Board of Directors
Board President
Chris Svendsen
Chris has spent his entire career at CBS Sports, now Directing golf, NCAA basketball, and NFL football as well as producing and directing documentaries and tributes such as the Jim Nantz Hour prior to the final round of the Masters on Sunday. His creativity and versatility make him a coveted member of the top team of Directors at CBS Sports as well as their go-to for new initiatives, sports, and programming.
Chris most recently took on the role of Directing CBS' European NFL games, providing the great opportunity to observe and learn from social connection programs in Europe inspiring the movement to address loneliness in the U.S. and informing SOAR's model and execution.
​Chris has immersed in SOAR since Day #1 and continues to help in any way given the impact he sees the mission and programs having on those across Fairfield County and beyond.
Board Vice President
Jim Rikhoff, Jr.
Jim's Emmy-winning career at CBS Sports spans over three decades and includes production of global sportscasts from the Lillehammer Olympics to the Super Bowl to the Masters.
Jim is the Lead Producer for CBS' top NFL production team as well as a Producer on CBS' golf team, helping anchor one of the most award-winning and inveterate teams of professionals in the sports television industry.
With parents living in a skilled nursing facility, Jim is thrilled to become a SOAR Board Member to help move the mission forward of bringing connection and joy to those such as his parents who are in-need of social connections.
Board Secretary
Molly Gerster, RD
Molly has 15 years in the field of pediatric, adolescent and adult nutrition. She began her career as the infant-young adult RD at Blythedale Children's Hospital in Valhalla, NY.
Molly was then the IOP nutritionist for the Renfrew Center of Southern Connecticut and is currently the nutrition director at Backcountry Wellness in Greenwich, CT with Dr. Joanna Bronfman.
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Molly has her masters degree in clinical nutrition from NYU and spent many years teaching college level biology at Sacred Heart University. She has a passion for combining her strong background in the science of nutrition with real world practical advice and achievable goals.
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Board Member
Samara Clark
Samara Clark is the Program Coordinator of the emme coalition in Bridgeport, CT. As a Black woman, it is of the highest importance to her to inspire other members of the Black community and other marginalized groups through empowerment and mental health awareness. Her goal is to strive for wellness for the populations she serves by creating spaces for vulnerability and togetherness through community connections. Samara holds a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Forensic Psychology and will be completing her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of New Haven in May 2025. She previously holds a certification as a Sexual Assault Counselor with the Rape Crisis Center of Milford.
Samara's hope through joining SOAR's leadership team is to work with young people to build real life, in-person connections to end the epidemic of loneliness and social isolation.
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Board Member
Tina Malhotra
With multicultural roots and education spanning Singapore, India, Europe, and the UK, Tina brings a unique perspective on education, community, and global relationships. Before moving to the U.S., Tina helped run her family’s international business, which included land farming, distilleries, and horse breeding. An MBA graduate of the London School of Economics, Tina speaks Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu, and some Gaelic.
Tina's extensive volunteer journey in Ridgefield, CT began with PTA leadership roles, ultimately guiding her to the Board of Education where she has served since 2020, currently holding the position of Chair. She is also President of Lion’s Heart and an active member of the Youth Commission, Ridgefield Prevention Coalition, and the Community Coalition Against Substance Abuse.
With her family spread worldwide, Tina considers her community her extended family. She is passionate about her family, her two Shih Tzus, and supporting community organizations that care for and connect the most vulnerable to .
Board Member
Joel Third
Joel retired in 2007 after 47 years employed as an international communication system engineer and marketing director for ITT and Harris Corporations. He is past-president of Keeler Tavern Museum, the Ridgefield Rotary Club, and the Ridgefield Men’s Club. He is a current board of Rotary and SOAR Together also a past board member of the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra and KTM and a Trustee of the RMC. Joel is a member of St. Stephens Church and a facilitator at Founders Hall.
Joel has been a community leader for decades, helping nonprofit organizations navigate their way through stages of growth and development. He brings incredible acumen in partnership development, community collaborations, marketing, and creative program design.
Board Member
Jess Tyson
Jess Tyson is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, podcast host, mother, coach, and community builder. She is the Director of Calm of a premiere virtual assistant agency called Don't Panic Management and the founder of a local coworking space called Georgetown Collective.
When she's not helping people reclaim their time to live a life they love, you can find Jess wrangling her two children and serving as a community connector. She is passionate about ending the loneliness epidemic and does this through many volunteering positions - President of Redding Neighbors & Newcomers, co-secretary of Georgetown Village Restoration, Inc., and facilitator of It Takes A Village in Redding. Supporting SOAR and the way it touches so many lives in a positive way fits right into her mission of inclusivity, and she is thrilled to be a Board Member.
