The New Song Center - Center for Grieving Children and Those Who Love Them

Lisa E. Schmitt

Executive Director
Lisa is the Executive Director for New Song Center. For three years prior, she served on Board of Directors as Vice-President. She brings to New Song 20 years of experience in the fields of public relations, marketing and advertising. She has been married for 30 years and has a young adult daughter who is a Psychology major at the University of Arizona; two cats and a dog named Gracie, who frequently visits at New Song Center. She loves to design and sew dance costumes, cook, and read in her spare time.

C. Caryn Kondo, MA, Clinical Social Work

Clinical Director
Caryn has been involved with New Song Center since 1997. Caryn earned her BA from Case Western Reserve University in Psychology and a Master's in Clinical Social Work from The University of Chicago. She has experience in Child Life, Medical Social Work, Hospice, individual and family counseling, and facilitating support groups for both children and adults. She specializes in children and family grief issues and facilitating support groups. Caryn has made numerous local and national presentations on understanding and working with grieving children and adults. At home she helps facilitate life for a husband, two beautiful children and a large bull mastiff named Uma.

Louis P. Savenelli

Volunteer/Education Director
Lou has a BA in English from the University of New Haven and a MA in humanities from Dartmouth College. Lou has a wide array of work experience as an Educator in Vermont, Education and Planning specialist, Marketing Communications Manager at Honeywell for 26 years, a park ranger at the Desert Botanical Gardens, and a substitute teacher in Scottsdale. Lou is active at a fitness center and enjoys hiking and outdoor activities in Arizona and throughout the southwest. New Song Center provides Lou with a sense of purpose, an ability to make a difference, and implement his skills all while drawing on his sense of compassion, understanding and desire to serve.

Maggie Hill, MSW

Evening Coordinator
Maggie is a graduate of Arizona State University West - with a Masters Degree in Social Work. She joined New Song in 2004 as a volunteer facilitator working with adult groups in the East Valley, a facilitator of children's groups in the central corridor, and assisted in the Grief at School program. She joined the staff in 2008 as the evening coordinator for the central corridor evening family support groups. Maggie is also employed as a Supervisor at Hospice of the Valley of an interdisciplinary team caring for terminally ill patients.

Gary Anderson

Evening Coordinator
Gary joined New Song in April 2002 after learning about the organization from Eloise Cole. Gary was fortunate to start with the Tuesday Evening Teen Group and continued co-facilitating that group until August 2007 when he joined the staff as Evening Coordinator for the East side. Under his leadership, one of his teen groups created a teen grief video that they wrote and produced. It was filmed and edited by Brad Gass, another Tuesday evening New Song Facilitator. He has also assisted with and led the comprehensive NSC facilitator training program for new facilitators. Gary leads the East side Orientation and Monthly group meetings and assists with the elementary and high school Grief at School program. Gary also had the distinct honor of being the recipient of the Ray Lindy Volunteer of the Year Award for 2006. Gary is the owner of a personal life coaching business, Pathfinder LLC. His coaching focus is assisting individuals, adults and teens, who are struggling with unexpected life changes.