Our Team
-
Liz Duggan, MBA
Founder & Executive Director (Full Time)
After donating hotel amenities to shelters and discovering the high demand for hygiene supplies, Liz Duggan founded Amenity Aid in 2013. Liz led the organization as a volunteer group for eight years until 2021, when she left her corporate marketing job to become Amenity Aid's first employee. By the end of her first year, she grew the nonprofit’s revenue by 260% and increased annual hygiene product distribution by 150%. Today she manages a team of three and oversees a 6,000-square-foot facility. Her leadership on hygiene insecurity has been featured locally on The Rhode Show, Providence Journal, WJAR NBC 10, Cat Country radio, and nationally in Parents magazine and Forbes online.
Previously Liz was the Director of Marketing for the Institute for Operational Excellence and worked as a freelance marketing consultant and graphic designer for local and national organizations. Liz holds a Master of Business Administration from California State University, a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Salve Regina University, and has taken several continuing education courses in graphic design at the Rhode Island School of Design. In 2022 she graduated from Leadership Rhode Island in the Sigma II class.
Gallup CliftonStrengths: Achiever, Restorative, Futuristic, Ideation, Focus.
-
Lucy Foster, MBA
Operations Manager (Full Time)
With a passion for social justice and a keen interest in politics, Lucy is an integral member of the Amenity Aid team. She started as an intern and then quickly joined the staff as a part-time Program and Grant Assistant. After working with Amenity Aid for just one year, Lucy was promoted to Operations Manager, overseeing the inventory management, distribution, and logistics of donations. She also manages the volunteer recruitment and training for our growing organization.
In addition to her Master of Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University, Lucy holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Holocaust and Genocide Studies/Sociology from Keene State College. She has dual citizenship in the U.S. and New Zealand and enjoys traveling in her free time.
Gallup Clifton Strengths: Developer, Harmony, Context, Consistency, Includer.
-
Dana Duggan
Office Coordinator(Part-Time)
After earning her Bachelor's Degree from Stonehill College, Dana worked as a manager at Showcase Cinemas. As our office coordinator, Dana manages our payroll and billing, oversees mail communication, and assists with various administrative duties. Dana loves to travel - her favorite destinations, so far, have been Australia and New Zealand - and when she is not busy taking care of her two little ones and labradoodle, she can be found with an iced tea in hand.
Gallup Clifton Strengths: Empathy, Developer, Consistency, Analytical, Harmony.
-
Mary Abraham Karalis
Development & Communications Manager (Part-Time)
After interning at the Cannes Film Festival, Mary completed her Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Rhode Island. She then embarked on a career in journalism, spending 15 years working in the local TV news industry. As Producer for “The Rhode Show” - a lifestyle and entertainment morning show on WPRI-12, the Providence CBS affiliate - Mary became interested in the nonprofit world. Her time in TV was exciting, but it was time to cut to a new chapter.
Mary is a social butterfly who enjoys exploring new places with her family and meeting new people. She is also a self-proclaimed Disney and theatre geek who lives to see the latest taking in the latest books, films, and musicals.
Gallup Clifton Strengths: Input, Strategic, Empathy, Intellection, Positivity.
Board of Directors
James Rajotte, MS
President
Director of Strategy and Innovation at the Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services
-
Mr. Rajotte serves as the Director of Strategy and Innovation at the Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services. Within his role, James oversees the development of comprehensive, whole-of-government strategies within three priority areas: (1) social determinants of health, (2) addiction and behavioral health, and (3) continuums of care. In partnership with the Secretariat and its member agencies, James brings the lenses of voice, choice, and equity to each strategy and strategic initiative. Current areas of focus include housing, post-pandemic recovery, place-based investments, proactive communications, and performance management. James was recently named 40 Under 40 Nationally in Public Health by the DeBeaumont Foundation and 40 Under 40 in Rhode Island by the Providence Business News.
Gallup Clifton Strengths: Futuristic, Individualization, Developer, Significance, Competition
Kelly West
Secretary
Senior Systems Analyst and Wellness Committee Chair at Beacon Mutual Insurance
-
Kelly first became aware of Amenity Aid through her work with the Amy Gallagher Foundation as Event Coordinator for their annual fundraiser in 2017. In 2021, Kelly joined the Community Outreach Committee for Amenity Aid as a way to be able to help give back to the community. Empowered by the impact made by Amenity Aid through her work on the Community Outreach Committee, Kelly increased her contribution by joining the Board at Amenity Aid in 2022.
