Meet Our Comfort Keepers® in Monroe Township, NJ

Stephanie Howe, RN, is the owner of 4 Comfort Keepers franchises in central NJ.  She began providing services to her first client in 2005 in her first office in Hamilton and 2006 in Monroe Township.

Stephanie’s husband Rich joined the business in 2010 as a consultant and together are working hard to deliver their dream of providing quality care to the community.  Together, they bought an office in Easton, MD in 2013.

The business started because Stephanie had a parent with chronic progressive Multiple Sclerosis and was admitted into a nursing home at age 44, because there were no services like this available at the time.  Stephanie was diagnosed with the same disease at age 26 and did not want others to suffer as her family did.

She is committed to assisting not just the elderly, but anyone needing home care services in order to continue living safely at home. 

Stephanie is a Registered Nurse and has been elected by her peers to the National Advisory Council to represent other franchisees across the country at the Comfort Keepers corporate level.

Stephanie remains healthy and she and her husband reside in Robbinsville with their six children and three dogs. 

Sheila Truncellito is the General Manager with oversight of all services in the central office and four territories of the franchise. She began her career with Comfort Keepers as Client Care Coordinator in 2012. 

Sheila hails from Indiana where she grew up in a farming family.  She received a B.A. from DePauw University and went to work on the start-up staff of People Express airlines.  She gained human resources experience there which she put to work in a career as a human resources manager in the insurance field. 

She took a hiatus to raise her daughter and in those years also worked as a professional storyteller/singer, performing in many nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, senior centers and schools in the tri-state area.  She has further served as a community mediator in her local municipal court system.  In her spare time, she loves singing in a cappella groups and costuming shows.

Her daily joy is knowing when Comfort Keepers has found the perfect match between client and caregiver that lets clients and their families feel at ease and in good hands. 

Lisa Stout, BSN, RN is our Director of Nursing.  Lisa has oversight of all care being provided by Comfort Keepers throughout our four territories.  Lisa has a vital role in spearheading our Private Duty Nursing Program and supervises all services.  Lisa obtained a bachelor of science degree in nursing from Holy Family University located in Philadelphia, PA.

Lisa worked as a professional registered nurse for over twenty years in various areas including Maternal Child Health, Community Health & Education, and Nursing Administration at local community hospitals. Lisa is a certified CPR instructor through the American Heart Association.  Lisa has a passion for community health education and is able to fulfill this through educating nurses, caregivers, clients, and family members.  Education is a very important aspect of our Comfort Keepers mission and in the Fall of 2016 Lisa will be establishing a school to certify caregivers as home health aides. 

Lisa had her own business for a number of years as a Birthing Doula in which she fulfilled her passion of helping woman throughout their birthing journey.  In her leisure time, Lisa loves spending time with her family doing a variety of activities and traveling to warm destinations, such as Hawaii.  Lisa has been married to her husband, a local firefighter, for 27 years and they have a son and two daughters.  As a family, their favorite vacation spot is Hilton Head Island, SC.

Lisa Cugasi RN, is our Assistant Director of Nursing. Lisa graduated from Mercer County Community College and her experience has focused on geriatric and pediatric home care. Lisa first worked as a caregiver for Comfort Keepers several years ago before returning as an RN and learning all aspects of the home health care business.  She has previously worked for Bayada Pediatrics, the New Jersey Turnpike, New Jersey Department of Corrections, a recruiting firm and a pharmaceutical marketing company. 

Lisa is approved by the New Jersey Board of Nursing as a clinical skills instructor to educate those wishing to pursue a career as a home health aide through the NJ Caregiver Academy.  Lisa is a Certified Dementia Practitioner.  Approximately 80% of those seeking services through Comfort Keepers have some form of cognitive impairment.

Lisa and her husband, Pete, have been married 19 years and have two children.  She enjoys reading, writing and learning.  Two of her poems have been published in The Kelsey Review, Mercer County Community College's county-wide literary journal.

Kristin Harrison, is the Territory Manager in our Robbinsville office which services Mercer County. She graduated from Monmouth University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication.

Throughout college, Kristin worked in a restaurant as a server where she learned that she truly loves working with people. Her junior year at Monmouth, Kristin became a member of the academic club, PRSSA.  In her senior year, she became the Director of Media Relations for PRSSA. She also published articles on The Verge, Monmouth University’s online newspaper. With Kristin’s work experience in customer service, she has learned that working with people is her ideal job and is excited to be a part of the Comfort Keepers family!

