Executive Director
Janet Derrick became the first Executive Director of Naperville CARES on January 1, 2009. Having volunteered for the organization for seven years, Tom Cordaro, then-president of the Naperville CARES board, says Derrick was the perfect fit for this new position. "Janet is perfectly suited to be our executive director. She is a long-term CARES volunteer and has served on the board, so her firsthand knowledge of the CARES mission coupled with her extensive business background made the choice an easy one."
Janet served as Vice President of the CARES board for three years and co-president for one year. She was also a program volunteer and a member of the CARES Resource Committee which discerns each week how best to assist families seeking assistance. She has also been a member of both the "Cuisine for a Cause" and "Toasting for a Cause" steering committees, Naperville CARES' biggest fundraisers of the year.
"It's a great passion of mine to work for an organization like Naperville CARES," Derrick said, "I'm privileged to have been given this opportunity."
Program Manager
Maria McTarnaghan was hired as the organization's first ever Program Manager on August 1, 2012. Maria joined Naperville CARES with over 20 years of professional and volunteer experience. She holds a law degree from Duquesne Law School and has worked as a political fundraiser, manager for various political campaigns, and as a lobbyist and facilitator for Judicial Arbitration Mediation Services. Maria has also been a Naperville CARES volunteer and has volunteered extensively with St. Michael Church and Parish School in Wheaton and as a child advocate for CASA DuPage.
Marketing and Communications Associate
