Lori Solomon
President
Lori Solomon holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts from Drew University. She brings extensive experience in community development and finance, having served as the Community Reinvestment Act Officer at Signature Bank and as Community Development Team Leader at Republic National Bank of New York. In these roles, Lori was instrumental in designing and implementing banking, lending, and investment programs tailored to support low- and moderate-income communities.
Earlier in her career, Lori was a loan officer at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, where she facilitated the financing of multifamily housing in partnership with nonprofit and for-profit developers, focusing on the rehabilitation of abandoned City-owned properties.
Lori has been deeply involved in the nonprofit sector, serving on the boards of several organizations and holding officer roles, including positions on executive committees. Her advocacy and leadership have centered on supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across all stages of life. She has been a dedicated member of the JSDD Board since 2015.
Lori’s greatest passion is her family: her husband Jerry, their daughter Hannah, a proud WAE Center member, and their twins, Jacob and Lily.
Linda Press
Executive Director
Ms. Press has an MA degree from George Washington University in Early Childhood Special Education and is a certified teacher in the State of NJ. She has been working providing services to individuals with special needs for nearly 40 years, first as a teacher of children with severe and profound disabilities and then as a Coordinator of an Early Intervention Program and Preschool.
Her experiences also include Behaviorist for ARC of Essex, Family Support Coordinator for The Spina Bifida Association of NJ and Special Needs Director of JCC MetroWest prior to assuming the position of Executive Director of JSDD in 2001.
Rebecca Wanatick
Associate Executive Director
Rebecca Wanatick received her Ed.M. in Special Education from Boston University, a BA in both Elementary and Special Education from University of Hartford and is a certified educator in the State of NJ. She has been engaged in the field of special education since she was old enough to volunteer her time, holding roles as an educator, camp inclusion coordinator and disability inclusion director, serving children and adults.
Rebecca served as the Director of Disability Inclusion & Belonging for the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ for almost 17 years, engaging families, synagogues, schools and agencies in the Greater MetroWest community in creating a Jewish community that is accessible to all members. She envisions a community made whole through the active and meaningful participation of all of its members, with opportunities for access to every aspect of Jewish life.
Rebecca served as a facilitator between the families and Greater MetroWest partner agencies, including JSDD, helping to make connections and raise the level of inclusive programming, community wide. She coordinated both family and educator workshops, advocate training, engaged with synagogue inclusion committees, and provided outreach and advocacy resources for individuals with disabilities and their families in the community.
Rebecca is excited to join the JSDD community and continue the work she loves. She believes that community is a reciprocal relationship, and every individual should have opportunities to gain from and contribute to community. The mission of JSDD reflects these same values, maximizing the potential of each individual, creating opportunities for meaningful engagement in all aspects of community. Rebecca looks forward to working with the JSDD professional team and members of the JSDD community as we facilitate meaningful life experiences for all, with limitless possibilities.
Harry Klein
Director, WAE Center
Harry earned his BFA with honors through New York University. He later went on to study with Larry Singer at the Michael Howard Studios. Harry’s passion for servicing others in their personal journeys has often led him to jobs that are person-centered; his first job was working with United Cerebral Palsy at age 15 in a neighborhood residential facility and an onsite day program. For many years, Harry worked as a peer educator for Mt. Sinai Hospital’s Adolescent Health Center. After working as an educator for 4 years, Harry was offered the opportunity to develop and oversee a new outreach program, geared at empowering young people to make healthy decisions around sexuality, personal identity, and self-expression.
Harry was thrilled to be offered the position of Art Studio Manager at the JSDD WAE Center in April of 2012. He worked with staff to encourage them to come from a neutral point of view while working with the members; allowing participants to discover their own opinions and giving them the ability to express those ideas with confidence. The thrust of his programming for the Art Studio was geared toward offering the members every opportunity to uncover their own abilities and develop their self-esteem. When covid struck, Harry worked tirelessly to construct and co-run the WAE Center virtual learning program. This was the only way that the WAE Center was able to remain in contact with the members; providing learning opportunities and more importantly, much needed social interaction. Not long after, Harry was asked to step into the job of Senior Manager of Program and Personnel Development for the WAE Center. Harry was ready to take the managerial skills he had developed during his years to the whole of the WAE Center. Harry worked on team building and bringing the staff together to further advance the programming offered at the WAE Center.
In March of 2022, Harry was offered the position of Director for the JSDD WAE Center; he is thrilled to take on this new challenge. Harry’s primary focus is to continue to provide a safe and fun learning environment for staff and members to uncover and develop their unique greatness. To foster a space of unconditional acceptance and safety for people to feel free to risk and test themselves. To offer a setting where everyone’s voice is cheered and deserves to be heard. With a focus on expansion and growth, Harry is determined to build a community at the WAE Center where everyone can thrive and live as their authentic selves.
Harry feels that it is a rare and special gift to be able to “come to work every day, not knowing what is in store, and have your soul filled in a meaningful and provocative way.”
Letticia Waymer
Director, Residential Services & Operations
Letticia Waymer has been drawn to work with people as a natural expression of her empathic, family oriented and hopeful demeanor. She began her career as a job coach and family liaison at the Urban League of Hudson County in 1999. In 2003, Letticia came to JSDD as the Group Home Manager in Millburn working with six wonderful individuals. In this role, Letticia feels fortunate to have flourished with the mentorship of the Director of Residential Services. This work experience was empowering, and Lettitia was eager to continue to learn and grow within the agency.
In 2007, Letticia was promoted to Residential Coordinator for the agency’s ten homes. This position required oversight of programs in multiple locations, coordinating activities, and engaging with residents, management, residents’ family members, and day programs.
Appointed Director of Residential Services and Operations in 2013 brought with it a new series of responsibilities. Working alongside the Director of Quality Assurance, Letticia took on a leadership role in promoting agency quality standards, developing policies and procedures, managing the overall daily operations of the residences in addition to training and development of new homes. She feels strongly about her work at JSDD and the many successes that have been achieved over the years.
Letticia believes in the power of taking the high road in life and remaining positive. She empowers her staff to do the same, focusing on building skills and working through problems as they occur. She likes to say: “Every day is not going to be your best day but tomorrow holds hope for a better day.”