Board of Trustees

Keith Krolak, ECMS Board President, has more than 28 years of experience leading the design of significant works of architecture internationally. His extensive portfolio spans a broad range of building types including large-scale mixed-use and corporate office towers, luxury hotels, world-class performing arts centers and art museums. Prior to joining Pickard Chilton, Mr. Krolak was a co-founder and Principal of Studio ABK Architects in New Haven, Connecticut, where he led design for a range of corporate, commercial, institutional and residential projects. Previously during a 16-year career with Cesar Pelli & Associates, he was a Senior Associate and Design Team Leader and collaborated on the design of numerous award-winning projects. Conversant in Japanese, Mr. Krolak has been a contributing writer for a variety of Japanese architectural publications. He has been a guest lecturer and guest design critic at the Yale School of Architecture and the Yale School of Drama and has taught at the School of Architecture at the University of Illinois. Mr. Krolak received a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Architecture from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Mr. Krolak received his second Master’s degree at the Tokyo Institute of Technology under the tutelage of Kazuo Shinohara after which he worked in the office of Itsuko Hasegawa Atelier.

Alayna Stone, ECMS Board Vice President, is an Assistant Attorney General at the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office.  Prior to joining the Attorney General’s Office, Alayna clerked for four years in the Connecticut Superior, Appellate and Supreme Courts.  Prior to beginning her career as an attorney, Alayna spent two years working as the Youth Development Coordinator at Leadership, Education, and Athletics in Partnership (LEAP), a youth development non-profit organization in New Haven, CT.  She spent her first year at LEAP as a Public Ally.  Alayna has always maintained an active interest in children and youth.  She focused on developmental psychology in college and participated in two clinics during law school: Street Law where she taught high school students and the Juvenile Justice Clinic where she represented young people in D.C. courts.  Alayna has a B.A in Psychology from Yale University, a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and a Master’s of Public Policy from the Georgetown Public Policy Institute (now McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University).

Sudhakar Vamathevan, ECMS Board Treasurer,  served in senior financial management positions in various organizations in Massachusetts and Connecticut over the last 35 years. He is now semi-retired and works as a part-time financial consultant with EmergeCT, a small not-for-profit organization serving formerly incarcerated members to break the cycle of recidivism, build community, and inspire hope by finding transitional employment and providing wrap-around services. He is passionate about social justice and youth development and have served on the Boards of social services agencies in developmental disabilities, domestic violence, human rights, and campus spiritual assistance. He has two children, a boy and a girl, both on the West Coast, and  became a grandfather for the first time last December.

Susan Clark, ECMS board teacher representative, is a Lower Elementary Guide at Elm City Montessori School. She is an AMI trained Elementary guide with 18 years of classroom experience. She has worked as a consultant at several area Montessori schools and is a Course Assistant for the Montessori Training Center Northeast. Susan is currently working towards her Masters of Education with a Montessori Concentration at the University of Hartford. Helping to grow the Elementary program at Elm City Montessori right now feels just right.

Kara Straun, ECMS Board Parent Representative,  is the mother of 2^nd and 4^th grade sons at Elm City Montessori.  Her family has been a part of the ECMS community since 2018.  Since then, she has enjoyed being a part of many facets of community at ECMS.  Born and raised in New Jersey, Kara has embraced New Haven and has proudly called it home for over a decade.  Kara currently serves as the Director of Program & Evaluation at the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven.  Kara has been with the Foundation for nearly 12 years, working to evaluate the impact of the Foundation’s grantmaking and providing management and strategic insight on several programmatic endeavors.  She also serves as the lead staff person for the Foundation’s Community Fund for Women & Girls, working on such initiatives as the Girls of Color Mentoring Network and the Pathways to Economic Success for Women grantmaking programs which largely benefit women and girls of color.  She truly loves what she does and views it as the culmination of a variety of professional and personal experiences rooted in public health, community development, and social justice. Prior to working in her current role, Kara gained experience in the affordable housing and community development sectors.  Kara received her Master of Public Health degree from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health with a concentration in Sociomedical Sciences, Urbanism and Community Health and has remained committed to work that uplifts vulnerable communities through intentional, collective action. 

Tony Dini, a Connecticut native with a deep love for the Elm City, grew up in West Haven and has called New Haven home since 2007. Since joining Yale in 2013, Tony has held positions in university governance, board management, and development, and he currently serves as a Major Gift Officer. In this role, he works to connect Yale alumni in Texas and the Midwest with university priorities aligned with their interests, exploring opportunities for meaningful philanthropic support.

A dedicated parent, Tony embraces the joys and challenges of raising his vibrant 5-year-old daughter. Outside his role at Yale, Tony serves as a Shore Haven Little League (West Haven) board member and umpire, bringing his passion for sports and community involvement to the forefront. He also took up oil painting during the early COVID-19 pandemic and participated annually in the Westville ArtWalk.

Tony holds a BA from the University of Connecticut and an MA from Trinity College.