Our Staff
Liberty POST Staff
We operate in several regions throughout New York State and Northern New Jersey; learn more about Liberty POST leadership and regional program directors below.
Laura E. Zaferakis M.S. CCC/SLP, Spec.Ed., CAS Ed. A.
Vice President
Laura E. Zaferakis M.S., Spec.Ed., CAS Ed. A.
Vice President
Education/Certification/Awards:
- Bachelors in Early Childhood Development
- Masters in Special Education
- CAS in Educational Leadership
- Adjunct Instructor, School of Education, Syracuse University
Serving as the Vice President of Liberty POST, Liberty Resources’ Early Childhood Division, since January 2019, Laura has worked in Early Childhood for over 30 years. Prior to her current role as Vice President, Laura served as the Regional Director for the Liberty POST Syracuse region. Laura’s areas of special interest include Early Childhood Development, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Evaluation /Assessment and Screening and providing professional development for those working in the field of Early Education. Laura grew up in central New York and completed her undergraduate work in southern Virginia. She returned to Central New York where she lives with her husband.
Gari-Sue John, PT, MS, MBA
Regional Program Director, Buffalo-Niagara
Gari-Sue John, PT, MS, MBA
Regional Program Director, Buffalo-Niagara
Education/Certifications/Awards:
- BS/MS in Physical Therapy
- MBA
Gari-Sue has a Masters of Science in Physical Therapy and an MBA from Syracuse University. She has worked with children and families, both as a provider and program manager, for over 20 years. Gari-Sue has been involved in the development of fitness programs for children with and without disabilities. In addition to working with children and families, Gari-Sue has served as adjunct faculty and guest instructor at local colleges and universities. She has also provided health and fitness assessments and wellness training for various organizations and corporations.
Gari-Sue lives in Kenmore with her son. Prior to college, she attended a professional training school for ballet. She still keeps up with dancing and exercising as much as possible. Gari-Sue is an avid Buffalo football fan and enjoys motorcycle rides with her boyfriend whenever Western NY weather permits.
“I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of the Liberty POST team, which offers a wealth of support from our multiple locations across NY and NJ. I have always been proud of our providers’ commitment to excellence and the commitment, at a corporate level, that Liberty POST makes to our providers as well as the children and families that we serve.”
Lisa Diehl, MSEd
Regional Program Director, Rochester
Lisa Diehl, MSEd
Regional Program Director, Rochester
Education/Certification/Awards:
- Bachelor of Science Degree in Education
- Master Degree in Special Education
- Special Education Permanent Certification Pre-K – 12
- Prior Special Education and CPSE Evaluation Team Department Head
- Leadership Rising Management Development Program
- Providers in Partnership Member Monroe County
- LEICC Member
Lisa is a NYS-certified Special Education PreK-12 teacher and has more than three decades of experience working with children at the early childhood age. She also has 25 years of supervisory and leadership experience. Lisa has been the Regional Program Director of Rochester for 24 years.
Lisa has been married for 34 years. She and her husband have 2 daughters; both attending college in the Buffalo area. Lisa enjoys spending time with family and friends, early morning workouts, biking, hiking, and vacations at the beach.
April Angiolillo
Regional Program Director, Hudson Valley
April Angiolillo
Regional Program Director, Hudson Valley
Education/Certification/Awards:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology | SUNY Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
- Spotlight on Excellence Award, Liberty Resources
April has been working with families since 1990 in various capacities, beginning her journey as a Case Manager. She later became an Ongoing Service Coordinator and then an Ongoing Service Coordinator Supervisor.
April joined Liberty POST in November of 2013 as an Ongoing Service Coordination Supervisor. In December 2015, April received the Spotlight on Excellence Award which recognizes employees that perform at a level above and beyond the agency’s expectations. April was honored by this award because it was a result of her excellent work and her concern for the quality within the agency.
