Board of Directors

Paige Dest - Paige has worked in banking for 23 years, over 20 of which has been at Dime Bank in Norwich, CT.  Currently, she serves as Vice President, Compliance/BSA Officer.  She has served on the Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of SECT.  She has earned diplomas from, and has taught for, the Center for Financial Training, which awarded Paige the “2007 Teacher of the Year” Award in 2008.  Education: BA in Psychology from Christopher Newport University ; Diploma from the Connecticut School of Finance & Management.  Bethsaida:  Paige joined Bethsaida as a board member in 2006, and served as Board President from 2007 through 2009.  Paige currently serves as Chairperson of the Fundraising Committee.  Resident of: Paige has been a Colchester resident since 1997. Interest and Hobbies:  Spending quality time with family and close friends, learning new things, and history.

Elaine Jones – Elaine has worked in the business world for the past eighteen (18) years, most recently as a Staff Accountant.  She has also worked as an Administrative Manager for a Restaurant/Hotel Investment Group as well as The University of Connecticut Library.  She has served as a Girl Scout Leader and Religious Education Teacher and served on the Carnival Committee at Our Lady of Lourdes Annual Carnival and United Action- Housing Committee.  Education:   BS in Financial Accounting from the University of New Haven.  Bethsaida:  Elaine joined Bethsaida in 2009, serves as Secretary, and is a member of the Fundraising Committee.   Resident of:  Elaine has been a resident of Ledyard for 24 years.  She resides there with her husband Oliver.  She has two adult daughters.  Interest and Hobbies:  Yoga, reading, gardening and cooking.

Jennifer Muggeo – Since 2005, Jen has worked at Ledge Light Health District in Groton and is responsible for Finance, Technology and Human Resources for that organization. Before this, Jen worked for a privately held staffing agency in Seattle, WA, overseeing the same departments. Education:  BS in Business Administration from the State University of New York, Albany.  Bethsaida: Jen has been a board member since February, 2007, is a member of the Governance Committee, and currently serves as the Board President. Resident of:  Jen is a resident of Gales Ferry.  Interests and Hobbies:  Social and political action and family time. 

Colleen Phillips-White – Colleen is a therapist at a residential treatment facility working with delinquent and at risk youth.  Education:  B.A. in Human Services from the College of St. Joseph in Vermont, and a MSW from Springfield College.  Bethsaida:  Colleen joined Bethsaida as a board member in 2007, and is a member of the Fundraising Committee.  Resident of: Colleen has been a Norwich resident since 1982.  Interests and Hobbies:  Music, basketball, and traveling.

Norman Gauthier – Norman retired from Electric Boat Corporation in 2009 where he worked as a Systems Engineer with a specialty in system safety.  He has had several articles published in the Journal of System Safety and has been a guest speaker on system safety at MIT and at several international safety conferences.  Norm has served as a member of the Preston Parks and Recreation Committee, the Preston Ethics Commission, and as a Volunteer Tutor for Literacy Volunteers of Southeastern CT. He currently serves as a member of the Preston Board of Finance.  Bethsaida:  Norm joined the Bethsaida Board of Directors in 2010 and serves on the Fundraising Committee.  Education: University of New Haven, BS Computer Science.  Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Graduate Certificate in Software Engineering.  Resident of: Town of Preston. Norm is married with 3 adult children and 6 grandchildren.  Interests and Hobbies include; traveling, biking and hiking.

Paige Smith – Paige is employed by Liberty Mutual since 1997 and was previously employed by Dime Bank for 12 years.  Bethsaida:  She joined the board in 2007, and is a member of the Fundraising Committee.  Resident of:  Paige has lived in Norwich all of her life.  Interests and Hobbies include; traveling, camping, motorcycle and snowmobile riding, crafts and seeing plays.

Cindy Field - Cindy has over 26 years of management experience and has worked for People’s United Bank for 13 years (3 years as the Customer Service Manager in the downtown Norwich branch). In 2008 she received the banks Community Champion award for community service. Cindy’s passion for fundraising began when her grandson needed an organ transplant and she saw great support from the community.  Cindy served on the Board of Directors of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of SECT for 2 years, has volunteered for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life for the past nine years (helping to raise over $500,000 in 4 years), and currently serves on the Norwich Triad/S.A.L.T. council, which works with the senior center and law enforcement to present safety programs and information to the seniors.  She completed the Leadership Program for the Eastern CT Chamber of Commerce in 2008.  She has volunteered to help the Eastern CT Chambers Holiday Gala for years.  In the late 1990’s, with her husband, they formed a 501c3 organization to benefit the Shriners of Rhode Island in memory of a friend who was a Shrine clown. They ran 5 very successful annual golf tournaments and were able to provide three medically challenged children with the help that they needed through the Shriners organization. Bethsaida:  Cindy joined the Bethsaida Board of Directors in 2010 and serves on the Fundraising Committee.  Resident of: Town of Preston. Cindy is married and has 5 step-children, 14 step-grandchildren and 3 dogs.  Interests and Hobbies include; horseback riding, reading, and working on her Koi pond.

Patricia Dixe – Pat is the Program Coordinator for the City of Norwich, Youth & Family Services, she has been employed with the city for 14 years. Pat works with high school juniors and seniors in a school to career employment program. She pulls together internships and job shadows for her students so that they may have an opportunity to experience jobs in areas of their career interest. This allows the students to make better choices about their future when deciding to go on to higher education, training or full time work. She also provides her students with work skills training, assistance with college application process and summer employment.  Pat serves on several committees including the Eastern CT Transportation Collaboration, Eastern CT Employment Network, Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness, employment and income committee. Bethsaida:  Pat joined the Bethsaida Board of Directors in 2009 and serves on the Fundraising Committee.  Education: State University Of New York, College of Technology, Bachelors: Business Management. Resident: Town of Preston for 10 years. Interest & Hobbies: Cooking, Antiquing.

Angela George – Angela retired in 2005 as a marketing manager of a multi-national manufacturing company (work included travel throughout US and abroad).  She has served as a board member for the Colchester Historical Society since 2004, Secretary for the East Haddam Community Lions, Co-Chair for the outreach ministries for Saint Luke Lutheran Church in Gales Ferry, and a member of the Colchester Land Trust.  Education:  BS in Marketing from Fordham Univ., MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.  Bethsaida:  Angela joined Bethsaida as a board member in 2006 and served as the Interim Director in 2007.  She is the Vice President of the Bethsaida Board of Directors and currently chairs the Governance Committee.  Resident of: Angela has been a Colchester resident since 1978. Interest and Hobbies include:  arts, history, and oil painting.