Literacy Suffolk staff and board
Staff
Susan Shiloni
Executive Director
Susan Shiloni is a native New Yorker, born and raised in New York City. She joined Literacy Suffolk in 2008 as an assessment director. The position evolved to program services director until 2018, when she was appointed executive director.
Susan received her bachelor’s degree in French and Secondary Education from Queens College of the City University of New York. Susan taught English as a foreign language in Israel for five years. Upon her return to Long Island, she became an adult literacy educator, teaching both English language learners and basic literacy learners and has taught in several Long Island adult education programs. She is also a certified New York State adult assessment trainer.
Susan and her husband, Natan, have lived in Medford for 23 years. They have three adult children and three granddaughters. Susan loves to read, travel, and dabble in photography.
Fabian Gallego
Bookkeeper
Fabian Gallego received a B.B.A in Economics and International Business from UNILIBRE University in Colombia. He is a motivated, highly analytical finance administrative professional with a diverse background in credit and collections, deductions and chargebacks, accounts payable and receivable, as well as bookkeeper accounting areas. Fabian brings over 8 years of experience successfully providing administrative support to the operational department and is both certified as a tax professional preparer and a life insurance agent. Fabian is from Cali, Colombia and came to USA in 2002. In his free time, Fabian enjoys being with family, watching superhero movies, playing basketball, volleyball and billiards, and listening and dancing salsa music.
Ro Jabour
Program Services Coordinator
Rosemarie Jabour has been tutoring with Literacy Suffolk since 2014. She has been helping adult learners improve their English reading, writing, and speaking skills. In 2014, she added to her volunteer duties and became a test administrator. She enjoys testing and interviewing students because she likes meeting new people. Rosemarie joined us as a Regional Coordinator in 2023.
Rosemarie lives in Sayville, near three of her four grandchildren and loves to spend time with all four. In her spare time, she loves to read, crochet, and listen to the music of Andrea Bocelli.
Brieanne Ost-Krasnicki
Program Services Coordinator
Brieanne Ost-Krasnicki received her bachelor’s degree in human development and family studies/psychology from the University of Connecticut and her master’s degree in education from Long Island University/C.W. Post. Brieanne taught second grade for 12 years at a yeshiva in New York City. She also taught mathematics to seventh and eighth graders. In the evenings, she works for Eastern Suffolk BOCES as an adult educator for ESL/GED students.
Brieanne joined Literacy Suffolk in August 2021 as a regional coordinator. In her spare time, she loves traveling with her husband and their English Bulldog Ghost. They enjoy spending time at their summer home in the Catskills. Brieanne also likes to spend her time as a coupon extremist, looking for deals around every corner.
Tracy Speelman
Program Services Coordinator
It was Tracy Speelman’s love of reading that led her into the literacy field in 2006. She began as an basic literacy tutor, helping adult learners develop and improve basic reading and writing skills, and began her position with Literacy Suffolk in 2008 as a coordinator, tutor trainer, and tester.
Tracy is passionate about literacy and enjoys working with tutors and students to help improve literacy skills in the community.
Tracy lives in East Patchogue, where she loves to relax and listen to every audiobook ever published!
Board of Directors
Loretta Piscatella
President
Loretta Piscatella is a native Long Islander, retired from Middle Country Public Library as an adult services librarian, and has been a part of Literacy Suffolk for over 20 years. She started as a literacy tutor, then became a regional coordinator during a close partnership between the library and Literacy Suffolk. Loretta joined the Board of Directors in 2016, and became president in 2021.
Loretta received her bachelor’s degree in English from Skidmore College, teaching certification from Hofstra University, and a master’s of library science degree from Long Island University/C.W. Post.
She and her husband, Mike Bailis, live in Oakdale but love to travel just about everywhere and anywhere! They have six children, four granddaughters (plus two pending!), one grandson, three cats, and one very energetic dog. Loretta also volunteers as a “Master Weeder” at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Oakdale.
Jane Ostendorff
Treasurer
Jane Ostendorff is a New Yorker, born and raised. She recently retired from Suffolk County Government, where she started in the Law Department. She then transferred to Francis S. Gabreski Airport, where she was an administrator for 19 years. Prior to working for Suffolk County, she worked for a national environmental testing laboratory that turned methane gas into energy.
Jane lives in Ridge with her husband, Gene. They have three children and four grandchildren, in addition to a new puppy and a flock of chickens! Spending time with family and friends is her favorite pastime.
Jane joined the Literacy Suffolk Board in September 2021, wanting to do something meaningful in her retirement while learning to enjoy the adventures of this next chapter in her life.
Ana Figueroa
Board Member
Ana Maria Figueroa was born and raised in Puerto Rico and immigrated to the United States where she has resided since. Ana is a mother of three adult children two of whom are serving in the armed forces.