Board Member ex officio, Executive Director
Ginger Smith, MSW
As the CEO of SOAR Together, Ginger oversees all aspects of the daily operations as well as spearheads SOAR's fundraising initiatives and partnerships. A social worker and veteran in the non-profit arena, Ginger brings thirty years of experience to the launch of SOAR.
Her boundless energy and tireless work ethic, along with her passion and dedication to helping people feel connected and loved, make Ginger the right person to make SOAR's mission a reality -- one smile at a time.
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Ginger graduated with honors from Dartmouth College as an All-American in two sports and has a Master of Social Work degree from Boston University.
SOAR Advisors
Spiritual Health
Cheryl Bundy, MDiv, BCC
Cheryl Bundy is the Director of Spiritual Care at Silver Hill Hospital where she has worked since 2017. She also served as a chaplain at Norwalk Hospital where she completed 1600 hours of Clinical Pastoral Education. She is a Board Certified Chaplain and she was ordained as an interfaith minister by NYC based All Faiths Seminary International. Cheryl came to chaplaincy and ministry after an early career as a non-profit Development Director. She is a graduate of Yale Divinity School and The Wagner School of Public Service at New York University and Smith College. She is currently a candidate for a Doctor in Ministry in Integrated Mental Health Chaplaincy at Vanderbilt University School of Divinity.
Cheryl is the guiding spiritual advisor for SOAR as the organization continues to grow and blend its mission across the realms of social services, community ministry, and grassroots community collaboration. She is on-hand to ensure SOAR's mission of ending epidemic levels of loneliness and social isolation aligns with a greater purpose of changing lives and increasing a sense of purpose and belonging in those whose lives are touched by our programming.
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Nonprofit Partnerships & Community Collaborations
Sarah Omotunde
Sarah Omotunde is a program associate at Fairfield County’s Community Foundation. In her role, Sarah is responsible for providing both programmatic and administrative support to the Fund for Women and Girls and Economic portfolio. As well as co- leading the Foundation’s inaugural Youth Philanthropy Council which launched earlier this year.
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From 2015 – 2017, Sarah was an Ambassador for FCCF’s Thrive by 25 campaign where she assisted in the planning and creation of our large summit which engaged over 217 youth from Fairfield County. She supported the coordination of workshops that helped youth in applying for universities and job search readiness and she served on the Thrive Advisory Council. Sarah is passionate about community improvement, mental health, education equity, youth wellbeing, especially as it relates to young people of color.
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​Sarah hopes to help bridge more community connectedness through facilitating non-profit collaborations and supporting SOAR’s mission in identifying new and potential community partners to bolster community wellness.
Strategy and Partnership Development
Brian DuPerre, J.D.
Brian has been part of the SOAR Together journey since its initial origins, serving on the Pro Bono Partnership team that helped SOAR with its initial filings, remaining on as an advisor in the area of strategic growth and partnerships. In his current role, Brian provides mentoring and insight to SOAR’s Executive Director as she navigates the early days of a nonprofit start-up. His deep roots in the healthcare world provide critical counsel into building a solid corporate foundation while simultaneously addressing a healthcare epidemic.
For the past twenty years, Brian worked in the nation’s largest healthcare company as an attorney and risk advisor, concluding his career in 2023 as Deputy General Counsel, Chief Privacy Officer, and Head of Cyber Legal Risk.
Throughout his career, Brian has been passionate about serving his own community as a volunteer, political appointee, and attorney providing pro bono legal services to area non-profits. Brian served as President of the Board of his town’s Housing Authority during a $30 million expansion, as a member of the Finance and Facilities Committees at Foodshare, Inc., and as Chair of the Hartford Advisory Committee on the board of advisors for the Pro Bono Partnership.
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Corporate Relations and Finance
Diana Kessler
As the AVP and Assistant Branch Manager of Fairfield County Bank's central Ridgefield office, nearly twenty-year veteran of the Fairfield County Bank team, and most recently the "Volunteer of the Year" award recipient for the entire Bank, Diana brings not only extensive banking experience and acumen but an unbridled passion for helping others across every age, stage, and trial faced. During any given week, Diana juggles her full-time job with motherhood and volunteer hours at several area nonprofits, from attending music concerts to wreath-making to event planning.
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Diana is SOAR Together's primary contact as a client of Fairfield County Bank and on-hand to respond in real-time to all banking related inquiries. Far more than that, she a trusted advisor, active volunteer, and gentle guide helping SOAR navigate its earliest days of building a financial foundation that allows for growth, sustainability, and replicability of programs across Fairfield County, all of Connecticut, and at some point across state lines.
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