Serving Chester · Deep River · Essex
Tri-Town Youth Services Bureau is a nonprofit organization that coordinates, develops, and delivers programs supporting the positive growth and well-being of local youth and families.
Our mission is to strengthen the well-being of youth and families in Chester, Deep River, and Essex by providing accessible prevention, education, skill-building, and support that foster healthy choices, positive relationships, resilience, and connection to community.
We envision a connected community where every young person and family has the relationships, resources, skills, and opportunities they need to be healthy, resilient, and thrive.
Youth Service Bureaus began in the United States in 1972 through federal juvenile justice funding and were established in Connecticut law in 1975. Tri-Town Youth Services Bureau was founded in 1984 to serve the communities of Chester, Deep River, and Essex.
Today, we work alongside young people, families, schools, municipalities, and community partners to provide prevention education, life-skill development, supportive resources, and opportunities for meaningful connection.
Our work is grounded in the belief that young people thrive when they have strong relationships with family, school, peers, and community.
These values shape how we welcome people, develop programs, and work with our community.
We honor every youth, family, and community member.
We focus on each person’s strengths, abilities, and potential.
Everyone deserves quality resources regardless of ability to pay.
We act with integrity while remaining approachable and inclusive.
Our staff brings experience in youth development, prevention, education, community partnerships, and direct support.
Executive Director
I am a lifelong resident of the tri-towns, mostly and currently in Chester. I have worked professionally in various youth development capacities for over 30 years, including a 20-year career with a state agency where I provided direct service to youth and families for the first 12 years, and then served as a staff and program development specialist the last 8 years. Following my state service, I continued to provide training and coaching services on a freelance basis, including coaching people recovering from substance use disorders. In 2022 I also began working as a job coach for developmentally delayed students in the Region 4 Transition Academy, before becoming the Tri-Town YSB director in December 2023. I have had a long association with Tri-Town Youth Services, predominantly as a member of both the Local Prevention Coalition and the Youth Diversion Board, and was instrumental in transitioning the latter to a Restorative Practices model. I have also previously served on the Tri-Town YSB Board of Directors and the Chester Board of Education.
Program Manager
Megan is the Prevention Program Manager at Tri-Town Youth Services Bureau. She develops and coordinates programs that support the health and well-being of youth and families throughout Chester, Deep River, and Essex. Megan holds a bachelor’s degree in applied health and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in health education and Promotion. She is passionate about building strong community partnerships and giving young people the knowledge, skills, and support they need to make healthy choices and thrive.
Program Manager
Abby is a born and raised Tri-Town kid. Her family has been imbedded in Chesters development and culture since it’s inception. She has a lot of pride when it comes to our Region. Abby has spent the last 30 years working primarily with children. Daycares, nannying, camp programs, and in the last 10 years as a paraprofessional in CPS and RSD17. Working with kids who have behavioral, emotional and learning needs is her specialty.
She is also an employee of Shell & Bee studios in Deep RIver, where she has been a leader and instructor since 2020. Abby has a degree in Human Services, and is working on her BA in Social Work at Charter Oak State College. Her focus is learning about and nurturing the whole child. Meeting them where they are at and fostering long term relationships. Being an ally in the LGTBQIA+ community, and advocating for students has been her passion.
She set her roots permanently in Clinton with her 3 children and her husband. She regularly fosters dogs, and has failed only twice!
Assistant
Select a board member’s name to read their full biography.
Rebecca Mead is the owner and director of INQ Creative, a bespoke marketing consultancy serving small businesses, non-profits, and honorific organizations. In addition to her role with INQ, Rebecca is an adjunct staff member at the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce, where she is the administrator for the Middlesex County Revitalization Commission and the coordinator of “down county” division activities.
A member of the Chester Economic Development Commission since 2023, Rebecca also serves on the Planning & Zoning Commission and represents Chester on the RiverCOG Regional Planning Committee. Rebecca joined the Tri-Town Youth Services Bureau in 2025 and is excited to contribute her time and energy to support the organization’s mission of serving youth and families throughout the region.
A Connecticut native, Keegan has deep roots in the tri-town area, having lived in Deep River, Chester, and Essex. A proud graduate of Valley Regional High School and the University of Tampa, Keegan has built a career in sales and currently works as a licensed realtor with Keller Williams in Connecticut. Now residing in Deep River, Keegan brings a strong connection to the local community and a passion for supporting youth and families across the region.
Alex is a lifelong resident of Chester, graduating from Valley Regional in the class of 2006. After attending college at the George Washington University, he returned to Chester to take on a full-time position at Camp Hazen YMCA.
