The next executive director / community leader is currently being discerned by the community.
The next executive director / community leader is currently being discerned by the community.
D. Alif Crowley is a dedicated and compassionate professional with a diverse background spanning engineering, construction, and social services. After attending engineering school in New Jersey, he spent over a decade working for a major construction company, relocating across multiple states before settling in Syracuse, New York.
Committed to making a meaningful impact in the lives of others, Alif pursued higher education, earning a Bachelor of Science and a Master’s in Social Work from Keuka College and Le Moyne College. This transition led him to a career in mental health and substance use services, where he became a Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) through the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS).
With over 10 years of experience as a Director of Social Services in nursing homes and 5 years as a Director of IRA homes, Alif has worked extensively with individuals with intellectual disabilities, providing leadership and support to enhance their quality of life. In March 2023, he joined L’Arche Syracuse as a House Coordinator, where he continues to find deep fulfillment in learning, engaging, and growing within the L’Arche community.
Outside of his professional commitments, Alif enjoys traveling, spending time with his family, reading, comedy, swimming, playing pool and dancing, which remains a significant passion. He also embraces his role as “Daddy Uber” to his youngest daughter. Born and raised in New Jersey, he has also spent part of his adult life in Brooklyn, New York, enriching his perspective and experiences.
Jamie first came to L’Arche Syracuse in June of 2011 after graduating from SUNY Cortland with a BS degree in Human Services. She heard about L’Arche from her Senior Seminar Professor. Jamie started as an assistant in L’Arche’s Highland home but after a few short months, was asked to take on the role of Resource Coordinator at the Croyden home. Jamie was with the Croyden Home from August 2011 to May 2017 when she left to pursue a career with Onondaga County Child Protection Services. After 5 months and realizing this new job was not a good fit for her, Jamie was welcomed back to L’Arche as the Day Hab Coordinator/Quality Assurance & Corporate Compliance Officer in October of 2017. Jamie stayed in this role until May of 2019 when she took a 6-month sabbatical to be a stay at home mom and to address her own personal health issues. In January of 2019 she became a Care Manager with LIFEPlan CCO NY to broaden her career in Developmental Disabilities.
In November of 2021, Jamie returned to her role of Director of Day Hab & Quality Assurance at L’Arche Syracuse. In a few short years after, Jamie has moved up the ladder in the L’Arche office and is now the Program Specialist. Jamie has dedicated her career and life to working with children, adults and families with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
Jamie’s love for L’Arche is why she keeps coming back and considers L’Arche to be her home and family. She has had the opportunity to create meaningful friendships with both Core Members and assistants throughout her time with this community.
Outside of L’Arche, Jamie is a dedicated mother and enjoys the time she spends with her children, Emma and Ethan. Often times you can find her on the Softball fields all over New York State with her daughters traveling Soft Ball programs, being her biggest supporter and Softball Mom! Jamie does not mind the traveling for this as she has a love of traveling and usually takes vacations in the summer and winter months to travel to different states with her family. Her goal is to visit all 50 US States (so far she has been to 16) and do a coast-to-coast trip when she and her husband retire. When Jamie is not traveling, she participates in a winter bowling league with her husband at Green Lakes Lanes.
Donna was raised in Brightwaters, NY the seventh child to Donald and Marilyn Aitken. She was brought up to never forget her name and that family is everything, so she and her 9 siblings all reside on the East Coast and often get together for Aitken Family Weekends.
Donna is a jack of many traits which is why she can manage the office at L’Arche. She attended Endicott College in Beverly, MA and after college she worked in the theatre district and for a documentary film company while she pursued a masters in audio design and engineering. Leaving life in Boston behind Donna moved to Vermont to be with her family after her mother lost her battle with small cell lung cancer. While in Vermont Donna dabbled in numerous careers from sales to design and even becoming a chocolatier!! Donna ultimately pursued a career in Resort and Hospitality Management and worked as an event and wedding planner for numerous luxury resorts. In 2011 Donna made the move from Vermont to Syracuse to start the next chapter of her life.
Donna came to L’Arche in November of 2014; having not worked in the industry Peggy Harper the Community Leader at the time gave her an opportunity to prove herself and today she manages the office. Donna does everything from house and car maintenance to core member paperwork for the state. She handles the HR department, pays the bills and orders supplies – really anything that is asked of her she takes on as a task to complete. Donna’s love of L’Arche is centered around the amazing friendships she has created with core members, and she feels blessed to be part of the L’Arche family.
I was born in Poland and came to the US with my mother at the age of 7. I attended Sacred Heart Elementary School in Syracuse, graduated from Solvay High School and took a variety of courses at Onondaga Community College trying to find what it was that I really wanted to do in life. After bouncing around for several years in various bookkeeping and administrative assistant positions, in January of 2011 I found L’Arche Syracuse where I started as an office assistant. I finally not only found what I wanted to do but where I wanted to do it! Working for L’Arche I learned what it means to be part of a community. I often heard people refer to their “church family” or “work family” but never really understood what that meant until I came to L’Arche. I held the office managers position until November of 2014, when I moved to South Carolina due to my husband’s job transfer.
