ABOUT US

Allison became Westchester Children’s Association (WCA) Executive Director in July 2018. She joined WCA in 1998 as the Program Coordinator for the Children’s Health Initiative. In 2008, she was promoted to Deputy Director, responsible for WCA’s programmatic initiatives, leading WCA’s advocacy partnerships and community mobilization efforts. Allison received her BA from Amherst College and an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business. She brings over 25 years of experience in non-profit and community work both in the US and West Africa, as a Peace Corps Volunteer. After working in banking for three years, she returned to her passion of community development. She has held management positions at the National Civic League and Associated Black Charities. Ms. Lake has worked in youth development with the City Volunteer Corps program in New York City and the YWCA of White Plains & Central Westchester. In 2022, she was appointed as one of the inaugural members of New York State’s Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council by Governor Kathy Hochul. Allison is a homegrown Westchesterite, lives in Greenburgh with her husband and has two young adult children.

Limarie joined Westchester Children’s Association in October 2007, and leads our data initiative Children by the Numbers. She has had extensive management, training, and marketing experience in the private, non-profit, and government sectors. Her work has been covered by media outlets such as the Journal News, the Examiner, and News12. She was a featured speaker at the New York State Council of Children and Families’ 2020 virtual conference “KIDS COUNT: All Data are Local” and the 2022 914Cares Westchester Poverty Symposium. In 2023, she received Nonprofit Westchester’s Individual Changemaker Award for her data leadership. She currently volunteers her time in the Her Honor Mentoring program, which provides learning opportunities and resources for young women in Westchester and beyond. Previously she served as a consultant for New York City’s Department of Small Business Services, Manager of Training & Business Development at Public Health Solutions, and Assistant Manager of Data Census & Applications at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals (now part of Pfizer). Limarie received her BA from Bryn Mawr College, and her MPA from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. Limarie lives in White Plains with her family.

Nora Nicholson joined Westchester Children’s Association as Director of External Affairs in 2024. The External Affairs role is a combination of both communications and development. Nora has extensive experience in the public and private sectors. Nora began her career in corporate retail with Macy’s and the Gap. Nora held positions in Merchandising and Inventory before following her desire to give back to the community through a career in the nonprofit sector. She worked in the San Francisco, Bay Area for Help a Mother Out a diaper bank and as Program Director of the Contra Costa and Solano Food Bank. She holds a master’s in public administration from San Francisco State University. Nora grew up in Westchester County and lives in Croton-on-Hudson with her husband and two daughters. In Croton she is an elected member of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson Board of Trustees.

Angel Gray joined Westchester Children’s Association February 2022 as our Program and Policy Manager. Over the past 9 years, Angel has provided family support, prevention, intervention and educational services for families and children at psychiatric hospitals, high schools, residential treatment centers and community based mental health programs. Most recently, Angel served as a Program Supervisor for Healthy Families Westchester County, a home visiting program that assesses pregnant women and new parents for risks that could lead to child abuse, poor health, and negative developmental outcomes. Angel is also a social work clinician who works at a private practice in Mt. Vernon NY and has a passion for providing trauma-informed therapeutic services for children, youth, and adults. Angel holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Spelman College; Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Mercy College; and a Master’s degree in Social Work from New York University.

Gabby Nanna joined Westchester Children’s Association in June 2023 as our Program and Policy Associate. A lifelong resident of Mt. Vernon, Gabby earned her BA in May 2023 from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY. While participating in Sarah Lawrence’s Justice Fellowship, she co-produced a podcast episode investigating the school to prison pipeline’s relation to school disciplinary measures in Westchester County. This episode featured commentary from WCA’s Executive Director Allison Lake and was re-broadcasted by WCA’s podcast, Ground Truthing. As a WCA intern (September 2022 to May 2023), Gabby assisted with data collection and dissemination and county and state budget advocacy. She was also integral to the February 2023 Rally for Youth Justice, for which she developed another episode of the Ground Truthing podcast. Gabby is excited to be at WCA and hopes to continue her growth in data storytelling and advocacy.

Ryan Arecco joined Westchester Children’s Association in September 2024 as our Development and Operations Associate. Originally from Croton on Hudson, NY, he is currently pursuing his Masters of Public Administration degree from NYU Wagner. Children’s education is a topic close to his heart, as he began his career in public service as a tutor for America Reads, and later the Harlem Children’s Zone. He earned a BA from Sarah Lawrence College in May 2023, where he focused on history and politics, particularly international relations. His academic experience laid the foundation for internships with the ACLU of Minnesota, former Congressman Mondaire Jones, and Komera, an international NGO focused on empowering Rwandan women. Now with WCA, Ryan is excited to continue serving the communities of Westchester County, to strengthen the organization’s capacity for creating change, and to connect the county even closer to the work of WCA.