The Review Board

Aweinautism.org’s review board members are community leaders who represent various areas of expertise. Their primary role as volunteer members of the board is to offer advice and constructive criticism to help ensure that aweinautism.org is characterized by a high level of professionalism and inscrutable ethical standards, and represents the best interests of the public we serve.

Edward J. Nitkewicz, Esq.

Ed is an attorney with the Long Island law firm Sanders, Sanders, Block, Woycik, Viener & Grossman. His work is concentrated in representation of personal injury plaintiffs in matters arising from general negligence, medical malpractice and product defect. In addition, his practice focuses on education law; Ed represents families in CPSE and CSE meetings, impartial hearings and special education litigation as a parent advocate and/or attorney. He is the father of Edward, who has autism.

Christina Mossaides Strassfield

Christina is the museum director/chief curator of Guild Hall Museum in East Hampton, NY. She holds a master's degree in art history, and bachelor's degrees in both art history and anthropology, all from Queens College, CUNY. Christina resides with her three children and husband in Water Mill, NY, where she is an active member of the community. She currently serves on the Southampton School Board, and notes “I feel that I am an advocate for all children and would like to see each and every one reach his or her full potential and achieve success, regardless of their cultural, racial, educational levels or special needs.”

Bente A. Videbaek

Bente is a professor of English literature at Stony Brook University, NY, with a specialty in Renaissance drama. She holds a cand. mag. degree in English and Scandinavian languages and literature from the University of Copenhagen and a Ph.D. in English from Northwestern University, IL. She lives in Port Jefferson, NY, with her husband and their dog, Thor. "There used to be two sons at home," says Bente, "but now both are away at college." 

Colleen West

Colleen established Enright Court  Reporting, Inc. in  1991 and, since 1998, has been the  president of  Enright Sten-Tel, now recognized as a leading agency in the area. She lends her experience to several business advisory boards; supports several charitable organizations, including United Cerebral Palsy of  Suffolk County, serving as  chair of  its board of directors; and volunteers her time to the Cody Center for  Autism and Develomental Disabilities, Victim Information Bureau of Suffolk  County (VIBS) and Splashes of Hope. She is the mother of two adult daughters and is married to Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy. Her nephew has autism.