In May 2016, April was promoted to the position of Regional Program Director for Liberty POST Hudson Valley as a result of her commitment to excellence. April’s motto is “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” April lives by this motto and does all she can to ensure that her team loves what they do, too. Outside of work, April loves spending time with her family and friends. April enjoys yoga, exercising, hiking and running. April believes in living a balanced life and living well.
Gina Haggerty, MSEd, BCBA, LBA
Regional Program Director, Long Island
Gina Haggerty, MSEd, BCBA, LBA
Regional Program Director, Long Island
Education/Certification/Awards:
- Bachelor of Science in Special Education
- Master of Science in Early Childhood Special Education
- Special Education Permanent Certification Pre-K – 12
- Board Certified Behavior Analyst, NYS Licensed Behavior Analyst
Gina is a NYS-certified Special Education teacher and has over 30 years of experience working in Special Education with 28 years in Early Childhood. She earned her BCBA and LBA in 2014 and has spent the majority of her career utilizing the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis while working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Gina has trained many teachers, aides and other professionals as well as parents in the principles of ABA. In addition to teaching, Gina has experience as an Ongoing Service Coordinator, Evaluator and has completed many family/parent training sessions. Gina developed the ABA program at Island Therapies including writing procedures and designing data sheets. She supervised the ABA Department at Island Therapies for 12 years before she became the Program Director when they were acquired by Liberty POST in 2021. She has over 18 years of supervisory and leadership experience and strongly believes “teamwork makes the dream work”. Gina grew up on Long Island where she and her husband have been married for over 32 years and have raised 4 children. Gina enjoys the outdoors including the beach, walks, bike rides and sunsets.
Lauren McIndoo, Ph.D., MS, CCC-SLP
Regional Program Director, Northern New Jersey
Lauren McIndoo, Ph.D., MS, CCC-SLP
Regional Program Director, Northern New Jersey
Education/Certifications/Awards:
- Bachelor of Arts in Communication Disorders & Sciences
- Masters of Science in Speech-Language Pathology
- Doctorate in Public Policy & Administration and Public Management & Leadership
- Certificate of Clinical Competence from American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
- Clinical Licensure in Speech-Language Pathology
Lauren is a highly experienced and certified speech-language pathologist with over 30 years of dedicated service. Throughout her career, she has specialized in clinic-based transdisciplinary development and diagnostic evaluations. Lauren’s true passion lies in supporting individuals with autism spectrum disorders, apraxia, ADHD, and developmental language disorders. Her warm and compassionate approach has made a significant difference in the lives of countless families. Lauren is committed to providing the highest quality care and support to her clients, always striving to help them reach their full potential.
Laura Vincent, MS, CCC/SLP
Regional Program Director, Syracuse
Laura Vincent
Regional Program Director, Syracuse
Education/Certification/Awards:
- Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders
- Master of Science in Education, Communication Sciences and Disorders
- New York State Speech and Language Disabilities Professional Certificate
- Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology
- New York State Coaching in the Public Schools Certificate
Laura is a licensed and certified speech pathologist. Prior to Liberty POST, she was an assistant teaching professor and clinical supervisor at Syracuse University. Her primary responsibilities included clinical education in the Gebbie Speech Language Hearing Clinic to undergraduate and graduate students. She also taught classes on how to be a speech language pathologist in the public school system. Laura has over 14 years of clinical experience working with children and their families to achieve their communication goals. She worked as a committee on special education chairperson in a neighboring school district while coaching lacrosse. Her clinical interests include childhood apraxia of speech, Autism, developmental language disorder, and complex speech sound disorders. She received specialized training from New York University as part of the Autism Spectrum Disorder Nest Support Project, which was created to advance the development and implementation of educational solutions for children with Autism. She has experience co-teaching in inclusion classes. She is an active member of the American Speech-Language- Hearing Association.
Laura and her husband live in the Syracuse area with their two children. When she’s not at work, Laura enjoys reading, biking on the Erie Canal, and family vacations to the beach.
