Officer Bios and Contact Information
Gabriella Frey -
President
Gabriella has been a member of EWB since the fall of 2011 when she joined the UConn Student Chapter. Currently she is the Connecticut State Representative and is working on the chapter ICPs in Tanzania. Gabriella works for Unilever as a Product Engineer. In her free time you can find her writing, gardening, and hiking (but usually not all at once).
Mike Bedford - Secretary
Mike has previously served in the chapter leadership from 2018 - 2020 and has been an active contributor on the Hartford Professionals’ ICPs since Jan 2017. He participated in the closeout of the Nepal water supply project. Mike joined Engineers Without Borders without having any prior experience while looking for a way to give back to the world. He is a Product Development Engineer at ASSA ABLOY Access and Egress Hardware Group. In his free time, he enjoys working on home renovations, travelling to faraway places, and taking pictures.
Lauren Coles, PE - Treasurer
Lauren joined EWB-USA Hartford Professional Chapter in the fall of 2019 and served as treasurer (2021), VP (2022), and President (2023).
She is actively involved with the International Community Program (ICP) water supply project in Tanzania. In 2020, she served on the Health and Sanitation subcommittee. In 2021 and 2022, she facilitated the remote implementation of the borehole, pump, and pump house.
Lauren is a civil engineer at Weston & Sampson. She enjoys knitting with her cat Harry, cooking, and ballroom dancing.
Jenna Douthit - Fundraising Chair
fundraising@ewbconnecticut.org
Jenna moved to Connecticut in 2020 and joined EWB’s Connecticut Professional Chapter in 2022, but has prior experience in leadership roles for other volunteer organizations she was a member of while getting her undergraduate degree at the University of North Texas. She works at Unilever as a scientist formulating personal care products.
Currently, most of Jenna’s free time is spent either studying to get her master’s degree from the University of Florida’s online Materials Science and Engineering program or snuggling with her cat.
Connor Perry - Membership Chair
Connor has been a member of the Hartford professional chapter since January 2018. He served as vice president from 2019 to 2021. He was also the in-country PMEL lead for the chapter’s assessment trip in Ndaleta, Tanzania in 2019.
Connor currently works for Pratt and Whitney as a design engineer. In his free time, you can catch him biking around West Hartford or playing with his dog Teddy!
Michelle Goodrich - Social Media Coordinator
Michelle became involved with EWB in 2023 and quickly became inspired by the culture of interconnectedness and profound impact of collective action. As social media coordinator, she aims to share inspiring stories, engage with our incredible community, and spread the word about the amazing work we do.
Michelle currently works in skin care research and development at Unilever. In her spare time, you can find her hiking and foraging wild edibles, trading/collecting vintage goods, or lounging around the house with her beloved cats.
Ed Lynch - International Project Lead
Ed is a Semi-Retired Chemical Engineer with a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Rhode Island, a Master’s Degree from the University of Colorado, and PE licenses in Colorado, Indiana, and Massachusetts. Ed spent most of his career with Pfizer Pharmaceutical production with a specialty in process automation. He is presently the chairperson for the Town of Ledyard Water Pollution Control Authority and the treasurer for the Ledyard Rotary Club.
Vincent Romano - REIC
Vincent is a retired chemical engineer with a Bachelor's Degree in Chemical Engineering from Syracuse University. His Connecticut PE license is currently retired. Vincent has spent most of his career in coal, fossil fuel, and other carbon based fuel combustion research and development. He has a very strong background in environmental applications, particularly air, waste, and water associated with power generation and industrial processes. He has been a member of Engineers Without Borders since 2012. He has contributed to two water projects in Nicaragua and is currently co-lead on a community water project in Tanzania.