When Kristin is not working, she can be found kayaking, hiking or doing anything outdoors. She loves adventure and when she has free time, she is often tackling a new trail. One of Kristin’s dream is to hike across the Grand Canyon North Rim.

Katie Anders, our Territory Manager in our Monroe office, manages our services in the Middlesex and Monmouth county areas.  She graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and double minored in Human Resource Management and Education as a Social Science. Katie is a Certified Dementia Practitioner.

Throughout college, Katie worked in a restaurant and as a catering assistant.  Prior to Comfort Keepers, she worked as the Wellness Coordinator and Recruiter for Maxim Healthcare services.  Her favorite part of previous jobs was connecting with customers and building relationships.  Her educational background, customer service and healthcare experience just further shows how Katie thrives working in a fast paced environment, and loves working with people.

She lives by the quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson ".to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived- this is to have succeeded!"   In her free time, you can find Katie with her best bud- her golden retriever, Reilly!

Taylor Lubsen joined Comfort Keepers as the Territory Manager of our Toms River office back in 2014. Taylor grew up in Point Pleasant, NJ so she is very knowledgeable of Ocean County and all that there is to offer the residents in her territory.

Taylor attended Lycoming College in Williamsport, PA where she graduated with a major in history and a minor in sociology and literature.

As a history major Taylor was always fascinated learning about people’s pasts and hearing stories from years ago. She believes that understanding someone’s past is key to her success in building the relationships she has with her clients in Toms River.

Taylor is a worldly traveler and even studied abroad in London when she was in college.

Prior to her employment with Comfort Keepers, Taylor worked for over two years with a hospital system, Meridian. Even though Taylor fully enjoyed her experience working with children at Meridian, she often calls herself an “old soul,” which is why she feels so connected to her job here at Comfort Keepers.

Terry Westerhaug is the Territory Manager of our Warren office that services Somerset and Union counties. Terry has been with Comfort keepers since 2007.

Terry grew up in Minnesota, where he studied architecture and business at the University of Minnesota. He spent four years as a professional skiing instructor and still loves to ski whenever he can. Shortly after getting married Terry and his wife moved to New Jersey. They love to entertain friends and show off their culinary skills. Their family includes a college aged daughter and an overactive Wheaton Terrier.

Having spent many years in the corporate world, as a purchasing manager, plant manager and director of operations, Terry decided to take some time off and spent six wonderful years as a stay at home dad. Terry brings vast experience as a manager, trainer, recruiter and business executive.  He is extremely dedicated to our clients and takes pride in the satisfaction of knowing their loved ones are in good hands.

A lifelong resident of Mercer County, Joe was born in East Windsor, raised in Hamilton, and now lives with his wife, Rebecca and son, Christian in Robbinsville.  As a graduate of Steinert High School and The College of New Jersey, Joe is excited for the opportunity to continue his career in the Mercer County area, while expanding to the other communities that Comfort Keepers serves.

In his spare time, Joe enjoys spending time with his son, Christian, and the rest of his family. A die-hard Yankees fan, Joe also enjoys making trips to Yankee Stadium a few times a year.

Prior to beginning at Comfort Keepers, Joe spent 12 years as an employee of the Hamilton Area YMCA, most recently serving as the Associate Branch Director. Now, as the Director of Sales and Marketing at Comfort Keepers, Joe looks forward to continuing to serve the community and strive to provide the best possible care for your loved one.

Our Staffing Coordinator in Robbinsville, Megan Durbin, has been with Comfort Keepers for over two years. Prior to scheduling, Meg worked as a private caregiver. She had many clients whom she loved dearly. Megan will admit she is not a good cook, but her one client loved her spaghetti, even though she had to put two packets of sweet and low in it! Megan loved taking care of her clients, especially singing and dancing with them. She even gave one of her clients the nickname of “hummingbird” because her client would hum all day long.

Megan formerly resided in Maryland for seven years. Prior to Comfort Keepers and private caregiving, Megan helped care for her grandmother and was a manicurist at an upscale salon for 21 years. Megan loved doing nails, but she felt it was time for a change and decided it was time to revisit her passion in helping the elderly.

