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Meet Our Team
Get to know the onelife2love team.
Courtney Deacon Lalotra
Founder & President
Courtney Deacon Lalotra is the Founder and President of One Life to Love, an organization she established after moving from the United States to India in 2010.
Courtney originally traveled to India as a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City to study textiles. During that journey, she encountered children living in extreme poverty and became increasingly involved in volunteer work with vulnerable children. Rather than returning to the United States as planned, she chose to remain in India and dedicate her life to serving children who had been abandoned, neglected, or left without access to education and opportunity.
She subsequently founded One Life to Love, which has grown into a nonprofit organization providing support for children with special needs, education for vulnerable girls, community education, homeless relief, family support, and other programs.
Courtney holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology and graduated with academic honors. Her professional background in fashion, textiles, international development, and nonprofit leadership has informed her approach to building programs that combine creativity, education, dignity, and practical opportunity.
Under Courtney’s leadership, One Life to Love has developed partnerships with universities, foundations, philanthropic organizations, and community leaders in the United States and India. The M. Night Shyamalan Foundation describes Courtney’s journey as beginning with her 2010 trip to India and notes OLTL’s work supporting children with special needs and girls’ education.
Courtney continues to lead the organization’s programs, fundraising, partnerships, and long-term vision for a permanent campus serving vulnerable children and communities in India.
Judy Deacon
Inaugural Chairperson | Retired Business Owner
Judith Deacon is the inaugural Chairperson of One Life to Love and remains an important part of the organization’s history, leadership, and continued development. A retired business owner, Judy brings years of professional experience, practical judgment, and a strong commitment to community service to her work with the organization.
As one of the earliest leaders to stand behind Founder Courtney Lalotra and the vision of One Life to Love, Judy helped establish the foundation for the organization’s governance and growth. Her role has included providing strategic guidance, supporting organizational decision-making, and helping ensure that One Life to Love remains accountable to its mission and the children and families it serves.
Judy’s connection to One Life to Love is deeply personal. As the organization developed from Courtney’s early work with vulnerable children in India into a broader nonprofit providing education, shelter, family support, and community programs, Judy remained a steadfast advocate for its mission.
Her leadership has helped provide continuity as the organization has expanded its programs and partnerships in both the United States and India. She continues to offer institutional knowledge and perspective as One Life to Love develops its long-term plans for sustainable growth, including its vision for a permanent campus in India.
Judy’s years of business experience, combined with her longstanding commitment to One Life to Love, make her an important part of the organization’s history and leadership.
Anna Coffman
Board Member | Licensed Associate Counselor
Anna Coffman serves as a Board Member of One Life to Love and brings professional experience in clinical mental health counseling, along with a strong interest in supporting individuals through challenging life circumstances.
Anna is a Licensed Associate Counselor in New Jersey and practices as a psychotherapist. She earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from Rutgers University and her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Monmouth University. Her professional experience includes working with adults around anxiety, depression, self-esteem, healthy boundaries, relationships, and life transitions.
Anna’s counseling background provides an especially valuable perspective to One Life to Love’s work with children, young women, families, and communities experiencing significant social and economic challenges. Her professional approach emphasizes creating a supportive environment in which individuals can recognize their strengths, establish healthy goals, and develop greater emotional well-being.
As a Board Member, Anna contributes to the organization’s strategic discussions, community engagement, and fundraising efforts. Her understanding of mental health and human development complements One Life to Love’s broader work in education, child protection, family support, and empowerment.
Anna is committed to helping One Life to Love continue creating environments in which vulnerable children and young people are not defined by their circumstances, but instead are given the support and opportunity to build healthy and hopeful futures.
Nicole Paprcka
Chairperson | Licensed Professional Counselor
Nicole Paprcka serves as Chairperson of the Board of One Life to Love, providing leadership, guidance, and strategic oversight as the organization continues to expand its programs serving vulnerable children, girls, and families in India. A Licensed Professional Counselor in New Jersey, Nicole brings a professional background in mental health counseling and a deep commitment to supporting the emotional well-being and development of others.
Nicole specializes in working with individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, and trauma and uses a client-centered, solution-focused approach tailored to each person’s individual needs. She is licensed as a Professional Counselor in the State of New Jersey and has studied at Monmouth University.
Her counseling background provides a valuable perspective to One Life to Love, particularly as the organization works with children who have experienced poverty, abandonment, displacement, trauma, and other significant challenges. Nicole has also been involved with One Life to Love for many years and has participated in the organization’s public advocacy and community outreach, including representing OLTL at the New Jersey State House when the organization received a Ceremonial Resolution from the New Jersey Senate and General Assembly in 2025.
