Meet Our Team

Jennifer DiLeo is the founder of smiles at sea. Affectionately known by her students as “Mrs. Jen”, she earned her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from Nazareth College in 2009. Over the past 16 years she has served and fiercely advocated for students across the special education population—including those with autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, apraxia, auditory processing disorders, developmental delays and visual field impairments. Jennifer is a respected voice within the special ed community widely known for her expertise, dedication and steadfast commitment to a student-first approach to all.

Dr. Stec is the Superintendent of Lombard School District 44, widely recognized as one of Illinois’ premier school districts. Under his leadership, District 44 is committed to educating the “whole child”—fostering academic excellence while also supporting social and emotional growth. The district is home to nationally recognized Blue Ribbon Schools and award-winning programs.

In addition to his distinguished career in educational leadership, Dr. Stec is the author of The Connection Mindset: A Solution for Our Schools, a highly regarded book that provides innovative strategies for strengthening community and improving outcomes in education.

Mr. Zicari serves as Managing Partner and CEO of The Bonadio Group, a nationally ranked Top 100 accounting and financial advisory firm based in Rochester, New York. In addition to leading the firm’s strategic and operational direction, he remains deeply engaged in civic and nonprofit leadership. He currently serves on the board of the University of Rochester Medical Center and is the former President of Special Olympics Western New York.

Founder and Managing Director, Mainstay Group

Mr. Ball has deep expertise in the purchase, operation and management of charter yachts. His life-long commitment to children with special needs have made him an invaluable resource as smiles at sea charts its inaugural course—and beyond. Mr. Ball’s leadership will be an instrumental component of scaling the number of partner yachts to serve our smiles at seas families each year.