include hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and multi-family residential properties. Additionally, the firm has grown into a complete building forensics company diagnosing structural and building component failures through the use of several non-destructive test methods including advanced Infrared Imaging.
Prior to starting the construction and design / build firm; Michael was the COO and Executive Vice President of one of the largest Florida based construction companies specializing in construction of schools, hospitals and numerous municipal projects. With more than 20 years of experience designing and program management of healthcare facilities, Michael was the Director of Planning and Design for a hospital on the east coast of Florida as a member of the hospitals administration department.
Michael received his undergraduate degree in Civil / Structural Engineering and a Masters Degree in Architecture from Sussex College, School of Engineering and Design in London, England. He was selected to complete his studies at Sussex due to his fathers and uncles legacy and his uncles furthered advanced studies and tenure as a Professor of Topographical Engineering.
To further his studies, Michael has become licensed in several states as a General Contractor, Inspector and OSHA Outreach Instructor and FHA/HUD Consultant.  He has also been an instructor for two local continuing education centers teaching construction techniques, OSHA safety and continuing education for architects; as well as working as an Adjunct Professor of Architectural Design for at the community college level. Mr. Knettel has completed numerous courses in management and was the Facilitator of the Total Quality Management (TQM) for several of the architectural firms and construction companies he has worked with in the past. He is presently on several non-profit boards as a director and has worked in the past to promote and manage two Special Olympics committees, as well as serving on the board of directors for the Christmas Toy Workshop for almost 21 years.
Michael remains active in community affairs and is serving on the design committee for the Gulfport Senior Center. He has donated his time and design work product to the Senior Center in order to raise the funds to construct an enlarged facility.
Additionally, Michael G. Knettel and life partner Roberta “Bobbi†Stapleton own and operate Domain Home Accessories and Gallery in Gulfport. This is a for profit business designed to display the works of the areas growing art community and supporting many of the artist by purchasing their works and displaying them. So many of the artists would not have an outlet by which to show their work and are now afforded this opportunity through Domain Home Accessories and Gallery.
TONY J. PAGLIARA
Tony Pagliara of St.Cloud Florida has worked in the Health Care industry the past 25 years focusing on Health Care Administration, and has been successful running several multi-million dollar Support Service Departments in various Health Care Systems through out America to include; Barnes Hospital in St. Louis Missouri, Delta Medical Center in Greenville, Mississippi, Parrish Medical Center in Titusville, Florida, Naples Health Care System in Naples Florida and ORMC/MD Anderson in Orlando Florida.
Tony grew up in St.Louis, Missouri and attended Chaminade College Prep High School then went on to graduate from Quincy University with a B.S. in Accounting. He recently obtained a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification, and is working on his Master’s in Health Care Administration from the University of St. Francis.
Tony grew up in a large family with four brothers and two sisters. His parents ingrained in him at an early age the importance of integrity, treating others with dignity and respect and providing service. This has been his focus of his operational Management style.
Tony and his wife Kimberly have a large family as well with five girls; Heather, Noel, Shannon, Savannah, Erin, one son Kenny, a grandson Theodore and the real baby of the family a Miniature Yorkshire Terrier named Hercules.
“I feel lucky that I have had a career that has allowed many great memories; both with my immediate family, and also my work family and customers.”
SHARON VANDERLINDE
Sharon Vanderlinde has over twenty years experience in business development. Her experience include: National Sales Executive, Senior Sales Executive, Marketing Coordinator, Director of Entertainment Events Coordinator and Event Production.
Sharon has been responsible for meeting quarterly sales goals, has created national marketing strategies to promote events, and managed national ads and media campaigns. Furthermore, Ms. Vanderlinde has extensive experience with inside sales, new business development, cultivation of business partnerships, and sales promotions and communications.
Having a daughter with Down Syndrome, Ms. Vanderlinde has been a passionate advocate for individuals with disabilities her entire life. She has served as Entertainment Chair / Volunteer Coordinator for “March for Our Lives in Florida and Washington D.C..
Sharon served on the Board for Visual Voices Unlimited, Florida. She was as the Treasurer and was the Assistant – Director of the Tournament of Champions, New Jersey.
She was also the Director for Florida “Relay for Life†sponsored by the American Cancer Society, and volunteered for the Special Olympics.
svanderlinde@myprojectfree.org