As Chairperson, Nicole helps guide the Board in strengthening organizational leadership, supporting the Founder, advancing responsible governance, and ensuring that the organization’s growth remains centered on the dignity, safety, and long-term well-being of the people it serves.
Richard Gagliano
Treasurer | ADP
Richard Gagliano serves as Treasurer of One Life to Love, bringing professional experience in the corporate sector and a strong understanding of business operations and financial responsibility to the organization’s Board.
Richard works with ADP, a global provider of human capital management and business technology solutions. Public professional information identifies a Rich Gagliano in New Jersey with ADP, consistent with his role within the organization.
As Treasurer, Richard plays an important role in supporting the financial stewardship of One Life to Love. His responsibilities include helping the organization maintain sound financial practices, review budgets and expenditures, and ensure that donated resources are managed responsibly and in accordance with the organization’s mission.
Financial transparency and accountability are particularly important as One Life to Love continues to grow its programs in India and expand fundraising in the United States. Richard’s corporate experience provides the Board with a practical perspective on financial management, organizational systems, and responsible resource allocation.
Through his service on the Board, Richard contributes not only to the financial oversight of the organization but also to its long-term sustainability. His work helps One Life to Love strengthen the systems necessary to responsibly manage donor support and translate those resources into education, shelter, nutrition, healthcare, and opportunities for vulnerable children and families.
Dr. Phyllis Alongi
Gala Committee | Licensed Professional Counselor
Dr. Phyllis Alongi serves on the One Life to Love Gala Committee and brings extensive professional experience in counseling, education, and work with children, adolescents, and adults.
Dr. Alongi is a Licensed Professional Counselor in New Jersey and holds a Ph.D. in Integral and Transpersonal Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies. She has numerous years of counseling experience and more than a decade of teaching experience.
Her professional areas of experience include working with children and adolescents as well as adults facing anxiety, trauma, depression, behavioral challenges, family conflict, and other life circumstances. Her background also includes work related to career counseling and emotional development.
This experience aligns closely with One Life to Love’s commitment to the emotional and developmental well-being of vulnerable children. OLTL recognizes that education and physical safety are only part of a child’s long-term development; emotional support, healthy relationships, and opportunities to build confidence and resilience are equally important.
As a member of the Gala Committee, Dr. Alongi contributes her professional experience and community connections to support One Life to Love’s fundraising and outreach efforts.
Her involvement helps strengthen the organization’s network of professionals and advocates committed to improving opportunities for children and families experiencing hardship.
Click a team member to learn more
Yogesh Lalotra
The OneLife Challenge
Mary Jodry
Board Member | Student Leader & Longtime One Life to Love Volunteer
Mary Jodry serves as a Board Member of One Life to Love and has developed a longstanding connection to the organization through volunteer service, education, and direct engagement with its programs in India.
Mary has participated in One Life to Love’s work in India, including through Monmouth University’s service-learning partnership with the organization. In 2025, she was among the Monmouth University students who traveled to Delhi to work directly with children from diverse cultural backgrounds and participate in hands-on service with One Life to Love.
Her experience with the organization has given her firsthand insight into the realities faced by children and families served by OLTL and into the importance of culturally responsive, compassionate support.
Mary also brings a background in the arts and entertainment, having pursued opportunities in the talent industry. Her combination of creative interests, international service experience, and personal connection to the children served by One Life to Love gives her a distinctive perspective within the organization.
As a Board Member, Mary supports the organization’s mission through outreach, advocacy, fundraising, and engagement with younger generations. Her direct experience in India allows her to help communicate the realities and possibilities she has witnessed firsthand while encouraging others to become involved in the work.
Mary represents the next generation of compassionate leaders committed to creating meaningful opportunities for children and young people around the world.
Robert Rosa, PT
Gala Committee
Robert Rosa serves on the One Life to Love Gala Committee and brings professional experience as a physical therapist and a commitment to supporting individuals through rehabilitation and improved physical well-being.
Robert is a licensed physical therapist practicing in New Jersey. Public professional records identify Robert J. Rosa, PT as a physical therapist in Hazlet, New Jersey, with an active New Jersey professional license and a practice dating back to 2006.
His healthcare background offers a valuable perspective to One Life to Love, whose work includes supporting children with disabilities and other complex physical and developmental needs.
