Thomas Guagliardo

Executive Director

Tom has 28 years of experience in the non-profit sector in development and chief executive officer roles. He has worked for organizations such as Goodwill Industries, Western New York Public Broadcasting Association, the American Red Cross Greater Buffalo Chapter, and the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America affiliate based in Buffalo, NY (BBBS of Erie, Niagara and the Southern Tier).  His fundraising experience includes major and individual giving, special events and corporate sponsorships.  He is a seasoned business development professional with strategic planning, volunteer management, partnership creation and operational management experience.

He excited to work with the dedicated team of staff and community volunteers of the Upstate New York chapter of JDRF to impacts the organization’s mission.

Denise Nicastro

Market Director

Denise joined JDRF in 2015 as the Development Director for the Northeastern New York Chapter and moved into the Market Director role for the Upstate New York Chapter in 2020. Denise brings 13 years of nonprofit experience beginning in 2009 at the American Diabetes Association as the Associate Director.  Her focus and dedication are mission driven both professionally and personally, her daughter Grace being diagnosed with T1D eight years ago. Her expertise is in corporate development and management with focus on maximizing revenue through successful collaboration with corporate partners, volunteers, and donors

”I am excited to work with such a great team and accomplish the goals we set together in order to  create a world without  T1D!”

Matthew Steffen

Development Director

Matt is excited to be part of the Upstate NY JDRF team. He brings over 15 years of professional experience in event management, corporate partnerships, and fundraising. Matt joined JDRF in November 2022 after five years as a front-line fundraising with the University of Rochester and Simon Business School.

Matt resides just outside of Rochester New York with his family and enjoys playing indoor beach volleyball, exploring local parks and hiking trails, along with cheering on the Buffalo Bills. Matt’s oldest nephew was diagnosed with T1D five years ago giving him extra motivation in his role as JDRF pushes forward to find a cure for T1D.

Danielle Unser Slater

Development Manager

Danielle Unser Slater was diagnosed with T1D at age 11 and has been involved with JDRF and other diabetes organizations ever since. While attending The College of Saint Rose she was on the Walk to Cure Diabetes Committee and a member of the JDRF Junior Board of Directors. Upon graduation in 2004 with a B.A. in Public Communications she became a Territory Manager for Johnson & Johnson and sold Animas and One Touch insulin pumps throughout Manhattan, the Bronx, and Westchester. During that time, she volunteered with Divabetic and helped host interactive and dynamic diabetes education shows in NYC, Washington DC, and Los Angeles.

In 2012, she relocated back to Albany and shortly after became the Outreach and Development Manager for the JDRF Northeastern New York Chapter where she had pivotal roles in Outreach, One Walk, One Hope Ball, and the Hoffman Golf Classic. After almost 8 years with JDRF her position was eliminated during the restructure brought on by COVID-19. Almost immediately, Hoffman Development hired Danielle for their newly formed position of Community Outreach where Danielle’s primary objective is to support JDRF in a volunteer role. In 2022, Danielle re-joined JDRF as the Development Manager for the Upstate New York Chapter with a primary focus on One Walk.

Danielle shared, “I have never been more excited and hopeful that JDRF is on the precipice of major breakthroughs and am thrilled to be able to contribute to our collective success.”

Marianna Seefeldt

Development Coordinator

Marianna was diagnosed with type one diabetes when she was three years old, and she has been involved with JDRF ever since. Her goal is to help newly diagnosed individuals get the resources they need for an easier transition into life with T1D and to build our chapter’s community.

Brielle Logan

Development Assistant

Brielle first heard of JDRF in 2018 when her nephew was diagnosed with T1D, and in the years following, the family participated in One Walks to support him and raise money to support JDRF’s mission. Brielle joined JDRF in November 2022 and is honored to be a part of the amazing work happening at this organization!

Originally from New Jersey, she spent three and a half years in Ithaca, NY earning her BA in Theatre Studies from Ithaca College. Following her graduation in 2019, she lived in Boston, MA for two years, but she and her fiancée recently moved back to NY State to be closer to their families! She is excited to be living in the Albany area and working towards JDRF’s incredible vision of a world without T1D.

Tom Hoffman, Jr.

Hoffman Car Wash and Hoffman Development Corporation

Board President – Northeastern New York Community Board

Jon Keller

Jahnel Group

Research Volunteer

Kinga Pluta

JDRF Upstate New York Advocacy Team Chair

Stuart Sacks

Strategic Data Systems

Bart Feinberg

Sutton Companies

Syracuse Board President