I am very blessed to be able to continue working remotely as the bookkeeper for L’Arche Syracuse. I reside in Conway SC just outside of Myrtle Beach. One of my favorite things to do is explore all the attractions and beaches with my husband and our 2 children Jake and Gabby. We also enjoy doing puzzles, having movie nights with the kids, watching them splash around in the pool and just spending time together.
Our dedicated and compassionate nurse, Luda Kuts, has been an integral part of our L’Arche family and healthcare team since accepting her role with us at the start of 2023. She began her healthcare journey in 2017 when she completed her nursing education at Crouse College of Nursing. She furthered her knowledge by obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Keuka College in 2018.
Luda was a valued team member at Crouse Hospital for 5 years, where she predominantly worked in the stroke unit. She is a skilled nurse who provides high-quality care to her patients and demonstrates excellent clinical judgment. In her current role, Luda treats our core members like family, ensuring the highest level of attention and care is provided consistently.
Outside of work, Luda is a devoted wife and mother of three children and of their adorable mini poodle. Her daughter is a school athlete who plays both basketball and lacrosse, and Luda loves to attend her games to cheer her on. The cheering doesn’t stop there. She is also the biggest cheerleader for her sons, supporting them both in their unique interests and accomplishments. Luda also enjoys spending quality time with the rest of her family, reading, and trying new foods. She has a particular fondness for visiting Florida, where her parents and most of her siblings live; taking time to attend events and go on adventures.
Luda is a believer of Christ and regularly attends church. She is the oldest of six siblings, and from a young age, she took care of her younger brothers and sisters. It is no surprise that she is an excellent nurse who is always willing to go above and beyond for her patients.
We are grateful to have Luda on our team and are proud of the exceptional care she provides to our members every day.
Samuel obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2019. In 2022 he obtained a Master of Arts in Biblical and Theological Studies with honors from Western Seminary. Professionally Samuel brings a diverse portfolio of ecumenical work to L’Arche Syracuse. Over the course of five years he worked for various parachurch organizations like Campus Crusade for Christ and for churches of various denominations. In 2023 Samuel entered the disability field, where he joined L’Arche Cleveland as a house leader. He has a deep love for L’Arche Spirituality and its mission as a lifeboat for all who need one.
Samuel was raised in the suburbs of Raleigh, North Carolina, but has lived in Greensboro, Brooklyn, Portland and Cleveland before relocating to Syracuse. Samuel and his family love to travel when possible and try new foods. Outside of work you can find Samuel primarily spending time with his two children, Dietrich and Sabine, and his wife Jenny. Outside of family time Samuel loves a good cup of coffee, film photography, reading a good book, and hosting people in his home. As a glutton for punishment Samuel also enjoys being enrolled in a master’s program part time at Nashotah House Theological Seminary, where he aims to obtain a Master of Sacred Theology by 2027. He is a dedicated Episcopalian, and loves his local parish.
Shannon was born in Syracuse but raised in Rochester, NY. After high school Shannon moved back to Syracuse in 2001 to manage a pet store. While a manager she had 2 of her 4 sons. After a number of years working in the pet store Shannon looked into going to college and raising her boys as well as helping rescue and foster bull breed dogs. She held a few jobs during those years including a personal banker, however she didn’t fulfill her. So she joined a local ambulance corp as a volunteer and became an EMT. She realized then how much she enjoyed helping people. While volunteering every weekend, Shannon became part of the new member committee to bring in new volunteers and also became a CPR instructor and taught classes. After the birth of her last son, Shannon left the emergency medical field and spent a number of years enjoying raising her sons.
In November of 2019, Shannon started working with an agency for developmentally disabled people in a Day Hab setting. In March 2020 the Day Hab closed due to Covid and Shannon deployed to work in the homes of core members. She realized that she truly loved working one on one with them. During the summer of 2022, the Day Hab reopened slowly as core members began coming back into the Day Hab setting. Shannon became the Team Leader until an injury needing surgery required her to take an extensive leave of absence which eventually led her to leave her job. Recognizing how much she missed working with core members, she stumbled upon L’Arche Syracuse and was hired in 2025 to be the Day Hab and Quality Assurance Coordinator. On any given day you can see her doing arts, crafts or movies and community outings with her core members.
Music and the outdoors are some of the things that Shannon enjoys doing in her spare time as well as being around her children. Shannon also enjoys her dogs and cats.
Robert Sackel (Bob) has spent the last 33 years sharing life in L’Arche. He has held a number of leadership roles in L’Arche, including Community Leader (10 yrs.), Regional Coordinator (5 yrs.), and Assistant Director (5yrs.). Bob began and directed the Office of Vocational Development program (6 yrs.) for L’Arche USA, co-led the Leadership Development program for both L’Arche USA and Canada, and has served on several commissions for L’Arche International including the L’Arche International Spirituality Commission.
Bob spent eight years serving L’Arche Syracuse as the Pastoral Minister and in June 2023 retired and became the volunteer coordinator.
Bob is married to Sue, the Nurse of L’Arche. He has two wonderful daughters and two amazing grand-daughters.
Bob likes to read and hike and be outdoors. He is an introvert who enjoys one on one walk and talks. He is a basketball fanatic, a Knicks fan, an SU fan, and still plays the game.