One Life to Love’s programs recognize that children with disabilities often require support extending well beyond shelter and education. Access to appropriate healthcare, rehabilitation, assistive equipment, physical therapy, and specialized care can be essential to helping children develop greater independence and quality of life.
As a member of the Gala Committee, Robert supports the organization’s fundraising and community engagement efforts. His participation helps broaden the professional network surrounding One Life to Love and strengthens the organization’s connection to healthcare professionals and advocates.
Through his service, Robert contributes to the collective effort to ensure that vulnerable children—including those with physical and developmental disabilities—have access to the care, dignity, opportunity, and support they deserve.
Dr. Himanshu Batra
Advisor: Pediatrician
Soumya Jogy
Child Counselor
Christopher Thompson
Gala Committee | Hackensack Meridian Health
Christopher Thompson serves on the One Life to Love Gala Committee and brings professional experience from the healthcare sector.
Christopher is associated professionally with Hackensack Meridian Health, one of New Jersey’s major healthcare systems. His professional profile identifies Hackensack Meridian Health as his current organization and the University of Connecticut as part of his educational background.
His experience in healthcare brings an important perspective to One Life to Love’s mission, particularly because the organization serves children and families who may face significant barriers to medical care, developmental support, and other essential services.
One Life to Love works with children with special needs and provides support that can include healthcare, rehabilitation, nutrition, education, shelter, and long-term family assistance. Building relationships with professionals in the healthcare community helps the organization better understand and respond to these complex needs.
As a member of the Gala Committee, Christopher supports One Life to Love’s fundraising and community engagement efforts. He helps strengthen the network of professionals, supporters, and community members who come together to advance the organization’s mission.
His participation reflects the importance of collaboration across sectors and the belief that improving outcomes for vulnerable children requires a community of people with different areas of expertise working toward a common purpose.
Click a team member to learn more
Courtney Deacon Lalotra
Founder & President
Courtney Deacon Lalotra is the Founder and President of One Life to Love, an organization she established after moving from the United States to India in 2010.
Courtney originally traveled to India as a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City to study textiles. During that journey, she encountered children living in extreme poverty and became increasingly involved in volunteer work with vulnerable children. Rather than returning to the United States as planned, she chose to remain in India and dedicate her life to serving children who had been abandoned, neglected, or left without access to education and opportunity.
She subsequently founded One Life to Love, which has grown into a nonprofit organization providing support for children with special needs, education for vulnerable girls, community education, homeless relief, family support, and other programs.
Courtney holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology and graduated with academic honors. Her professional background in fashion, textiles, international development, and nonprofit leadership has informed her approach to building programs that combine creativity, education, dignity, and practical opportunity.
Under Courtney’s leadership, One Life to Love has developed partnerships with universities, foundations, philanthropic organizations, and community leaders in the United States and India. The M. Night Shyamalan Foundation describes Courtney’s journey as beginning with her 2010 trip to India and notes OLTL’s work supporting children with special needs and girls’ education.
Courtney continues to lead the organization’s programs, fundraising, partnerships, and long-term vision for a permanent campus serving vulnerable children and communities in India.
Judy Deacon
Inaugural Chairperson | Retired Business Owner
Judith Deacon is the inaugural Chairperson of One Life to Love and remains an important part of the organization’s history, leadership, and continued development. A retired business owner, Judy brings years of professional experience, practical judgment, and a strong commitment to community service to her work with the organization.
As one of the earliest leaders to stand behind Founder Courtney Lalotra and the vision of One Life to Love, Judy helped establish the foundation for the organization’s governance and growth. Her role has included providing strategic guidance, supporting organizational decision-making, and helping ensure that One Life to Love remains accountable to its mission and the children and families it serves.
Judy’s connection to One Life to Love is deeply personal. As the organization developed from Courtney’s early work with vulnerable children in India into a broader nonprofit providing education, shelter, family support, and community programs, Judy remained a steadfast advocate for its mission.
Her leadership has helped provide continuity as the organization has expanded its programs and partnerships in both the United States and India. She continues to offer institutional knowledge and perspective as One Life to Love develops its long-term plans for sustainable growth, including its vision for a permanent campus in India.
Judy’s years of business experience, combined with her longstanding commitment to One Life to Love, make her an important part of the organization’s history and leadership.
Anna Coffman
Board Member | Licensed Associate Counselor
Anna Coffman serves as a Board Member of One Life to Love and brings professional experience in clinical mental health counseling, along with a strong interest in supporting individuals through challenging life circumstances.