Kelly holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems from New England Tech. She works as a Senior Systems Analyst in the IS department as well as serves as a co-chair on the Wellness Committee at Beacon Mutual Insurance in Warwick, RI. Kelly also shares her love of wellness by serving as a fitness instructor at ONE Strong RI in Harmony, RI.
Gallup Clifton Strengths: Discipline, Input, Responsibility, Individualization, Strategic.
Elizabeth Desautel, CFP®
Treasurer
Banker at Vice President at J.P. Morgan Private Bank
-
Liz (Demers) Desautel, CFP® is a Banker in the Boston office of J.P. Morgan Private Bank. In her role, Liz delivers holistic advice and guidance, helping individuals and nonprofit organizations build and preserve wealth for future generations.
Prior to joining J.P. Morgan, Liz was a Senior Portfolio Management at TIAA Private Wealth Management and advised high net worth clients in Boston, Upstate New York and Providence. Prior to this role, she was an Institutional Portfolio Strategist at Bank of America Private Bank in Providence and Chicago. In this capacity, she worked with non-profit Boards and Finance Committees around the country focusing her significant capabilities on investment strategy design. She worked diligently to refine Policy Statements, structure investment portfolios, establish spending policies and be an impactful resource to her non-profit clients.
A native of Rhode Island, Liz received her B.S. degree from the University of Rhode Island. She went on to receive her Masters in Business Administration. Liz is a Certified Financial Professional (CFP®).
Liz is an active member of the Finance Committee for St. Mary’s Academy Bay View and serves on the Women Leadership Council for the University of Rhode Island. She also volunteers as a Mentor for Social Enterprise Greenhouse. She recently helped to launch the newly created JPMorgan New England Volunteer Initiative.
Gallup Clifton Strengths: Empathy, Includer, Arranger, Relator, Harmony.
Liz Duggan, MBA
FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
-
After donating hotel amenities to shelters and discovering the high demand for hygiene supplies, Liz Duggan founded Amenity Aid in 2013. Amenity Aid, the only hygiene hub in Rhode Island, distributes toiletry necessities state-wide through its network of direct service agencies, similar to how the food bank distributes food. Amenity Aid was volunteer- run for eight years until Liz left her marketing career in 2021 to focus solely on growing Amenity Aid as its first employee. Over the next two years, she led the organization to remarkable success, growing revenue by 81 percent, building a staff of four, expanding the board and bringing in new leadership, and moving Amenity Aid into a 6,000-square-foot facility. Now in its 11th year, Amenity Aid is on track to serve 110,000 Rhode Islanders this year by distributing 159,000 full-size hygiene products and 23,000 travel hygiene kits.
Amenity Aid’s program has been nationally and locally recognized, appearing in Parents magazine and Forbes Travel, and has received the 2022 United Way Rhode Island’s 211 Partner of the Year Award as well as the 2023 Rhode Island Foundation’s Honoring Best Practices Award for Innovative Programming and Service Delivery.
Previously, Liz was the Director of Marketing for the Institute for Operational Excellence, a corporate training firm specializing in operational transformation. Liz holds a Master of Business Administration from California State University, a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Salve Regina University, and has taken several continuing education courses in graphic design at the Rhode Island School of Design. She is a graduate of Leadership Rhode Island’s 2022 Sigma II class.
Santino Famiglietti
Director
Human Resources Business Partner
Centreville Bank
-
Santino Famiglietti is the Human Resources Business Partner at Centreville Bank where he manages the employee life cycle of over 250 employees across Rhode Island and Connecticut. He holds a Masters Degree in Human Resources/Labor Relations from the University of Rhode Island where he now serves as an Adjunct Professor instructing Strategic Human Resources courses to graduate students. He is also recognized as a Certified Professional from the Society of Human Resources Management.
Ernest Almonte
Director
Chief Visionary Officer
Almonte Group LLC
-
Ernie is currently the Chief Visionary Officer of the Almonte Group LLC. He is a Government Relations professional and lobbyist for several entities and is also a Certified Public Accountant and Certified in Financial Forensics.
Ernie was the Executive Director of the RI League of Cities and Towns, from May 2022 to October 2024. Ernie led a team of professionals tasked with leadership and financial training, process improvement and advocacy for all thirty-nine cities and towns local governments in Rhode Island.
The Secretary of Defense appointed Ernie to be the RI Chair of the RI Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve in 2021, a position he held in the early 2000s. The Secretary of the Army recently appointed him as the Army Reserve Ambassador for the State of Rhode Island which comes with the protocol rank of a 2-star General.
