About Us
A Partnership for Change (APFC) is a New Jersey-based non-profit organization dedicated to ending domestic violence and dating abuse. Below, you will find information on APFC’s Annual Reports and Financial Statements, Board of Directors, and APFC’s Staff Members.
Annual Reports and Financial Statements
Below are links to our Annual Reports and Financial Statements. We are pleased to share the progress we’ve made, the impact we’ve achieved, and how resources have been responsibly managed. These reports provide a snapshot of our programs, financials, and the milestones made possible by our funders, supporters, partners, and community. We are committed to accountability and invite you to review these reports to learn more about our mission and our work.
APFC's Board of Directors
- Susanne M. Caruso, President
- Deborah Schaub, CPA, Treasurer
- Peter Briggs, Jr., Secretary
- Amanda Boggs, Board Member
- Thomas Buchbinder, Board Member
- Annie Scully, Board Member
Meet our Staff
Allison Bressler, MA, Co-Founder/Co-Director
Allison holds a Master’s degree in Counseling and Human Development, has worked with victims of abuse since 1999, and is qualified as an expert witness in domestic violence cases. Her article on domestic violence in affluent communities was published by Scientific American Mind magazine, and she has been interviewed on ABC’s World News Tonight & ABC News Radio as an expert in the field.
Ms. Bressler began her career in the field as the Director of Non-Residential Services for Hope’s Door (formerly The Northern Westchester Shelter) where, she expanded the agency’s counseling and community education programs and directed Westchester County’s premier annual teen dating abuse symposium. She moved to The Joe Torre Safe at Home Foundation as the Director of Programs where she played a pivotal role in developing and implementing their strongest initiatives. Later, she was the Director of the Non-Residential Counseling program at the YWCA of Union County where she also supervised the Union County Domestic Violence Response Teams (DVRTs).
In 2007, she co-founded A Partnership for Change with Gloria Sgrizzi to fill the gap in the availability of domestic violence education, awareness and prevention programs in New Jersey. Ms. Bressler’s passion to empower individuals and her knowledge of domestic violence has made her a sought-after speaker at many venues in New York and New Jersey, and has allowed her to inspire hundreds to play a role in breaking the cycle of violence.
Allison@apartnershipforchange.org
Gloria Sgrizzi, Co-Founder/Co-Director
Gloria has worked in the field of domestic violence and sexual assault since 1993. Ms. Sgrizzi has worked at the Center for Safety & Change (formerly the Rockland Family Shelter) and Hope’s Door (formerly The Northern Westchester Shelter) in New York, and also worked at 180 Turning Lives Around in NJ.
Her experience includes serving as a director of development and community relations; providing educational workshops for businesses, police officers, community groups and colleges; volunteering on a rape crisis hotline; grantwriting and coordinating fundraisers; and spearheading public relations campaigns.
At Hope’s Door, she designed the shelter’s first teen dating abuse education program, which included an award-winning and internationally-recognized peer leader component known as STAR (Students Terminating Abusive Relationships).
Ms. Sgrizzi worked as a freelance grant-writer for non-profits throughout New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania before co-founding APFC in 2007 with Ms. Bressler. Since that time, they’ve expanded the agency’s programs and profile in community to the extent that APFC is now recognized as a leader in the field.
Gloria is committed to supporting local, national and worldwide efforts to eliminate abuse in the lives of women and children.
Gloria@apartnershipforchange.org
Trisha Espinoza, MA, EdS, NCC, LPC, Counselor & Program Specialist
Trisha has been with APFC since 2013. She is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in the state of New Jersey, and a National Certified Counselor (NCC) through the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC). Trisha facilitates presentations for APFC and provides bilingual counseling services for clients in our DV-SOS program. She also operates a private practice, New Perspective Counseling Services.
Trisha attended Seton Hall University where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in Psychology as a Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Association scholar, her master’s degree in Counseling and her Educational Specialist Degree (EdS) in Professional Counseling. She is also an adjunct professor for Union County College teaching psychology courses for the school of Social Sciences.
Susan J. Gleason, PREP Training Specialist
Susan joined APFC in August 2021. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from the University of Scranton and earned her law degree from Widener University, Commonwealth Law School in 1995.
Susan served as an assistant prosecutor in the Union County Prosecutor’s Office for more than 25 years. During her tenure, she supervised the Domestic Violence Unit and worked on cases involving intimate partner violence throughout her career. She was passionate about working with victims to assist them through the judicial process, to guide them towards supportive services, and to seek justice for all individuals affected by violence.
Susan brings that passion to educating law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and victims advocates about the impact of domestic violence on victims with the ultimate goal of ending the cycle of abuse.
Lisa Palermo, Outreach Manager
Lisa joined APFC in October 2021 working in our DATA, SOS and PREP programs where she increased our reach to social service agencies, school counselors and law enforcement professionals throughout NJ. In 2023, Lisa expanded her role to include overseeing the agency’s social media content to enhance our presence on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Across all programs, Lisa seeks out additional opportunities to create new partnerships and to communicate with our audiences via social media, awareness events, online networking, conferences, and a newsletter. She also supports us with improving our marketing fliers, PowerPoints and other outreach materials.
Lisa brings nearly 20 years of marketing and outreach experience in various fields, including non-profits and consumer goods & services. Lisa is passionate about IPV and holds a bachelor’s degree in criminology.
lisa@apartnershipforchange.org
Jessica Gomperts, PowerBack Manager
Jessica A. Gomperts spent 24 years as an Assistant Bergen County Prosecutor. During her tenure, she worked in the Appellate, Juvenile, Grand Jury, and Trial Sections of the office and was appointed to Chief of the Domestic Violence unit in 2013 where she served until her retirement in 2024. During her 23+ years at the Office of the Bergen County Prosecutor, Ms. Gomperts handled literally thousands of cases, including attempted murder, aggravated sexual assault, interference with custody, kidnapping, aggravated assault, child sexual abuse and exploitation, etc.
Ms. Gomperts is a frequent lecturer on the topics of domestic violence and dating violence; sexual assault and abuse; elder abuse; intimate partner violence in the LGBTQ community; arrest, search, and seizure; courtroom testimony; and constitutional law. She is both a New Jersey Office of Continuing Legal Education and Police Training Commission certified instructor and has taught extensively to police officers, attorneys, judges, and students from middle school to college.
In 2025, Ms. Gomperts was the recipient of multiple awards such as the Hon. Peter Ciolino Professionalism in the Law award from the Bergen County Bar Association, the Gladiator Award from the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office and the Law Enforcement Hero award from the Center for Hope and Safety which recognizes a “committed, impassioned and steadfast advocate” for victims and survivors of domestic violence.
Ryan Borchardt, Senior Program Coordinator
Ryan joined APFC in December 2022 to enhance outreach to social service agencies, police departments and schools.
He has an MPA from Sacred Heart University where he studied non-profit management. His experience includes working on a myriad of community outreach events to highlight the plight of victims and to foster a culture of respect in our communities. His work at APFC is to help us build a stronger coordinated community response for victims in NJ, to heighten our presence within the law enforcement community, and to support teen victims of dating abuse at awareness events in our PowerBack program.