Our People

Kate Raymond became President of Sights for Hope’s Board of Directors in November 2022. She has been a member of the board since May 2019. She served as the board’s Vice President from July 2021-November 2022 and as its Secretary from September 2020-June 2021.

Kate is Manager of Internal Communications for PPL Corporation. Kate served previously as a Director of Marketing and Public Relations for St. Luke’s University Health Network.

A graduate of Northampton Area High School, Kate holds a master’s degree in American Studies from Lehigh University and a degree in Marketing and Public Relations from Susquehanna University.

Paul Miller was elected Vice President of Sights for Hope’s Board of Directors in November 2022. He has been a member of the board since June 2022. He also was a member of the organization’s board from 2004-2007, when it was known as the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI).

Miller, who identifies as completely blind due to progressive retinal disease and has dealt with visual impairments for most of his adult life, is Founder and CEO of Active Learning Centers and Lehigh Valley Martial Arts. Miller has practiced martial arts for more than 45 years, is a fifth-degree black belt in karate, and has trained more than 1,000 black belts.

He opened Lehigh Valley Martial Arts in 1997 and founded Active Learning Centers, a child care center that uses martial arts to teach life lessons, in 2002. The businesses operate in five locations and have more than 150 employees.

Dennis Zehner has been Sights for Hope’s Executive Director and CEO since July 2020. He also served as its Director of Advancement from 2018-2020 and Associate Director from 2019-2020.

Through a nonprofit industry career of nearly 25 years, Zehner has forged a track record of building and revitalizing organizations and brands. His prior experience includes positions of increasing responsibility with the Da Vinci Science Center, where he shaped its brand into one that was relatable and focused on fun; the Literacy Center of the Lehigh Valley; and United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley.

Zehner is a native of the Lehigh Valley area and holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Lehigh University. He also holds a graduate certificate in Marketing Strategy from Cornell University and a certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University.

Outside of Sights for Hope, Zehner serves as the digital voting manager for Pennsylvania and a special advisor for the Emmy award-winning What’s So Cool About Manufacturing® student video contests through his private company, EmpowerStar Enterprises.

Jennifer Pandolfo became Sights for Hope’s Associate Director in October 2021 and has been its Director of Services since April 2020. She had served as its Director of Monroe Operations from 2015-2020.

As Associate Director, Pandolfo informs and participates in efforts to develop and execute the organization’s strategic plan. She also provides expertise, perspectives, and support to the implementation of policies, procedures, and activities that benefit its operations and reputation among our stakeholder groups.

As Director of Services, Pandolfo has led a restructuring of Sights for Hope’s services staff and developed hybrid delivery of several of its client services. She also has created the Mom and Me in Motion and Preschool Playtime programs for pre-kindergarten children with visual impairments and their families.

Jennifer has 15 years of experience in the social services sector. She is a former Program Director and Acting Executive Director for the Boys & Girls Club of Morris County, N.J., and a former support specialist with Step By Step, Inc., who worked with children with severe emotional and behavioral disorders.

Jennifer holds a degree in Community Psychology from Montclair State University and studied Social Work on a graduate level from New York University. She also is President of the InterAgency Council of Monroe County and Vice President of the Pocono Autism Society.

Anthony Silvetti, O.D., has been Sights for Hope’s Low Vision Optometrist since the consolidation of ABVI and VIABL in 2010. He had served in the same capacity with VIABL from 1996-2009.

Dr. Silvetti examines clients and patients at the organization’s Lehigh Valley and Monroe services centers to identify methods and assistive tools that enhance their independence and enable them to conduct the activities that are most important to them.

Dr. Silvetti also provides these specialized services for Northeast Sight Services in Exeter, PA, and practices for Houser Newman Associates in Tamaqua, PA. He has more than 30 years of experience and was trained at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry and the Feinbloom Vision Rehabilitation Center in New York, N.Y.

Administration and Advancement
Dennis Zehner, Executive Director and CEO
Jennifer Pandolfo, Associate Director and Director of Services
Elise Yardley, Advancement Manager
Olivia Haggerty, Administrative Assistant

Casework Services
Yvette Quintero, Lead Client Caseworker
Erin Hahn, Lehigh Valley Client Caseworker
Sarah Madden, Lehigh Valley Client Caseworker
Erica Vibert, Lehigh Valley Client Caseworker
Melinda Weston, Monroe Client Caseworker
Enid Cruz, Client Services Assistant

Client Programs
Rita Lang, Client Activities Manager
Dianne Michels, Vision Rehabilitation Therapist
Carol Weisberg, Youth Program Specialist

Low Vision Tech Solutions
Anthony Silvetti, O.D., Low Vision Optometrist
Kim Williams, Lehigh Valley Low Vision Care Coordinator
Cheryl Miller, Monroe Low Vision Care Coordinator

Prevention Services
Angela Hill, Monroe Prevention Specialist
Ariana Ingstad, Lehigh Valley Prevention Specialist
Colleen Rountree, Lehigh Valley Prevention Specialist

Transport Services
Lisa DePietro, Monroe Transport Coordinator
Brian Schell, Lehigh Valley Transport Coordinator
Carlos DeJesus, Monroe Transport Driver
Kareem Harvey, Monroe Transport Driver
Byron Jackson, Monroe Transport Driver
George Petrolock, Lehigh Valley Transport Driver
Ken Powell, Lehigh Valley Transport Driver
Jesus Ramirez, Lehigh Valley Transport Driver
Les Schoenberger, Lehigh Valley Transport Driver
Crystal Silva, Monroe Transport Driver