Ernie is currently the Chair of the RI Convention Center Authority, the Treasurer of the Rhode Island Life Sciences Hub, and a board member of the Narragansett Bay Commission. All of these are appointments by the Governor of the State of Rhode Island. Ernie was also the facilitator of Governor McKee’s initiative to increase per capita income for all Rhode Islanders. He also serves on the board of directors for Blue Cross Blue Shield Rhode Island as the Audit Committee Chair. Ernie also served on the board of trustees for Bryant University and Johnson and Wales University.
He spent 16 years as the R.I. Auditor General where he was responsible for the State of Rhode Island financial, performance and fraud audits. He went on to become the Chair of the Audit Committee for the Department of Defense appointed by both President George Bush and reappointed by President Obama. He worked for Secretaries of Defense Gates, Panetta, and Hagel. Ernie currently serves on the Blue Cross RI board of Directors and the Chair of the RI Convention Center Authority.
Ernie was a National Chair of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, a National Chair of the Association of Government Accountants, and a National Chair of the State Auditors Association.
He is a former Chief of Staff to Lt Governor Sabina Matos, an Associate Director of the RI Department of Health, and National Partner of RSM US LLP, the fifth largest accounting and consulting firm in the world.
The Secretary of the Air Force selected Ernie to attend the National Security Forum at the Air War College in 2007. He is also a graduate of Leadership Rhode Island.
He has served in numerous positions as Chair of audit committees including universities, the Department of Defense Audit Advisory Committee at the Pentagon, and as a member of the Government Auditing Standards Committee for the Comptroller General of the U.S. Ernie was named twice in the top 100 CPAs in the country by Accounting Today.
Ernie received an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Business Administration from Bryant University in 2009.
Ernie has been married for 42 years to his wife Kathy Almonte. They have five sons, Christopher, David, Stephen, Ryan, and Patrick, and five grandchildren.
Roberta Butler
Director
-
Roberta began her career at FM (formerly FM Global) in 1985 and retired in December 2020 as senior vice president, marketing, and enterprise learning. She was a director of the FM Global Foundation from 2006 until her retirement.
Roberta served on the board of Girls on the Run Rhode Island from 2020-2023. She chaired the development committee and served as a member of the governance committee. Roberta has also served as an advisor on governance and marketing to Inspiring Minds and Young Voices. Prior to her appointment to the Amenity Aid board, she was a member of the organization’s governance committee.
From 2014 until her retirement, Roberta served on the board of directors of the United Way of Rhode Island. She was one of the “founding mothers” of the United Way women’s affinity group now known as Women United. She chaired the resource and development committee during her board tenure and served on the governance committee until November 2022. Roberta and her husband were the recipients of United Way’s Tocqueville Award in 2023.
Roberta earned a bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn. She also received a Certificate of Graduate Studies in Administration and Management from the Harvard University Extension School. Roberta participated in the Harvard School of Public Health program “Women on Boards” in 2019.
Jeff Nauges
Director
Assistant Vice President
Delta Dental Rhode Island
-
Jeff is currently the AVP, Provider Relations, and Network Development for Delta Dental RI, Altus Dental, and Chewsi. He is a strategic, dynamic, and passionate mentor, coach, and leader with a broad range of professional and personal experience. He has helped to grow two local start-up companies by leveraging his experience with network development, operations, sales, and marketing. Jeff graduated from Rockville H.S. in Vernon, CT, and went on to graduate with a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, RI.
Jeff and his wife live in their forever home in Snug Harbor, RI where they raised their two sons. His community experience includes work with the CT and RI Public Interest Group, RI Chapter of the American Cancer Society, Narragansett Council of The Boy Scouts of America, RI Chapter of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and local youth programs including coaching and mentoring roles.
Robin Dionne
Director
Co-Owner
Ampersand Creative Co
-
Robin Dionne is a Rhode Island based communications professional and the co-owner of Ampersand Creative Co, a communications agency that produces large-scale events, including RI VegFest, The Good Trade Makers Market, Little City Thrifty, and is a partner in Bloom Flower & Home. She previously served as the Chief Public Affairs Officer at HealthSource RI, as well as the Director of Outreach and Client Relations at the Arcade Providence, Communications Director for The Lady Project and TEDxProvidence, the Communications Director and Legislative Chair for the Rhode Island Chapter: National Organization for Women (NOW), and as a member of the NOW national board. A published poet, she loves writing, reading, vintage motorcycles, pugs, and working on Little City Love Scene, a local literary/comedy event series.
