Board of Directors
Lisa A. Gatti, Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Prior to starting Pal-O-Mine in 1995, Ms. Gatti used her skills as a Special Education Teacher. In 1996 and 2000, she was Team Leader for the U.S. Equestrian Paralympic Team and from 2008 to 2013 she served as the Board Chair for EAGALA, the global standard for equine assisted psychotherapy and personal development. Ms. Gatti lends her expertise as a Board Member of the Long Island Autism Communities and was recently appointed to the Town of Islip Disability Advisory Committee. She has received numerous awards, most recently the 2020 Woman of Distinction and Distinguished Service Award from the Town of Islip.
Blair Griesmeyer, Chairwoman of the Board and Co-Owner of Larsen Home Improvement
Blair Griesmeyer is co-owner with her husband, James, of Larsen Home Improvement Corporation, a residential remodeling company with offices on Long Island. Ms. Griesmeyer has been an equestrian for over 28 years and enjoys sharing her knowledge of dressage with students at Pal-O-Mine.
Ellen Lear, Secretary of the Board and Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Ms. Lear had a private psychotherapy practice in Manhattan for many years and is a lifelong equestrian. She has been a supporter of Pal-O-Mine for over ten years and volunteers as an Equine Assisted Psychotherapist and Riding Instructor. In her spare time, Ms. Lear rides dressage on her equine partner, Ginja. She joined the Pal-O-Mine Board of Directors in 2014.
Robert J. Bigler, Treasurer of the Board and former CFO of Estee Lauder
Mr. Bigler, a CPA, joined the Pal-O-Mine Board of Directors in 2015 and serves as its Treasurer. He is the retired Chief Financial Officer of Estee Lauder Cosmetics, an eleven-billion-dollar multi-national corporation. He also currently serves on the Board and is Treasurer of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, based in New York City. In Addition, Mr. Bigler serves on the Advisory Boards of Splashes of Hope and the local chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Previously, he spent 6 years on the National Board of the Make-A-Wish Foundation as its Treasurer, and 2 years as Board Chair.
Brian Bugge, VP of Accounting & Finance at Bethpage Federal Credit Union
Brian has 30 years of accounting and finance experience. He started in public accounting and worked for a large international bank prior to joining Bethpage Federal Credit Union in 2005. Bethpage Federal Credit Union is the largest credit union in NYS and is the 15th largest credit union in the country. Brian was a volunteer fireman for 10 years and believes in giving back to the community.
Nancy Engelhardt, LLC, Consultant
Nancy Engelhardt is the Founding Director of the Energeia Partnership which brings together a diverse group of ethical leaders from Long Island’s public, private and not-for-profit sectors to help address the region’s most complex issues, such as education, poverty, healthcare, land use and energy. Ms. Engelhardt has served on the Boards of several important Long Island organizations and has received numerous awards and recognitions for her work.
William Gatti, Retired, former Senior VP of Bookspan
A former Naval officer, Bill Gatti spent thirty years in the book and music industry where he contributed as a senior manager in the areas of human resources, real estate development, facilities management, public relations and legal administration. Upon leaving the business, Mr. Gatti and his wife began a new adventure in farming and now grow vegetables and hay for the community in which they live. He has served on the Pal-O-Mine Board of Directors since 2008.
Steven Isaacs, Partner at Isaacs & Koehler Law Firm
Steven Isaacs is the Managing Partner of Koehler & Isaacs LLP, a law firm with offices in New York and New Jersey. Mr. Isaacs focuses his practice on labor and employment law, and on criminal defense matters. He has been a strong supporter of Pal-O-Mine for over twelve years, serving on the Board of Directors since 2012.
Nancy Mazzola, Founder & President of the Marcie Mazzola Foundation
The Foundation was created in 2003 to honor the life of Nancy’s step-daughter, Marcie, who died in a car accident at the age of 21. Since inception this grass roots organization raised well over 1.5 million dollars to support abused and at-risk children. The Foundation has been a proud supporter of Pal-O-Mine and has dedicated grants to the organization for many years. The Foundation closed in 2019 when Nancy and her husband, Paul, retired. Nancy joined the Pal-O-Mine Board in 2018 and continues to be very dedicated to the organization. She is also currently on the Board of the LiveOnNY Foundation.
Patti Posillico, Adviser for SVN Commercial Real Estate
Ms. Posillico is a volunteer at Pal-O-Mine as well as a Board Member. When she is away from the farm, in addition to being a real estate adviser, Patti is an advocate for animal welfare in America.