Meet The
Board
Meet our board of executive members that are the core foundation of the organization. With their esteemed leadership we are carrying the legacy of Helping Hounds with pride and a vision to serve the best.
Joe Fousek – President
Joe Fousek is the Chief Information Officer and Security Officer for McDougall Gauley,
the largest law firm in Saskatchewan, Canada. Joe has been the Board President for
Helping Hounds since joining the Board in late October 2020. Joe relocated to Syracuse
from Minneapolis, MN, where he was the Board President for Mini-Hops Gymnastics,
the largest non-profit in the country supporting Special Olympics gymnastics.
Grayson Walter – Vice President
Grayson represents individuals, corporations, limited liability companies and other for-
profit, not-for profit and cooperative business entities and institutions with respect to a
broad range of legal and business issues.
He has experience working with large and small businesses, across diverse sectors and
industries including technology, finance, education, insurance, construction,
manufacturing, retail, health care, energy, agribusiness, and transportation and logistics.
Grayson provides counsel to companies and their stakeholders regarding contract
negotiation, senior-secured, subordinated and unsecured debt financing, equity
investment and financing, mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and other corporate
formation, ownership, governance and transition matters.
Grayson also has extensive distressed business turnaround and restructuring
experience. He has represented public and privately held companies, institutional
lenders, private equity firms, hedge funds, bond insurers, court-appointed fiduciaries
and governmental entities in a wide variety of in-court and out-of-court restructuring,
reorganization and insolvency matters, including bankruptcy-related litigation and
sales/acquisitions of distressed assets.
Nicholas Lee – Treasurer
My name is Nicholas Lee, I work for Bowers CPAs and Advisors in our Audit
Department, leading our construction niche. I primarily focus on preparing reviewed
financial statements and assisting with tax planning for our clients in the construction
industry. My wife and I adopted Munchkin (Harvey), a corgi with elbow dysplasia about
a year and a half ago and could not be happier. Hobbies are golf and slow-pitch softball.
Suzanne Wheeler – Secretary
Suzanne is a Director and the North American Lead for the Custody Client Operations
Cash Team for BNY where she has served in various leadership roles for over 20 years.
Suzanne has oversight of a team that has daily contact with our institutional clients and
provides hands on support of their custody services related to cash and foreign
exchange. Her focus is on ensuring that all client’s needs are being met in a timely
fashion that that BNY is providing superior service. Suzanne is recognized for her
ability to create operational efficiencies by streamlining processes and implementing
best practices that enhance productivity across her team. She is also committing to
driving key performance metrics, utilizing data-driven insights to monitor service levels
and continuously improve outcomes for both clients and internal stakeholders.
Suzanne worked in the telecommunications industry prior to joining BNY. She
graduated from Syracuse University with her bachelor’s degree and obtained her MBA
from Columbia College.
Dr. Jamie Lovejoy
Helen Kelley
Helen is a passionate advocate and development professional with more than 18+
years of fundraising experience in Education, Social Services and Healthcare sectors.
She is currently the Agency Development Officer at Elmcrest Children’s Center, that
provides services and programs for children with emotional, behavioral and
developmental limitations who need help to overcome barriers and succeed in their
homes, schools and in their communities. Helen is a former member of the Board of
Directors of the Syracuse Pops Chorus and Governance Council of the Women’s Fund
and is a Rotarian. When she is not working or volunteering, she enjoys spending time
with family, singing, cooking and gardening. Helen lives in Syracuse with her husband
and rescue pup, Rooter.
Christianne Radziewicz
Christianne Radziewicz is the CEO and Co-Founder of InteliEQ, a pioneering indoor
environmental intelligence company redefining how buildings support human health,
energy efficiency and sustainability. With over a decade of experience leading strategic
marketing and business development across the design-build and sustainability sectors,
Christianne brings a rare combination of market insight, executional grit and visionary
leadership.
Before founding InteliEQ, Christianne spent more than two decades across the built-
environment ecosystem—driving business growth, shaping design strategies, and
uniting architects, engineers, and technical teams around a simple but bold belief:
human-centric and sustainable design are inseparable pillars of occupant health,
comfort, and high-performing buildings.