Gallup Clifton Strengths: Achiever, Strategic, Individualization, Learner, Input.
Lammis Vargas
Director
Deputy Secretary of State
Director of Administration to the Office of the Rhode Island Secretary of State
-
As a member of the senior leadership team, she is responsible for leading the Department of State’s administrative functions, including the divisions of Business Service, Elections, Personnel and Finance, Public Information, the State Archives, and the State Library. In her roles, she manages these Divisions in a way that the Department of State engages and empowers all Rhode Islanders by making government more accessible and transparent, encouraging civic pride, enhancing commerce and ensuring that elections are fair, fast, and accurate.
Gallup Clifton Strengths: Includer, Positivity, Futuristic, Responsibility, Arranger.
Norelys Consuegra
Director
Director
Mayor's Center for City Services
-
Norelys R. Consuegra, a native of Rhode Island, is the Director of the Mayor's Center for City Services for Mayor Brett Smiley. Previously, she served as Deputy Director of Elections for the Rhode Island Department of State. She received her bachelor's degree in political science and Spanish from the University of Rhode Island in 1996 and her master's degree in international relations from Salve Regina University in 2012. Prior to her work in elections, she spent 20 years as a Senate aide for U.S. Senator Jack Reed. Norelys is the recipient of the Ralph Gabellieri Service Award from Goodwill Industries of Rhode Island, has been recognized as a Diversity Ambassador by the State of Rhode Island, received the Extraordinary Women Award for Community Work, and has been recognized by RI Latino Public Radio, the National Archives and Records Administration, and Telemundo Providence for her collaborative work in the community. She has received numerous letters of commendation from Rhode Islanders thanking her for her service and support.
In addition to her full-time job, she is an adjunct professor in University College at Roger Williams University. She is a 2022 graduate of Leadership Rhode Island, Sigma II cohort, serves on the Advisory Board of the Center for Civic Design (CCD) and the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL), and is a 2014 graduate of New Leaders Council. She has been deeply involved in community service as a past member of the Rhode Island Latino Civic Fund, where she served as the Program Coordinator for the RI Latina Leadership Institute (LLI), was a former Secretary for the Pawtucket Youth Soccer Association (PYSA), and has volunteered with many Rhode Island organizations. Her most recent community involvement has been raising awareness for congenital heart defects. In 2017, Norelys' son Tristen was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). Each February, she joins members of the RI General Assembly in recognizing and celebrating Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week. She is a passionate advocate for communities of color, the immigrant community, and the LGBTQ+ community, and enjoys teaching others about the importance of civic engagement. She resides in Johnston with her husband, Salvador, and their three sons, Gabriel (22), Ashten (13), and Tristen (5).
Gallup Clifton Strengths: Input, Strategic, Communication, Achiever, Ideation.
Jay Gildea
Director
Accountant
Damiano, Burk & Nuttall, P.C.
-
Jay first connected with Amenity Aid in Fall 2021 as a volunteer, drawn to the organization's mission of providing hygiene products to those experiencing hygiene insecurity. In Fall 2022, he joined the Finance Committee to support the organization’s impact and later increased his involvement by joining the Board of Directors.
He works at Damiano, Burk & Nuttall, P.C., a boutique accounting firm in Lincoln, RI, specializing in nonprofit clients. His experience in public accounting spans various sectors, including human services, real estate, and manufacturing.
Outside of work, Jay is an avid baseball enthusiast and plays for the Providence Grays, a historic baseball club that recreates 19th-century gameplay. He also enjoys cooking, horticulture, travel, tea, thrift shopping, and engaging with his community.
Gary rindner
Director
-
Gary first met Liz Duggan and Amenity Aid through his mentoring work with Social Enterprise Greenhouse, where he serves on the Board and chairs the Development Committee. He supports Amenity Aid's vital mission and is delighted to serve on its board.
Gary started his career as a corporate lawyer in New York City and then served as General Counsel for a multinational trading firm for over 15 years. In 2007, Gary transitioned to the nonprofit sector and directed his efforts to developing infrastructure and improving business efficiency and operational outcomes. He served as COO for one nonprofit providing free job training and placement in New York City and another nonprofit supporting a national partnership of healthcare providers. In these positions, he helped ambitious and demanding CEOs implement their visions!
Gary resides in Westerly, Rhode Island.