In November, Adoption Network Cleveland’s board welcomed three new board members: Victor M. Barbalato III, Maureen Heffernan, and Joshua D. Payne. Join us in congratulating and welcoming these mission-centered, professionally diverse, and ready-to-serve individuals! Meet our new members in alphabetical order:

Victor M. Barbalato III, RA – Vice President, Real Estate, Cleveland Foundation
Victor and his wife Becca are proud adoptive parents of their son, Hudson. Hudson joined their family in December 2023 through Bellefaire JCB, he’s now two and a half years old. Originally from New York, Victor began his career in Ljubljana, Slovenia, where he worked on culturally significant architecture projects for one of the country’s most well-renowned firms. During that time, he met Becca, a Parma native spending her summer in Europe. After getting married, the two lived in New Jersey and Oregon before relocating to Cleveland to start their family. Victor joined the Cleveland Foundation as their first Vice President of Real Estate in January 2024, where he leads initiatives that connects and leverages the foundation’s physical developments with social impact tools to drive equitable, catalytic development. Much of his work focuses on Cleveland’s Hough and MidTown neighborhoods, with a commitment to engaging in meaningful dialogue with residents to help guide projects that strengthen the neighborhood. With over fifteen years of experience in architecture, design, and project management, Victor previously served as a Senior Project Architect at Vocon Design. There, he oversaw complex projects in the commercial and industrial sectors, including the award-winning Cleveland Foundation Headquarters and the MidTown Collaboration Center. He earned his Bachelor of Architecture from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and is a licensed architect in both Ohio and Oregon.

Maureen Heffernan, MSSA, LISW-S – Child Welfare Consultant and Trainer
Maureen Heffernan is an independent social service consultant and trainer.  She has worked across the United States assisting child welfare jurisdictions to achieve better outcomes for vulnerable children, youth, and their families. Her focus areas include kinship care, permanency planning for older youth, foster care and adoption.  Maureen has also worked in non-profit and government child welfare settings, holding direct service, supervisory and leadership positions.  She is an Adjunct Instructor for the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University.  Maureen is a long-time member and volunteer for Adoption Network Cleveland.  She lives in Kent, Ohio with her husband Jim and has three grown children.    

Joshua D. Payne, Esq. – Trial Lawyer, Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy, Co., LPA
Josh is a trial attorney at Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy, Co., LPA, where he represents individuals injured in serious motor vehicle and premises liability accidents. Known for his precise attention to detail and tireless advocacy, Josh has helped secure millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements on behalf of his clients. As a large part of his practice focuses on truck crash litigation, Josh made the uncommon decision to obtain his Class A Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) in 2021. He dedicated months to intensive training—spending weekends in the classroom and behind the wheel all while maintaining his busy legal practice. This firsthand experience gives him a unique understanding of the trucking industry, and the legal standards that govern it, enhancing his ability to represent clients injured in accidents involving commercial vehicles. Josh has a personal connection to adoption as his sibling was adopted when his family lived in China. When not at work enjoys going to Guardians games, car shows, and spending time outdoors, hiking, white water kayaking, and camping with his wife, son, and their dog Monty. 

Board Photo:

Back Row: Victor Barbalato III, Denise Astorino, Amy Zlotnik, Kirsten Simonton, Cory Isler-Manzo, Jeffrey Rohrs, William Peseski, 

Middle Row: Christine Zanoni, Nikki Lewis, Andrew Mangels, Maureen Heffernan, Andrea Kushnick Rubin, Tammara Humbert, Tashyana Copeland

Front Row:  Edie Sweeterman, Glenn Cook, Eamon Larkin, Tracy Miller

Not Pictured: Joseph Brennan, Joshua Payne, Tom Sohlberg, 

To learn more about our board members, download their individual bios.