JoAnn Bacon
CO-FOUNDER
Since 2002, JoAnn has been mom to her two children, Guy and Charlotte. She has a B.S. in Mass Communications and is a trained pastry chef.
JoAnn, along with husband Joel, co-founded the Charlotte Helen Bacon Foundation to honor the way their little girl lived so boldly. She and Joel also published the children’s books Good Dogs, Great Listeners and The Dogs of Newtown, written by their son and Charlotte’s older brother. JoAnn is committed to de-stigmatizing grief and bereavement, particularly child loss. Her writing has been featured in many national publications including TIME, Modern Loss, and The Mighty. Since 2013, she has served as a commissioner on the Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial Commission in Newtown, CT.
In her spare time, JoAnn enjoys gardening, cooking, and travel but her biggest joy is her children.
Joel Bacon
CO-FOUNDER
Joel is the father of two children, Guy and Charlotte, and husband to JoAnn.
Joel is a Sr. Project Manager in Development & Engineering for ASML based in Wilton, CT. Education: PhD in Physics from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Bachelor’s of Science in Chemistry from Gordon University. In his spare time, Joel enjoys trail running, hiking, and gardening. Joel’s favorite things to do with both Charlotte and Guy were attending family classes at Tae Kwon Do and working on small engineering projects around the house.
Dan Bacon
BOARD MEMBER
Dan is the grandfather of Charlotte Bacon.
He, along with his wife Lindie, served as missionaries in Asia for 12 years and subsequently worked with their mission agency in organizational leadership and then serving as a consultant with various Christian non-profit organizations. The Bacons moved to Sandy Hook, CT in July 2012 to be closer to their son Joel Bacon. They have three grown children and 7 grandchildren.
Keith Spencer
BOARD MEMBER, EVENT PLANNER
Keith brings his passion of music and event-planning to the organization and is excited to spread the word of “Bold Like Charlotte.”
Keith, his wife, Theresa, and their three children reside in Rye, NY. Keith has been employed by Oppenheimer Funds since 1998 and is currently the Director of Global Equity Trading. Keith received a B.S. degree in Economics from the University of Wisconsin.
Rhonda Fuez
BOARD MEMBER, PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Rhonda C. Feuz currently serves as a Member of the Board for CHBF where she co-directs the foundation’s programs,and oversees our media operations and online fundraising.
A longtime resident of Monroe, Connecticut, Rhonda brings many years of personal service to our organization. She has served on the Monroe Public School PTO Board as Treasurer & Co-President, as well as on the Little League & AYSO Board. She joined CHBF, formerly Newtown Kindness, in the first months of its inception (April, 2013), where she has since served as Co-Director of Events & Community Service.
Rhonda is wife to Peter Feuz, mom to 5 children, mother-in-law to 4, and “Nana” to 4 grand-children. In her spare time, Rhonda squeezes in travel to far off places, is a voracious reader, and an active member of her church, where she is the President of the Young Women’s program. She continues to be active in her son’s high school PTA and community service programs. With her Arizona roots running deep, Rhonda’s “Arizona Wildcat” loyalty is as strong as ever. However, her “transplanted contented self” has considered Connecticut, home sweet home, for the last 18 years.
Laura Shulman Cordeira
BOARD MEMBER
Laura has dedicated her career to supporting people at difficult times in their lives. While serving as the Director of Volunteer Services at a local hospice agency, Laura met Dan & Lindie Bacon, who regaled her with stories of Charlotte and introduced her to the foundation.
Laura received a Master’s Degree in Public Health from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University at Albany. She enjoys reading, watching romantic comedies, and spending time with her family and friends. Laura will hike almost any trail if she’s promised ice cream afterwards!
She is honored to be a Board Member for the Charlotte Helen Bacon Foundation and supports the mission of keeping Charlotte’s memory alive by funding programs, scholarships, and research initiatives that honor Charlotte’s life and the Bacon family’s experiences.