Alex is currently the Assistant Director there overseeing all year-round retreats and conferences, in addition to planning summer camp for the 1000+ annual campers! Alex joined the Tri Town Youth Services board in the Fall of 2024 after being a partner for years co-hosting Valley Regional’s Freshman Orientation and Peer Advocates at Hazen. He and his wife are happily raising their three year old and newborn sons as well as a 6 year old hound-mix in Chester.
Stacia was born and raised in the tri-town area and attended Region 4 schools K-12. After attending college and living in Boston for 15 years she returned to Deep River with her family, and her three children also attended Region 4 schools K-12. She worked for 24 years as a social worker and clinical therapist in her private practice in Essex. Prior to that she worked as a primary therapist on an inpatient adolescent mental health hospital unit.
Stacia has also worked as a facilitator in an after-school adolescent leadership program and as a counselor in an adolescent detention facility. She currently works in the service industry at a local restaurant and continues to work alongside her mother at Celebrations in Deep River. Stacia received her B.A. in Psychology from Bates College and her MSW from Boston University.
She is currently a co-superintendent of the Photography Exhibit at the Chester Fair and is a yearly volunteer for Valley Regional Musical Productions.
Peter has lived in Essex nearly his entire life, except when away at school. He went through Essex Elementary School as did his wife and two kids, one of whom graduated from Valley in 2023 and the other is a Freshman there now. After graduating from law school and a brief stint in the legal realm, he took a seven-year sabbatical, during which he created and ran Ken’s Coffeehouse and Village Provision Company in Essex.
After selling the businesses he has been operating a solo legal practice in Chester since 2001.
Tiffany Zwart brings a wealth of expertise from a background in the event planning industry. With a career orchestrating seamless events and meticulously coordinating logistics, Tiffany has honed her skills in the art of organization and precision. Her dedication to creating memorable moments and ensuring every detail is perfect has been the hallmark of her professional journey.
Most recently, she’s taken her skills to a digital audience, as the owner and CEO of Lovespun Creative LLC, providing online business management services. Lovespun Creative offers virtual support to professionals and organizations, streamlining daily projects and processes, with a dedication to making businesses more productive, and assisting business owners in being fully present and intentional in their services.
Her deeply-rooted commitment to family, community, and service is exemplified in her volunteer work. A true advocate of the community, Ms. Zwart wears multiple hats to make a positive impact. She is a dedicated Rotarian, living by the Rotary motto, “Service before Self,” serving as the Club Membership Chair for the Rotary E-Club of Global Diversity and Environment in Southern CT, USA, fostering a sense of belonging and purpose in the club. Committed to promoting mental health awareness, Ms. Zwart also plays a vital role on the Mental Health Committee for the Rotary, working to reduce stigma and support those in need. Since Fall 2022, Tiffany has been a valuable member of the Tri-Town Youth Services Board, where she contributes to shaping a better future for the younger generation. As the board representative for Friends of Tri-Town, she orchestrates various activities and volunteer opportunities, fostering a sense of community and camaraderie.
Further demonstrating her commitment to the community’s well-being, she is actively involved in the Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, understanding the importance of tackling such issues to create a safer, healthier, and more prosperous environment for all. In addition to her professional and community endeavors, Ms. Zwart is a dedicated volunteer with the Hartford Habitat Women Build project, lending a hand to create safe and affordable housing.
She also devotes her time to the East Coast Canine Rescue. A resident of Deep River, she and her husband are the proud parents of two sons who currently/ recently graduated from the Region 4 school district.
Roseann is a retired research scientist and medical writer who grew up in Rochester, NY and moved many times before settling in Essex in 1995, where she and her family lived until 2012. During those years, she served on the boards of TTYS and The Clubhouse at Essex Elementary School. She moved to Massachusetts in 2012, where she served on the boards of North Reading Youth Services and North Reading Dollars for Scholars and volunteered with Life Choice Hospice.
Upon retiring in 2018, she and her husband happily returned to CT, settling in Chester. In Chester, Roseann was manager of the Chester Library book sales and served on the Board of Directors of the Chester Food Program during Covid. She currently volunteers with Democracy-Women in Action, of which she was a founding member. Her children are proud graduates of the Region 4 schools!
.
As a member of the Connecticut Youth Services Association, Tri-Town is part of a statewide network committed to professional standards, advocacy, and stronger supports for Connecticut youth and families.
Learn about programs, ask a question, or find a way to get involved.
