Team Felix | felixorganization

Our Founders

Sheila Jaffe

Sheila Jaffe was born in Manhattan and grew up in the Bronx. At eleven years of age, she found out she was adopted. Today, she is an Emmy winning casting director for HBO’s, The Sopranos and Entourage and films including The Fighter, Rocky Balboa, and Ted. Although casting is her profession, Sheila’s passion is helping children. As she sees it: “Felix is like my child and watching Felix grow in its reach to help these children has been an indescribable blessing.” Sheila currently sits on the board of the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation and the Advisory Board of the Savannah Film Festival. In 2013, she was honored at The Children’s Rights Gala for her work with children in foster care.

Darryl McDaniels

For more than 25 years, Felix co-founder Darryl “DMC” McDaniels has had an influence on popular culture. The first rap group to grace the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine and the first to appear on MTV, Run DMC changed music. DMC continues to create, inspire and motivate. After discovering as an adult that he was adopted, DMC began his journey down another life path in search of his birth mother. While his struggle was captured in the Emmy-winning VH-1 documentary, “DMC: My Adoption Journey”, the process gave DMC insight and purpose, prompting him to become an advocate for adoption and foster children. He was invited to the White House by President Obama to address youth groups on responsibility and has appeared before Congress and State Legislatures in support of this cause. Along with his work as a musician, author, and speaker, DMC has been the recipient of awards including Hard Rock’s Love All Serve All Award for his philanthropic endeavors. DMC also sits on the board of directors of the JMJ Foundation, Children’s Rights, and Garden of Dreams.

Honorary Chairs

Lorainne Bracco

Actress, Producer, Director

Sal Bellino

Principal at Tri-Star Construction Corp.

Founding Members

Penny Marshall

Actress, Director, Producer

Loree Rodkin

Jewelry Designer

Georgianne Walken

Casting Director

Mark Wahlberg

Producer, Actor

Amanda Simonetta, M.S.Ed.

Executive Director

As a former School Counselor with a Masters Degree in Education, Amanda has worked with hundreds of children in need. As Director of Institutional Giving at The New York Foundling, one of New York City’s largest social services agencies, she managed a grant portfolio of over $3 million, supporting programs to help disadvantaged youth. Perhaps most importantly, Amanda is passionate about camp. She loved her childhood summer camp so much that she eventually got married there. When the opportunity arose to start a camp for foster children, Amanda couldn’t wait to be a part of it. She became Camp Felix’s first on-site Camp Director and Program Administrator. As Executive Director, Amanda is working to expand the profoundly meaningful work of The Felix Organization.

Myra Scheer

Creative Consultant

Myra Scheer's life and career were forever changed after meeting with Sheila Jaffe and Darryl McDaniels in the spring of 2006. Since that day, she has been an integral part of realizing Felix’s mission. Myra started her career as an assistant to the owners of Studio 54, the world-famous disco, where the dance floor was the star. She says she has come full circle with Felix, where the children are the stars. Myra’s enthusiasm and passion have guided Felix since its inception and helped grow Felix's anchor fundraiser DANCE THIS WAY. She explains: "I love bringing that part of my youth to the youth of today as we celebrate dance to enrich the lives of children growing up in the foster care system.” Myra’s not-for-profit experience includes working with the Rainforest Fund and Foundation for nearly twenty years.

Tiffany Araya

Program Coordinator

Tiffany has had the special opportunity to experience the full Camp Felix evolution by starting as a camper at age 12, becoming a CIT at 14, volunteering at age 16 and finally becoming a counselor at 18 years old. Her time at Camp Felix both as a camper and counselor holds a profound place in her heart. Recently graduated from the University at Albany with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Women's Studies, Tiffany is proud and grateful that she can continue to work with her Felix family beyond camp at the Felix Organization. Tiffany hopes to bring Felix's message to the world and accomplish their mission with her genuine love and care for the children and with the insight and knowledge she has gained from being part of this family.

Alex Kelly

Executive Assistant

Alex’s experience spans online and magazine journalism, strategy and policymaking with state legislators, and a steady, applied impulse to share the joy of ideas with others. He was Associate Editor at the news and opinion website Truthdig and Senior Advisor to the Chair of the New York State Senate Banks Committee. Today he is glad to be of use to the children served by The Felix Organization.

Staff

Board of Directors

Constantine Baris

Treasurerer, The Felix Organization

CPA, Baris Financial Management Ltd.

Laurie Parise

Executive Director/ Founder

Youth Represent

Saman Behbahani

Senior Counsel at AMC Networks - AMC Studios, IFC and Sundance

Doug Herman

Titan Advisors, LLC Partner

Larry Ryckman

President and CEO

AfterMaster Audio Labs

Will Tell

Hip-Hop Producer and 1/2 of

True Wine Connoisseurs

Michael Lang

Co-Founder of Woodstock Ventures and Founder of The Michael Lang Organization

Laura Tufariello

President, Founder and Owner

Design and Source Productions, Inc.

Advisory Board

Steve Abrams

CEO of Magnolia Bakery

Sandra Ciccone

TV Producer

Susan Gluck Papajohn

CEO & Founder

Arthenia

Vanessa Spencer

Owner

Rodriguez Spencer Casting

Eve Brandstein

Producer/Director/Writer

Jolyn Farber

Entrepreneurial Investor

Katie Kornfield

Founder / President

Katie Kornfield Consulting

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Judy Taylor

Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications,
Events, Philanthropy, and Retreats at Equinox

Regina Calcaterra

Partner at Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz and Author

Dolly Fox

Producer

Claire Mercuri

Founder/ President

Claire Mercuri Public Relations

Denise Chamian

Emmy-nominated

Casting Director

Talitha Garrett

Organizational Change Management Consultant

John Shaw

Consultant & Coach

Jeff Wallner

Founder/CEO

WMG Entertainment

Junior Board

Members of the Junior Board are dynamic young professionals who use their talent and experience to act as ambassadors for Felix by fundraising, becoming involved in Felix activities and engaging other young professionals (age 40 and under) to make a difference in the lives of youth in foster care.