Our Board

Lisa Breglio is an active member of one of our founding churches, First Church of Christ in Wethersfield.  A Board member and active volunteer since 2012, Lisa's heart for Hartford's North End started early as she served alongside her parents as a child through “Project Concern,” in the 1960's. She joined Vicki Huffman (one of HCM's co-Founders) serving in the LIFE program during the 1990s and alongside her husband, Paul and his business, Crest Mechanical Services, Lisa been actively involved in the rehabilitation and maintenance of HCM's ministry headquarters on Vine Street. Lisa is retired dental hygienist and has a passion for helping children. She felt this position would help afford her more opportunities to share HCM's vision with her home church as well as members of her community.  When asked what her favorite part about HCM is, Lisa eagerly tells people, "having the opportunity to engage the greater Hartford community in celebrating the commonality in Christ's love rather than the difference in ethnicity."

​Evelyn V. Hannah joined the board in August 2019 and is honored to work with HCM in serving the neighborhoods in Hartford.  For the past 25 years, Evelyn has worked with children and youth in both professional and ministerial capacities. She has maintained membership at Bible Way Temple Nation (BTN) in Hartford, CT for over 21 years.  For the past 8 years, she has served as the Administrator of BTN’s Children, Youth, and Young Adult’s Department (C.T.Y.A) and is a member of BTN’s Clergy Board and Mission’s Department. Evelyn has a big and compassionate heart for young people, community work, and outreach.  As a humble servant, Evelyn is dedicated to serving God’s people and His Kingdom; and seeing lives transformed. Evelyn earned her Bachelor’s of Science Degree in 1995 and a Master’s of Social Work Degree in 2004, both from UCONN. She is a Licensed Master’s Level Social Worker and a Social Work Supervisor employed by the State of Connecticut’s Department of Children and Families for over 20 years, where she has worked to protect, support, and serve children/youth and families in CT.  Living in the North End of Hartford for over 18 years, Evelyn and her husband, Ja, are proud parents of 3 beautiful children-Nya (16yrs), NaDhari (13yrs) and Joshua (8yrs). 

Eliezer Mercado joined the board in August of 2014.  He is a District Sales Manager with Frito Lay, Inc., a division of PepsiCo where he has sales leadership responsibility for Frito Lay's Greater Hartford area generating over $3 million in annual revenue.  In addition to his work at Frito Lay, Eliezer is an ordained minister and currently an Associate Pastor at New Life Worship Center (in the North End) and helps lead the Faith-Based Initiative for the city of Hartford, CT. When asked what his favorite part of HCM is, Eliezer replied, "I love the wholistic Christian approach HCM utilizes for the betterment of the community. I also love how we are empowering our kids to become better individuals through our Noah After-School program by providing tutoring and mentorship.  In addition, we are building long lasting relationships with tomorrow's future teachers, doctors, pastors, city leaders, etc.  Overall, every program we have is a blessing to our youth as we help enrich their spiritual lives. "

Samantha Rose joined the board during the Winter of 2018, after being involved as a parent volunteer at HCM since 2016. Her love for the Lord and passion with working with children has led her to serve in multiple capacities in the community as a soccer coach, tutor and an active member with Calvary Church of West Hartford, where she serves as a Sunday school teacher and Awana helper. Samantha credits the people within her church in Jamaica that were instrumental in leading her to the Lord through their investments with rides to church, donations for her to attend VBS, summer camp and leadership retreats. She now tries to do a yearly collection to assist many children at her church in Jamaica to be able to be blessed with the same experience. Samantha has a Bachelors in Accounting and a Masters in Business Administration in Business Analytics and Accounting from Central Connecticut State University. She works full-time with Trinity Health of New England where she supports the Revenue Cycle leadership team as an Executive Associate and passionately works part-time as a Youth Worker with the Bridge Family Center where she is blessed with caring and witnessing to the youths in the program. Her most rewarding ministry is raising her 10 year old son Jayden, who attends Camp Noah and SB2W each summer through HCM.

​Derek Mogck brings to the Board prior Christian non-profit leadership experience, having served on the boards of Elim Park, a Continuing Care Retirement Community in Cheshire, and The Master’s School, an independent pre-K to post-graduate school in Simsbury.  He became interested in supporting HCM after his daughters served at Camp Noah through his family’s church, Valley Community Baptist Church in Avon.  Derek is currently a Second Vice President with Travelers, leading its Legal Resource Management and Claim Legal Product teams.  Immediately before that, Derek was a litigation partner at Shipman & Goodwin LLP.  Derek earned a law degree (with honors) from the University of Connecticut School of Law, a Master of Science in Public Affairs degree from the University of Massachusetts-Boston and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Studies (cum laude) from Gordon College.  He joined HCM’s Board in September 2019.

Scott Wilhite began volunteering with Noah’s Sidewalk Sonday School ministry in Hartford’s North End in June 2003, along with his wife, Rebecca.  Partnering with its founders, he helped to incorporate the ministry and set it up as the public charity now known as Hartford City Mission (HCM), serving as the first Board President.  From 2004-2006, Scott served as the coordinator of the project to renovate the ministry’s donated home base location at 280 Vine Street in the North End, now known as “the Vine."  Knowing God’s leading for him to “go all in” serving with HCM, he and Rebecca sold their home and moved to the North End, around the corner from the Vine in 2006.  Scott has volunteered with most aspects of HCM over the years and currently volunteers as HCM’s Administrative Director two (2) days per week and also in the roles of President and Treasurer on the Board of Directors.  He loves the way he’s seen children and youth embrace living “God’s way” through HCM’s ministries and also how God challenges and matures the faith of HCM’s volunteers when they begin to build relationships with the children and families in our community.  Scott graduated from Sterling College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, & Management Information.  He has worked in information technology at Travelers Insurance and then Citi ever since.  Scott is an active member of one of HCM’s founding churches, Valley Community Baptist Church in Avon.