Carter Via

Founder and Executive Director

Raised in Charlottesville, Virginia, Carter Via graduated from Wake Forest University and Princeton Theological Seminary.  He was ordained as a Presbyterian Minister in 1987, and has served churches in Westchester County (New York) and Fairfield County (Connecticut).  Currently, Carter is the Lead Minister at the Talmadge Hill Community Church (Darien, CT) AND the Founder/Executive Director at Crossing Thresholds.  He launched Crossing Thresholds in 2008 after visiting the Kibera Slum in Nairobi, Kenya.  Carter has two children, Joseph and Rebecca Via.  He loves food, mountains, hiking, reading, golf and laughter.

Juliana McKenna

Director of Finance, Mentorships and Administration

Juliana McKenna graduated from Hobart and William Smith in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts. After working on the Commodity Trading Floor for 25 years, Juliana opened up her own accounting firm in New Canaan, CT. Juliana joined Crossing Thresholds in 2021. In her free time Juliana enjoys walking, being with family and needlepointing.

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Lisa Michalski

Director of Community Outreach and Communications

Lisa Michalski graduated from Bowdoin College in 1987 with an AB in Mathematics and Economics. She began her career at Chemical Bank in New York and then shifted her focus to the non-profit world when she and her husband, Paul, moved to London in 1996. Lisa joined the Crossing Thresholds staff in 2022 after serving as a mentor for two children in Kibera for the past few years. She is on the Board of Talmadge Hill Community Church and leads the Greenwich, CT chapter of JourneyMates. Lisa lives in Darien, CT with Paul and has two young adult children, James and Annie. She is passionate about spiritual formation and helping people live from a place of freedom and empowerment, and loves to swim, ski, hike, run, cook and read.

Craig Panzano

Director of Operations

Craig Panzano earned a BS from Slippery Rock University and a MA Columbia University. He was the COO of the Somerset Hills YMCA (NJ) from 1993-2004 and the CEO of the New Canaan YMCA (CT) from 2004-2021. While at New Canaan YMCA, Craig started a partnership with the Kibera branch of the Kenya YMCA with Simeon Ajigo. That partnership was transferred to Facing The Future (FAFU) in Kibera when Simeon joined Crossing Thresholds. Craig has four children and lives with his wife Judi in Great Barrington, MA.

Alyda Twilley

Director of Trips

Alyda Twilley graduated from Hobart and Williams Smith Colleges with a BA in Environmental Studies and Sustainable Community Development and attended the National University of Ireland in Galway. She worked at L.L.Bean on the Experiential Marketing team and as a Brand Ambassador. Most recently she served as a Field Coordinator for the Maine Conservation Corps in partnership with Americorps. Born and raised in Maine, Alyda grew up with an active, outdoor lifestyle. She spent many summers backpacking and volunteering in national parks in Oregon, New Jersey and Maine and has dedicated her personal and professional life to service.