She began her journey with Long Island Head Start in 2006, and since then has held many positions within the agency. Ana found her true passion when she was afforded the position of Family Advocate in 2007. This position has allowed Ana to provide support and guidance to the Head Start families in the community, following the mission statement of the agency and the Head Start philosophy. Ana works closely with parents at different levels of commitment and does not see this as her job but as her calling and believes that lending a hand and encouraging parents she meets can make a difference. In 2016, Ana became a Facilitator for the Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors National Parent Curriculum.
Ana’s commitment to providing a strong and steady foundation for the children, families, and communities continues and looks forward to making a difference in the families she meets along the way. This is the reason that she agreed to join the Literacy Suffolk Board of Directors.
Amber Gagliardi
SECRETARY
Amber Gagliardi has been an Adult Reference Librarian at the Middle Country Public Library (MCPL) since 2011 specializing in literacy services and programming. She became a Literary Suffolk board member in March 2019 after working closely with Literacy Suffolk recruiting students and supporting tutors at the library.
Amber received her bachelor’s degree in anthropology and political science from SUNY Plattsburgh and master’s of library science degree from Queen’s College. She has a passion for learning about other cultures, increasing access to services for library patrons, and creating meaningful programs that have a lasting impact. Amber is also chair of Suffolk County Library Association’s Multicultural and Outreach Services Committee (MOSAIC).
She lives with her husband, Brian Gagliardi, and two children, Kyle and Lily, in Center Moriches where she has a huge garden and craft room. She has used her knowledge as a lifelong gardener to establish a seed library at MCPL, co-founded the Long Island Seed Libraries Roundtable, and has presented and coordinated unique eco-friendly gardening programs. You can usually find Amber doing some sort of craft or planning a party or event.
Rouselyn Ramos
Board Member
Rouselyn is a dedicated and community-focused human services professional with over a decade of experience working with diverse and underserved populations across Long Island. Currently serving as a Senior Caseworker at the Suffolk County Office for the Aging, Rouselyn leads a team of caseworkers, managing high-need client cases and stepping into supervisory roles when needed. Her work ensures that older adults are supported with dignity, accessing benefits, services, and care that empower them to live independently.
Fluent in Spanish and deeply engaged in bilingual casework, she has been instrumental in linking individuals and families to critical resources—ranging from health and safety services to benefits and entitlements—while advocating for equitable access for Limited English Proficient (LEP) clients. Since 2014, Rouselyn has also served as a Literacy Assistant at the Middle Country Public Library, where she acts as a vital liaison for immigrant and ESOL patrons. She co-facilitates the award-winning Mujeres Latinas: Connecting through the Library group, which was honored by Suffolk County Executive Steven Bellone for its role in fostering inclusion and cultural understanding during National Welcoming Week.
Alyse Franco
board member
Born in Maryland and now a long-time Long Island resident, Alyse earned her bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary studies from the University of Baltimore and her Master’s in Library and Information Science from the University at Buffalo. Alyse’s career has been rooted in service and community, with experience in public librarianship, archives, and higher education, which included time in both human resources and admissions.
After having her son, Alyse joined her family’s lawn care business, where her husband is a joint-owner, as a full-time team member. She applies her strengths in communication, office and project management, and community outreach daily. Alyse especially enjoys leading social media and marketing efforts and is excited to support Literacy Suffolk in this area.
Alyse lives with her son and husband. She loves to read and explore all of the fun things to do with kids on the Island. Alyse joined the board in October of 2025 looking for a way to become more involved with, and give back to, the community she has called home for over 15 years.
Olga El Sehamy
board member
Olga El Sehamy holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration and is a Certified Project Management Professional who led manufacturing and engineering teams for the aviation industry for 15 years. She is also a trainer of “The 7 habits of highly successful people”. In her desire to help others, she started making meals for the homeless and was recognized in 2010 by the Paul Newman Foundation with their National “Make a Difference Day” Award.
She became a certified Emergency Room Counselor and volunteered for Victims Information Bureau of Suffolk (VIBS) for almost 10 years, working with victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence. In 2015, Olga El Sehamy made the full transition from a corporate career to become the Director of Adelante of Suffolk County, Inc., a non-for-profit organization serving the minority and low-income residents of this County.
In 2018, Olga joined Suffolk County Government and in April of 2020 she was promoted to Director of Human Services to bring together the Youth Bureau, the Office of Minority Affairs, the Office of People with Disabilities, and the Office of Women’s Services to ensure all people of this County are equally served; this was a crucial position during the Covid pandemic since Olga was instrumental in the translation of public information and the distribution of test kits and vaccines to Suffolk County’s minority population. She was then named Assistant Deputy County Executive from March 2022 until December 31st, 2023.
In 2024, Olga and her family founded the non-profit Mosaico NY to bridge the gap between government services, community-based organizations and people in need. Olga has been both a panelist and moderator for LI Latino Teachers Association annual Youth Conferences and a co-chair of Suffolk County’s Multicultural Advisory Committee on Mental Health. Lastly, Olga hosts a weekly radio program in Spanish to keep the Latino community informed.