Carol Tezsla is a Staffing Coordinator in our Robbinsville office.  Prior to working in our office, she devoted the last three years to caring for our clients and was a much requested caregiver.  

She has also been a licensed Cosmetologist for the past twenty-seven years specializing in highlights and coloring.  Some of her clients have been with her more than twenty years, a testament to her talent and kind manner.

A mother of one, Carol likes to spend all of her spare time with her wonderful son, watching movies, riding bikes and swimming.  Another beloved member of her family is their Weimaraner named "Puddles".

Carol loves helping people and making a difference in their lives. 

Ashley Eads is our Staffing Coordinator at our Monroe office in Monroe Township, New Jersey. Ashley was raised in East Windsor, New Jersey and studied nursing at Mercer County Community College.

Prior to working for Comfort Keepers, Ashley worked in the hospitality and customer service industry for eleven years. While working in this industry she was able to adapt to working in a fast paced work environment and learn new skills that benefited her in furthering her career. Here at Comfort Keepers, having the ability to communicate effectively is imperative and Ashley prides herself in being an excellent communicator. Being a caregiver herself for a short period of time, she uses those experiences to relate to and understand the caregivers when scheduling.

Whenever Ashley is not in the office you’ll find her in front of the television cheering for her favorite teams: The New York Giants and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Because she is such a huge fan of Ohio State, she even relocated to Ohio for some time. We are very excited that Ashley has decided to come back to New Jersey and has found a home with us at Comfort Keepers!

Kerry Ruggiero is our Staffing Coordinator in Toms River. In addition to her duties of scheduling caregivers for her clients in Toms River, Kerry uses her natural talent of matchmaking to assure that our caregivers and clients are the perfect fit! 

Originally from Kentucky, Kerry uses her Southern Charm and twang to bring her own personal style to our Comfort Keepers team. 

When Kerry is not tending to her two children, she is vigorously studying to complete her degree in business. Kerry balances her studying with spending time with her family in the outdoors and enjoying each day to the fullest. 

Juliette Millington is the Human Resources Manager for all four of our offices in New Jersey. Juliette graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in Human Resources and Labor Relations.

Prior to working for Comfort Keepers Juliette worked for Six Flags Great Adventure where she was the Human Resources recruiter for the amusement park. She then joined Comfort Keepers in 2015.

Juliette understands that recruiting for four territories is never-ending because of our growth, but the fast paced environment at Comfort Keepers is what Juliet covets the most in her job. Juliette uses her creative edge to bring new ideas for recruitment to Comfort Keepers and is always making sure that our employees are happy and that they know what a difference they are making in the lives of seniors. 

Lauren Wilhide is our Human Resources Assistant that is responsible for compliance in our employee files among other duties. Lauren graduated from Mercer County Community College where she studied Radiography. 

Prior to working for Comfort Keepers Lauren had extensive experience in the retail and customer service industry and she finds that these talents have been very helpful to her developing her career. Her communication, organization, and people skills are a great asset to our Human Resources Department at Comfort Keepers.

Lauren leads a very active lifestyle and exemplifies this in her work to make sure that our caregivers are physically fit for the job! 

Betty O’Donnell is our Quality Care Liaison ensuring that each and every client receives the quality of service that they deserve and have come to expect at Comfort Keepers. She began her career at Comfort Keepers as a companion caregiver and transitioned to working in the offices because of her excellent phone and communication skills.

She has over 25 years of extensive experience in sales and marketing in the technology industry. She graduated with a B.S. from Farleigh Dickinson University in Marketing and has also dabbled in culinary arts as a chef. She enjoys teaching others some of her ticks of the trade in the kitchen. 

As a mother of two, Betty is naturally compassionate and patient, a quality that our clients and caregivers find comforting and reassuring. Betty extends her interest in public education by being an active member of her community. Not only does she organize the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Robbinsville, but she is also an advocate for all types of recreation events in her local community.

Dawn Pidcock joined the Comfort Keepers family in 2012 and serves as our Billing/Payroll Coordinator for all four of our territories in New Jersey as well as our office in Maryland.

Dawn graduated from Cittone Institute in Princeton and started her career off as a court reporter. She also worked for two medical groups previously.

