The Luca John Foundation Board Members

Ken Baranowski

Board Member

Ken Baranowski started out after college climbing poles working as a telephone installer for NJ Bell Telephone. From there, he learned technical and design aspects of the telecommunications networks and moved into sales of telecommunications solutions for businesses. During his 25 + years in the industry, he worked for several communications companies in sales and management and is now an account director for Lightower Fiber Networks.

Ken has been involved in giving back to the community since his days as a volunteer fireman where he held positions as President and Assistant Fire Chief in Vorhees Township, New Jersey. After moving to Tabernacle, New Jersey, Ken continued his volunteer activities working with his wife, Denise, to fund raise for Saint Jude’s Children’s hospital. Ken also held volunteer positions in the local athletic association and local Cub Scout groups. In addition, Ken and Denise have been active in their local church running the altar server group, while Ken was also a reader at weekend masses. Ken has held elected positions with the local municipal government and the School Board, where he rose to President. He was also appointed to the local land development board.

Ken has been on the Board of Directors with the Luca John Foundation since its inception. He and Denise continue to live in Tabernacle, where they enjoy summers in Ocean City, New Jersey, and spending time with family. They have two sons who have families of their own. Ken is the grandfather of eight fantastic, active grandchildren.

Mike Sullivan

Board Member

Mike Sullivan is an Information Technology leader with more than 20 years of experience with global companies. Mike currently manages a $20 million technology portfolio for Bristol-Myers Squibb and is responsible for technology strategy and implementation for two Research and Development divisions. Prior to Mike’s move to the Life Sciences industry, he ran the consulting services division of a technology consulting startup where his clients included numerous Fortune 500 companies in both the Property & Casualty and Professional Services industries.

Mike’s passion for giving back was most recently highlighted by his multi-year term on the St. Paul School of Princeton school board, where he chaired both the Technology & Administration and the Strategic Planning committees. Mike earned his B.S. from Drexel University and his MBA from Northeastern University, with a dual concentration in High Technology and Innovations Entrepreneurship.

Mike lives in central New Jersey, where he and his wife, along with their son and daughter, can often be seen teeing-off in the late afternoon and golfing until sunset. Mike coaches his son’s baseball team, and the family enjoys attending as many Phillies games as possible. An annual destination is Lake George, where they swim, wake board, kneeboard, waterski, and even jump off a few cliffs – in addition to golfing on a course carved out of the Adirondack mountains.

John Flynn

Board Member

John has held various management and senior leadership roles in his Sales and Marketing career, all of which have been in the Food Industry. He has worked with such food companies as Kraft, Johnsonville Sausage, Cargill, and JBS S.A. Prior to his working career, John earned a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, as well as Executive MBA from the Carlson School of Business at the University of Minnesota.

Community involvement and volunteering has always been part of his life. This has included Big Brothers Big Sisters, Habitat for Humanity, Food Bank, church activities, and most recently a Founding Board Member of The Luca John Foundation.

The Luca John Foundation has allowed John and his family the opportunity to fill a large hole in their lives by raising funds and supporting those that have experienced a very similar loss.

John and his wife, Barb, have been married for almost 30 years, and have three grown children: daugh-ters Nickie and Lindsey, and son Jake. They have also been blessed with three beautiful grandchildren, Brayden, Noah, and Lyla. Having been born and raised in Northern Wisconsin, and then having lived in New Jersey, North Carolina, Georgia, Kansas and now Colorado, John and his family have had the pleas-ure of many great experiences together over the last 30 years.

Meet the Team

Marissa Grosso

Volunteer Manager

Marissa Grosso, MSW, LCSW is the Volunteer Manager at the Luca John Foundation. She assists with the human resource needs for the organization as well as provides administrative support. Marissa received her Masters in Social Work from Rutgers University and worked for many years as a licensed psychotherapist. She currently works on a research project at The Cancer Institute of NJ. Marissa first became interested in grief and loss through her professional experience in hospice care at the age of eighteen, and more personally after the passing of her mother. Marissa knows firsthand that we can never eliminate grief but there are ways to support one another through the process, and she is so proud to be part of an organization that does just that.

Amanda Bunster

National Case Manager Leader

Amanda’s educational background, career path and life experiences are diverse, intertwined and all reinforce each other making her a passionate social worker. She earned her MSW degree from Fordham University and her undergraduate degree in nutrition from NYU. From the beginning, she’s wanted to impact the lives of others through service and advocacy. Through her personal development, training, and work counseling different vulnerable populations, she truly has come to value the importance of the human relationship. Amanda strongly believes in The Luca John Foundation’s mission because she herself experienced the loss of her son Greyson when he was two days old due to complications of prematurity. She personally and professionally knows how cataclysmically different perinatal loss is from other forms of grief. She believes by actively listening, showing empathy, and giving families the support they need during their time of grief that she can help them address their problems, overcome barriers, help them carry their loss, and give them hope that they can learn to live with it and build a new life. As a social worker, Amanda is proud to wear many hats—she is a fighter, a listener, a helper, and a healer. 

Emily Weiner

Volunteer Manager

Emily is one of our case managers working directly with families affected by infant loss.  Emily has degrees from Rutgers University where she completed both undergraduate and graduate studies, obtaining degrees in HRM, psychology and social work. Her background in social work has allowed her to work with a multitude of populations throughout her career, all of which have influenced the desire to assist those in need. She is passionate about working with individuals and communities to combat various social barriers and challenges. 

Herlinda Graviola

Case Manager

Herlinda is a case manager working with our families. She brings with her a BA in Psychology and passion for our cause. Her experiences with friends that have experienced child loss brought her to the foundation.  She brings a keen interest in helping families reduce the suffering they are going through. 

Kristen Fortunato

Caser Manager

Kristen Fortunato is one of our newer case managers.  She was looking for volunteer work and came across the Luca John Foundation. After speaking with Kevin and hearing his story and what the organization was all about, she felt it was a perfect fit.  She is a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner and has been working in the NICU/Labor and delivery/Newborn Nursery setting and with babies and their families for 9 years, out of her 13 year career.  She brings many experiences dealing with infant loss and bereavement care in the NICU setting, but often didn’t work with or support families after their loss.  She is passionate about volunteering because of her background, but more importantly to be able to support, help, assist these families during the most difficult times of their lives, and to take some of the burden off of them.

Elizabeth O’Grady

Family Support Counselor

Elizabeth O’Grady is a medical student and lives on Long Island in NY. Elizabeth was born very prematurely and faced numerous medical problems as a child. Seeing the wonderful effects from those who cared for her and caring for her loved ones as she got older, a desire was placed upon her to help others who were suffering. She began volunteering in pediatrics and for 7+ years gravitated to those battling cancer, meeting unforgettable “little superheroes”. As she continues her journey in medicine and through life, she hopes to continue providing comfort, not just medically but emotionally, being a companion and there to listen. When Elizabeth isn’t studying, she enjoys rollerblading, spending time with her family and board games.