Anna is a Licensed Associate Counselor in New Jersey and practices as a psychotherapist. She earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from Rutgers University and her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Monmouth University. Her professional experience includes working with adults around anxiety, depression, self-esteem, healthy boundaries, relationships, and life transitions.
Anna’s counseling background provides an especially valuable perspective to One Life to Love’s work with children, young women, families, and communities experiencing significant social and economic challenges. Her professional approach emphasizes creating a supportive environment in which individuals can recognize their strengths, establish healthy goals, and develop greater emotional well-being.
As a Board Member, Anna contributes to the organization’s strategic discussions, community engagement, and fundraising efforts. Her understanding of mental health and human development complements One Life to Love’s broader work in education, child protection, family support, and empowerment.
Anna is committed to helping One Life to Love continue creating environments in which vulnerable children and young people are not defined by their circumstances, but instead are given the support and opportunity to build healthy and hopeful futures.
Nicole Paprcka
Chairperson | Licensed Professional Counselor
Nicole Paprcka serves as Chairperson of the Board of One Life to Love, providing leadership, guidance, and strategic oversight as the organization continues to expand its programs serving vulnerable children, girls, and families in India. A Licensed Professional Counselor in New Jersey, Nicole brings a professional background in mental health counseling and a deep commitment to supporting the emotional well-being and development of others.
Nicole specializes in working with individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, and trauma and uses a client-centered, solution-focused approach tailored to each person’s individual needs. She is licensed as a Professional Counselor in the State of New Jersey and has studied at Monmouth University.
Her counseling background provides a valuable perspective to One Life to Love, particularly as the organization works with children who have experienced poverty, abandonment, displacement, trauma, and other significant challenges. Nicole has also been involved with One Life to Love for many years and has participated in the organization’s public advocacy and community outreach, including representing OLTL at the New Jersey State House when the organization received a Ceremonial Resolution from the New Jersey Senate and General Assembly in 2025.
As Chairperson, Nicole helps guide the Board in strengthening organizational leadership, supporting the Founder, advancing responsible governance, and ensuring that the organization’s growth remains centered on the dignity, safety, and long-term well-being of the people it serves.
Richard Gagliano
Treasurer | ADP
Richard Gagliano serves as Treasurer of One Life to Love, bringing professional experience in the corporate sector and a strong understanding of business operations and financial responsibility to the organization’s Board.
Richard works with ADP, a global provider of human capital management and business technology solutions. Public professional information identifies a Rich Gagliano in New Jersey with ADP, consistent with his role within the organization.
As Treasurer, Richard plays an important role in supporting the financial stewardship of One Life to Love. His responsibilities include helping the organization maintain sound financial practices, review budgets and expenditures, and ensure that donated resources are managed responsibly and in accordance with the organization’s mission.
Financial transparency and accountability are particularly important as One Life to Love continues to grow its programs in India and expand fundraising in the United States. Richard’s corporate experience provides the Board with a practical perspective on financial management, organizational systems, and responsible resource allocation.
Through his service on the Board, Richard contributes not only to the financial oversight of the organization but also to its long-term sustainability. His work helps One Life to Love strengthen the systems necessary to responsibly manage donor support and translate those resources into education, shelter, nutrition, healthcare, and opportunities for vulnerable children and families.
Dr. Phyllis Alongi
Gala Committee | Licensed Professional Counselor
Dr. Phyllis Alongi serves on the One Life to Love Gala Committee and brings extensive professional experience in counseling, education, and work with children, adolescents, and adults.
Dr. Alongi is a Licensed Professional Counselor in New Jersey and holds a Ph.D. in Integral and Transpersonal Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies. She has numerous years of counseling experience and more than a decade of teaching experience.
Her professional areas of experience include working with children and adolescents as well as adults facing anxiety, trauma, depression, behavioral challenges, family conflict, and other life circumstances. Her background also includes work related to career counseling and emotional development.
This experience aligns closely with One Life to Love’s commitment to the emotional and developmental well-being of vulnerable children. OLTL recognizes that education and physical safety are only part of a child’s long-term development; emotional support, healthy relationships, and opportunities to build confidence and resilience are equally important.
As a member of the Gala Committee, Dr. Alongi contributes her professional experience and community connections to support One Life to Love’s fundraising and outreach efforts.
Her involvement helps strengthen the organization’s network of professionals and advocates committed to improving opportunities for children and families experiencing hardship.
Click a team member to learn more