When Dawn isn’t behind her computer working, she enjoys practicing vinyasa yoga, spending time in the outdoors with her family hiking, watching her children ski, and being an advocate for children with disabilities.​

Danielle Davis is a part time bookkeeping assistant. Danielle graduated from Mercer County Community College with an Associate Degree in Applied Science and became licensed as a Medical Laboratory Technologist. Before working at Comfort Keepers, Danielle worked for over 18 years in the Oncology and Hematology field as a Medical Biller and MLT.

When Danielle is not at Comfort Keepers she is helping her husband run their landscaping business. She enjoys spending time running, reading, beach trips, traveling, walking her dogs and spending time with family. Danielle and her husband reside in Hamilton Square with their two children, cat and two Labrador retrievers.

Mary Puhalski is one of our Administrative Assistants at Comfort Keepers and has been with us since June of 2014. Mary attended Mercer County Community college where she studied nursing and completed her degree in applied sciences. 

Mary started her career off working in the medical field for a surgical office where she assisted with the scheduling and office management for a group of surgeons.

After spending many years with the surgical group she was blessed with having children. During this time in her life Mary discovered her hidden talent of painting and even started her own interior painting company with her friend. Unfortunately Mary does not paint too much now but enjoys other activities where she can spend time in the great outdoors, especially at the beach!

Jessicarose Fattibene is our dedicated receptionist. Any time you call, day or night, you can be sure that she will greet you with a smile on her face and in her voice. Jessicarose helps manage the flow of the office by directing calls to their proper destinations as well as assisting in scheduling and administrative duties when needed.

Jessicarose started with Comfort Keepers in the Fall of 2016. She has over a decade of experience in customer service and administrative work under her belt. She is on track to finishing her bachelor’s degree in Communications: Professional Writing and is excited to put her skills to use with Comfort Keepers in helping to make our staff and clients receive optimal communication with one another.

Jessicarose has always had a desire to help others and goes above and beyond at work and in her personal time to assure that those who need a helping hand get that and more. In her spare time she likes to read and write, go on photography excursions, and volunteers with an animal shelter; hoping to bring happiness to her four-legged friends as well. 

Amanda Stout, our Marketing & Graphic Design Intern, designs all marketing materials and manages all websites throughout our four territories. She is currently pursuing two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Advertising and Arts with a concentration in Graphic Design from Rowan University. Amanda will complete both degrees in December 2016.

Prior to working for Comfort Keepers, Amanda worked as a Graphic Designer for the College of Science and Mathematics at Rowan University and also worked as a waitress at the Crowne Plaza in Princeton, New Jersey. Throughout her work experience, Amanda has learned to work in a fast paced environment while designing creative products to positively market each individual company. 

Amanda is a responsible, hard working individual that goes above and beyond to make sure all tasks are done properly and in a timely manner. She works well in a team environment in any setting; while also having the ability to perform individual tasks. Amanda has also held multiple leadership roles within her membership of Theta Phi Alpha, providing instruction and guidance to all members. Throughout this organization Amanda loves getting to know new people, broadening her horizons and enjoys volunteering. A few of the volunteer activities that she has participated in include the Ronald McDonald House, Philly Autism Walk, Back to the Boro, provide companionship/activity to groups of elders in assisted living housing and has made numerous donations to various foundations.

When asked what Amanda’s interests are she states, “Some of my hobbies include photography, graphic design, traveling, event planning, music and making new connections! And, of course I always love spending time with my family and close friends!”

Jeffery Raphel is one of the Administrative Assistants at Comfort Keepers. Prior to his employment, Jeffery volunteered at Comfort Keepers where he enjoyed learning more about the family business. When Jeffery isn’t spreading his charm in the office through interacting with clients and caregivers, he is assisting with office organization, compliance, and even managing the IT for all four office locations. Jeffery is currently enrolled at Valencia College where he is pursuing his Associates Degree. After graduation, Jeffery hopes to study Cyber Security at the University of Central Florida where he can pursue his dream of one day working in cyber security for a company like Facebook or Google. Jeffery enjoys building computers, listening to music and also playing drums. One of Jeffery’s biggest musical accomplishments was marching in the “Cadets 2 Drum and Bugle Corps” in the Cadets Winter Percussion drumline where they placed 6th in the world!