Beyond InteliEQ, she co-founded Springhouse Farm, a long-term adaptive reuse and
sustainability project focused on restoring a historic homestead and opening the doors
to an Airbnb and small farm where sheep chickens, rabbits, dogs and the occasional
duck coexist with her love of craftmanship, adaptive reuse and rural community life.
Anthony Johnston
I’m an attorney in the in the Syracuse area specializing in criminal law, as well as wills
and trusts. I’m from Liverpool, New York. I teach martial arts on the weekends and love
my dog, Hank, very much.
Christen Belcher
I’m a strategic operations partner and fractional Chief Operating Officer (COO) who
helps founder-led companies grow without the chaos. After more than 25 years leading
and scaling organizations across SaaS, Tech, legal services, manufacturing, med-spa,
and nonprofits, I’ve learned how to turn “we’re figuring it out as we go” operations into
clear, simple, repeatable systems that actually work. I love breaking down complexity
and rebuilding it in a way that makes sense for both the business and the people doing
the work.
Throughout my career, I’ve helped companies grow from $3M to greater than $80M,
expanded teams from a few dozen people to hundreds, and built cultures where
expectations are unmistakably clear, and accountability feels shared—not punitive. My
goal is always the same: give leaders and teams the clarity, structure, and confidence
they need so the business can grow, and the people inside it can thrive.
James Wright
I live in Onondaga Hill with my wife, our 4 children, and 3 dogs. I am a Commercial
Banker and work with small and medium businesses with their lending and depository
needs. When I am not working, I enjoy watching my kids participate in sports and
music. My family and I are avid Philadelphia Phillies fans, and we enjoy visiting
Philadelphia as often as we can. We also enjoy traveling, whether to visit family or just
someplace new.
Kristy Brightman
Ms. Brightman is an attorney practicing in transactional real estate and corporate
matters. She has two Australian Labradoodles, Syra and Moose, and one cat, Bowser.
Mark Pietrowski
Mark Pietrowski is the Founder of Pinnacle Employee Services and currently serves as
Director of Brand Partnerships at Pinnacle Holding Company. With over 20 years of
experience in the Payroll, Human Resources, and PEO industry, he supports growth
and development across the Pinnacle Family of Companies. Mark is known for his
entrepreneurial spirit, client-focused leadership, and deep industry expertise.
Samantha Palladino
Hello! I am a corporate attorney at Hancock Estabrook, LLP where I spend most of my
time drafting governance documents, forming entities and negotiating sales/purchases
for our diverse book of clients. I love my job and the doors it has opened up for me, one
of which being this position on the Board of Directors here at Helping Hounds Dog
Rescue!
I am originally from Long Island, New York but have been a transplant in the
southern tier/central New York area for the better part of the past decade. When I am
not working, you can typically find me in a kitchen baking something yummy (my
favorite being sourdough bread!) or relaxing with my wife, Kelsie, and our French
bulldog ‘son’, Arlo. I love binge watching shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Stranger Things
and the Rookie (just to name a few!). My wife and I just built a house out in
Baldwinsville, so my next big project is to build out a garden. Any tips would be greatly
appreciated!
Mycale Kimball
I’m a senior accountant at Dairy Farmers of America. I have both accounting and
marketing knowledge to provide working on the board. I have a stepdaughter and two
dogs. One of which was adopted from helping hounds about 9 years ago! I have had
experience with dogs with epilepsy, diabetes and arthritis. I’m truly looking forward to
helping home more dogs!
Bailey Masterson
Bailey Masterson is the Community Giving Coordinator at United Way of Central New
York where she has worked for the past three years. Bailey holds her master’s in social
work from Louisiana State University. Bailey attended Purdue University in Indiana, her
home state, for undergrad where she met her now husband. Bailey moved to New York
five years ago with her husband and two rescue pups, Goose and Ollie Beans. She
rides horses competitively, enjoys reading, hiking, and aerial silks.
Contact Board Members
If you would like to contact the board or any of its members you may do so by using the following form