Officers and Directors

Ellie Bagli, President

Retired from a 40-plus year career in public relations working with top toy companies including Mattel and Fisher-Price, as well as major consumer products companies. She worked with Sesame Workshop and spearheaded the campaign that established Tickle Me Elmo as a cultural icon. She brings a history of social justice work and community organizing from her post-graduate years. Upon retirement, she joined SCAC as secretary.  She also works with the UUCM Undoing Racism team.  A founding member of Montclair Gateway, she has helped execute the Campaign to Vaccination, registering more than 100 senior residents of Montclair.

Ann Lippel, Executive Vice-President

During her 40 year career – first at New Jersey institute of Technology (NJIT) and then at University of Medicine and Dentistry (UMDNJ) – Ann focused on development of the nascent distance learning educational system. She also served as Executive Director of the Eastern Educational Consortium. After retirement, she Served her community as Chair of the Montclair Senior Citizens Advisory Committee, as Housing Commission member, she as a founding member of The Gateway to Aging in Place. Ms. Lippel was a 2021 nominee for the AARP Andrus Award and in 2018 one of the recipients of the Partners for Health Community Impact Award. In October, 2024, Ann was honored to receive the NAACP Julian Bond Community Service Award.

Susan Craig, Secretary

Susan and her family moved to Montclair in 1980 and, except for the years when she and her husband lived abroad, has remained committed to living in this town. During the years living in different countries, she observed how communities respond to and support their older residents, a background she brings to her involvement in mGAP. She was an ESL teacher of adults and worked with people from diverse cultures, languages and backgrounds; after her retirement she was a volunteer tutor with Literacy Volunteers of Northern NJ.  She was the Co-Chair of the Senior Citizens Advisory Committee and is a founding member of Montclair Gateway to Aging in Place

Frank Millspaugh, Vice President for Development

Frank Millspaugh’s career began on the front lines of the southern civil-rights movement, where he spent three years representing the U.S. National Student Association and the U.S. Youth Council. He then became general manager of New York City’s listener-supported station WBAI, helping to launch new Pacifica Foundation outlets in Houston and Washington, DC.
Over the next several decades Frank worked with—and advised—public radio and television stations across the United States and in the Netherlands. As vice president of Public Interest Public Relations, and later as an independent consultant, he supported a wide spectrum of nonprofit and advocacy groups, from southern voter-registration drives to the Committee to Protect Journalists. His writing has appeared in the Village Voice and other alternative publications.

Since moving to Montclair in 2018, Frank has been deeply involved in organizations serving residents 55 and older, focusing on housing, machine learning, and robotics solutions that assist the homebound and their caregivers.

Colleen Dougherty, Treasurer

An active accountant with a specialization in real estate, Colleen has lent her considerable skills as a volunteer to countless non-profit organizations, local electoral campaigns, and local fund-raising efforts. Montclair Gateway relies upon her expertise in finance, business, and the local political landscape to help our non-profit organization work toward a sustainable future.

Carol Schlein, Member-at-Large

Carol Schlein is a non-practicing attorney and President of Law Office Systems, a legal technology consulting firm. For over three decades, she has helped law firms improve their use of technology. Now she is applying those technical know-how skills to the design and implementation of the Montclair Gateway to Digital Equity project. Carol is also an active community volunteer, e.g. with the Montclair Scholarship Fund, the Montclair Film Festival, and the Montclair Women’s Club.

Marilyn Graham, Member-at-Large

Marilyn Graham has called Montclair home for over 30 years. A longtime math teacher at Passaic High School—and a building representative for the Education Association of Passaic—she previously worked with the Social Security Administration, gaining firsthand insight into the challenges retirees face when trying to age in place. As a co-founder of the Montclair Senior Housing Action Group, Marilyn is determined to expand affordable housing options so older residents aren’t forced to move away. She brings that passion and expertise to the Montclair Gateway Board.

Gail Abramowitz, Member-at-Large

During her professional career, Gail was a nutritional consultant across many States in the greater New York area. She was an active member of the Montclair Senior Citizens Advisory Committee, and a founding member of the Montclair Gateway to Aging in Place. After her retirement, Gail devoted a great deal of time to volunteer work at Mountainside Meridian Hospital. She currently serves us as an active liaison between the Hospital and the Township’s modern aging community .