Laurie has been with Nonotuck since December 2002. She was an Care Manager. Laurie recently was promoted to Case Manager for the AFC program in 2011. Prior to working with Nonotuck, she was a certified Medical Assistant and also did direct care. Outside of work, Laurie enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
Email: bell@nonotuck.com Phone: 413-588-2969
Nichole Bourke
Placement Specialist
With Nonotuck since: 2015
Email: bourke@nonotuck.com
Heidi Bressette
Care Manager
With Nonotuck since: 2012
A Nonotuck shared living provider since 2012, Heidi took on a new role as a Nonotuck staff Care manager in 2019. With a human services career stretching back to 1984, Heidi is passionate about her new day-to-day, hands-on role working with clients. Her shared living experience gives her a unique and broadened perspective as a Care Manager. Heidi spends her off time walking her dog, shopping, decorating her home and spending quality time with family and friends, including traveling to see her daughter in Boston. At work and home, she is inspired by the Van Gogh quote "Great things are done by a series of small things brought together."
Email: bressette@nonotuck.com Phone: 413-588-7147
Nikki Cannici
Care Manager
With Nonotuck since: 2010
Nikki Cannici joined our team at Nonotuck in 2010, having spent years prior as a Special Education Teacher in New York City. Nikki has enjoyed living in and traveling to many places in the U.S., Central America, and Europe over the past several years, but is very happy to call Western Massachusetts her home. When she is not working, Nikki’s passions include spending time with her family, being with nature, and horseback riding. Nikki received her B.A. at Mt. Holyoke College and her M.S. Ed. at Bank Street College of Education.
Wanda Hogan has worked in the human service field since 2010, and has worked as a Care Manager for Nonotuck since 2022. She has always been interested in helping others, which drew her to a career in the field, and to Nonotuck.
Outside of work, she enjoys shopping, traveling, and trying new recipes.
Carrie Husted
Care Manager
With Nonotuck since: 2015
Carrie graduated from UMass Amherst in 2002 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing (BDIC program). She has since been a Day Care and Pre-School teacher, run a tutoring center, and worked with children and families with mental health and behavior difficulties. She started at Nonotuck as a Care Manager in September of 2015. On the weekends she enjoys playing Disc Golf, seeing live music, and hanging out with her teenage daughter. Carrie finds her work in Shared Living to be quite rewarding as she is constantly inspired by the loving nature of her
Kate Jones RN has worked in the human service field since 2012, and has worked at Nonotuck Resource Associates since 2022. She brings her years of nursing experience—as well as an open-minded attitude—to her work at Nonotuck.
Outside of work, Kate enjoys reading, hiking, and knitting. Herfavorite motivational quote is: “Refuse mediocrity at all costs.”
With over a decade of experience in the Human Services field, Abdulwahab began his journey in August 2013, driven by a deep-rooted desire to make a positive impact on others' lives. His passion for helping people was sparked at a young age, inspired by organizations like UNICEF, and has only grown stronger over the years.
The opportunity to join Nonotuck was a dream come true for Abdulwahab, who was drawn to the agency by the prospect of finding a role that suited his qualifications and desire to contribute to a supportive and caring community.
Outside of work, Abdulwahab enjoys walking, basketball, and reading. He has a fondness for calm and classical music, especially flute and piano, and admires artists like Dean Martin and Kenny Rogers. A lover of diverse cuisines, he appreciates seafood, Italian, and a wide range of Arabic dishes. One of his cherished memories is being crowned prom king, an experience filled with many unforgettable stories. Inspired by the quote, "You presume you are a small entity, but within you enfolded the entire universe," Abdulwahab continues to explore his love for history, theology, and religion, always seeking to expand his understanding of the world around him.
Emily O'Boyle, RN
Registered Nurse
With Nonotuck since: 2020
Sometimes called Emmers, Emily started in the human service field in 2010. She says she’s a natural- born caregiver who is inspired by assisting others to care for themselves. She was drawn to Nonotuck’s promotion of independent, loving, respectful relationships between caregivers and persons with disabilities. When she’s not at work, Emily enjoys reading novels, hanging out at the beach, and spending time with friends. Her favorite memory is of staying over at her grandparents’ house with her cousins and picking blueberries before breakfast. "Papa gave the biggest pancake to whoever got back first!” she says. A potato chip fan, Emily likes listening to a wide variety of music, but particularly enjoys 90s grunge. She is inspired by the Maya Angelou quote, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
Giovanna "Gio" Scirocco began working in the field of human services in 2019 and returned in 2021. Giovanna believes that everyone deserved a positive and fulfilling human experience and wants to help to achieve this. She wanted to be part of an organization whose core values are compassionate and caring as well as offering an authentic life experience to individuals.
Her favorite food is Sushi and she appreciates all genres of music. During her leisure time, Giovanna likes to hike and be outside in nature. Her favorite quote is “ when we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves”- Victor Frankly.
Her favorite life memory is the day she moved from Italy, watching the huge airplanes, feeling a great sense of adventure and excitement towards this new experience at 8 years old.
Giovanna believes that laughter needs to be part of everyday life and wants to add a sense of humor to the Nonotuck Community.
Dan Shafer
Clinician
With Nonotuck since: 2009
Daniel J. Shafer, M.Ed., joined Nonotuck Resource Associates in 2009 as a clinician. Dan received a BA in special education from Boston College and a master’s in organizational development and human services from UMass/Amherst. Dan has worked for over 30 years in Western Massachusetts both as a special educator in numerous local school districts and as a behavioral consultant. His practice has been focused on developing holistic and person centered plans that seek to support each individual’s aspirations and desire to live and work in the community. Dan is a practitioner of gentle teaching and is committed to using positive approaches when engaging someone who has challenging behaviors. His commitment is to nourish relationship and works with the power of engagement to stimulate dialogue and expression. Never working in isolation, Dan encourages all participants to contribute to the evolution of healthy interactions. His teaching background allows for creative and educative initiatives that seek to accommodate the unique learning needs of the people we serve. Dan has an intensive needs certification in Massachusetts. In addition he has been on the faculty at Westfield State University teaching various courses in their disability program. Dan has presented at both state level and national conferences and continues to have small private practice as time allows. When not at work, Dan has started a small artisan craft business in stained glass and mosaics. He lives in Belchertown with his wife, Therese.
Dan is a lifelong resident of Franklin County who has enjoyed a strong connection with Nonotuck since June of 1991. This is when Dan sought a meaningful career change and sought involvement with Nonotuck through direct care. In the fall of 1993, Dan became integrally involved with the agency’s transition to Shared Living and has been working on policy development and implementation as part of Nonotuck’s administrative team ever since. He is a care manager, human rights officer, an AFC care manager, an agency trainer (as well as an animal lover, avid pool player, golfer and a dancer of questionable quality!) and has enjoyed membership on myriad committees during his tenure with Nonotuck. Dan never fails to find his commitment to Nonotuck’s ideals and his own personal values endlessly renewed through his close and ongoing contact with caregivers and individuals as they craft their own rich and meaningful lives together.
