Meet our staff

Sasa Olessi Montaño, Chief Executive Officer

Ms. Montano joined Meals on Wheels of Mercer County in August 2013 and brings with her a wealth of non-profit and management experience. A graduate of Bryn Mawr College and Johns Hopkins University, she is a past President of the Trenton School Board and adjunct professor at Rider University. She has held various leadership positions both at the County and municipal government level, in addition to being a past Executive Director of the YWCA of Trenton, founding Director of the Pace Center at Princeton University, and the founder of Latinas Unidas. She is a past member of the National Board of Meals on Wheels America, and is President of the Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund (LALDEF) Board. She has served on numerous State Commissions and Boards, many with a focus on the City of Trenton and its residents. She currently serves on the Trenton Board of Education (second time), and on the NJ Center for Non Profits Board of Directors. She has served on the Trenton City Planning Board, the TASK Board of Directors, the Board of Directors of the YWCA of Trenton and the Rescue Mission of Trenton Board of Directors. She was selected in 2020 to be part of CHIEF, a national women’s leadership program.

Lara Livne, Chief Program Officer

llivne@mealsonwheelsmercer.org

Lara is a licensed social worker and joined MOWMC in 2020. Lara oversees the programs and services of Meals on Wheels directly related to Volunteer Services, Operations, and Program Services with a special emphasis on customer experience and customer satisfaction. Lara also focuses on evaluating the efficacy of programs and ensuring the highest level of quality control. She received her BA in psychology from Goucher College and Masters of Social Work from the University of Maryland. Lara’s career includes serving at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore and the Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Greater Mercer County in various management positions. Lara’s excitement to be part of the Meals on Wheels’ family stems from her lifelong passion to help people of all backgrounds and ages achieve a higher quality of life. She strives in going the extra mile in connecting individuals with resources to help them live healthy and successful lives.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, including her miniature poodle, Yofi, cooking, baking, hiking in the outdoors and the occasional tennis match.

Ruth Todd, Director of Program Services

programservices@mealsonwheelsmercer.org

Ruth has more than 25 years of mission-driven work. She has an unwavering drive to improve the quality of the lives of those we serve. Ruth joined Meals on Wheels with a keen understanding of the challenges facing a growing aging population. She is inspired by work that bridges the needs and supports for those isolated individuals and preserves the dignity of those who are underserved.

Ruth’s untiring passion ensures each participant receives the most from our program. Through personal assessment, Ruth partners with participants, their families and/or case managers to ensure changing nutrition/dietary, scheduling & supplemental needs are met.

When away from the office, you may find Ruth on a local walking trail, exploring a new recipe or enjoying a story-time Skype session with her beloved granddaughter.

Evett Shulman, Chief Development Officer

eshulman@mealsonwheelsmercer.org

Evett Shulman is a development professional, skilled in the planning and implementation of a comprehensive philanthropic program, bringing new avenues for collaboration between the nonprofit organization and community businesses. She takes a strategic, responsive approach to the organizational development needs, and enjoys seeing the impact of her work. Her professional life has been devoted to community wellness initiatives within the nonprofit arena.

Evett brings enjoyment to the collaboration and community and partner engagement process, and looks forward to assisting MOWMC in reaching new goals.

In her spare time, Evett can be found spending time with family, at the gym or traveling.

Lisa Kasabach, Director of Volunteer Services

lkasabach@mealsonwheelsmercer.org

Lisa Kasabach is a resident of Trenton, NJ. Over the last 25 years, she has been actively engaged in the Trenton community while raising her sons. Her involvement includes creating and supporting various non-profits focusing on education, environment, volunteering and fun for all ages - from annual bicycling events and advocacy to neighborhood tree planting and children's activities. A former MOWMC volunteer, she also served on the Trenton School Board and ran for an At-Large City Council seat. Most mornings you can find Lisa connecting with nature on her daily two bridge loop walk over the Delaware River. Lisa is raising her sons Kasper and Ruedi with her husband Pete.

Beth Englezos, Chief Operations Officer

benglezos@mealsonwheelsmercer.org

Beth Englezos is passionate about hunger relief, nutrition security and helping the community. As our first Chief Operations Officer she will design, implement and update policies to promote the vision of MOWMC and will oversee operations to drive the agency forward. She has been working in the Mercer County community for the last two decades, primarily with food insecurity issues and with older adults.

Prior to joining MOWMC, Beth served as the Manager of Hunger Prevention and Senior Programs at JFCS of Greater Mercer County. Beth has been a MOW volunteer in the past and knows that a warm, friendly smile can be as filling as a healthy meal. She sits on several food security committees as well as on the Board of the Paul Robeson Charter School in Trenton. Beth is a lover of learning and is continually taking professional courses and seminars.

In addition to spending free time with her children when they’re home from college, Beth enjoys taking walks with her dog, Cabo, as well as going to the gym.

Jabeen Obaray, Project Manager

jobaray@mealsonwheelsmercer.org

Jabeen joined MOWMC in 2017 as Executive Assistant. In her current role as Project Manager, Jabeen assists the CEO and other staff, performs various daily and project/event related tasks, assists participants and volunteers who call in to the office, and manages donor related tasks. When asked what led her to Meals on Wheels, she answers, “my childhood memories as I watched my father care for and his relationships with the elderly in his profession. His passion became my passion.”
Jabeen received her BA in Psychology from Bryn Mawr College and a Masters in Special Education from Teachers College. Prior to MOWMC, Jabeen’s work experience included teaching in early intervention and preschool settings in the NY and DC areas.

In her free time, she enjoys outdoor activities, video/board games and comic books, and spending time with her niece and nephew!