Behind every emergency response is a community that believes in the power of volunteer service. Our Advisory Board is made up of individuals who are passionate about supporting the Westfield Volunteer Rescue Squad and the lifesaving work our volunteers provide every day.
These leaders bring expertise in business, healthcare, communications, and philanthropy, helping guide our organization as we plan for the future. They strengthen our connections across Westfield, expand our fundraising efforts, and ensure that we have the resources needed to keep our ambulances ready, our volunteers trained, and our services free for all.
We are deeply grateful for their commitment to our mission and their partnership in building a safer, stronger community.
Dr. Tau Braun
Dr. Tau Braun is a dedicated leader who promotes global safety and well-being through innovative strategies in violence prevention, crisis response, and threat management. As a seasoned advisor and trainer, he empowered organizations with proactive approaches to threat assessment, threat management, active attacker prevention, emergency management, counterterrorism, crisis leadership, and biowarfare prevention and response. In 2019, he testified before the Texas Senate Select Committee on Mass Violence Prevention and Community Safety regarding mass violence. Dr. Braun is the CEO of BioChem Engineering and the inventor of Copperine, a copper-zinc-based nasal mist.
Scott Noble
Scott Noble has been a Westfield resident since 2020 and lives in town with his wife, Carolyn—a Westfield native—and their two sons, Ford and Davis. He is currently a Partner at First New York, where he has worked since 2014. Prior to that, Scott spent eight years at Lehman Brothers in New York and Hong Kong.
Scott graduated from Duke University in 2002 with degrees in Economics and Sociology and was a member of the Duke Men’s Soccer Team.
Having personally benefited from the services of the Westfield Volunteer Rescue Squad following several medical procedures, Scott is passionate about supporting the squad’s mission and giving back to the Westfield community.
Jared Friedman
Jared Friedman is Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at Creative Print Group, a commercial print and marketing agency. Prior to joining Creative Print Group, he spent 15 years in the technology and analytics sector, leading sales teams at Salesforce, Tableau, and SimilarWeb.
Originally from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Jared moved to Westfield from Brooklyn in 2023 with his wife and their two daughters.
Through his professional background in strategy, business development, and marketing, Jared brings valuable insight to the Westfield Volunteer Rescue Squad’s Advisory Board and is honored to support the organization’s mission of serving the community.
Randy Saperstone
Randy Saperstone has been a Westfield resident for 14 years, bringing a deep background in advertising sales and marketing from his work with premier brands like HGTV, Realtor.com, and Time Inc. In 2019, Randy channelled his entrepreneurial spirit into launching BuildWithABang.com, a brand destination dedicated to supporting builders and contractors.
Dedicated to his community and with his wife Wendy, Randy is raising two boys in Westfield and has spent countless Saturday afternoons coaching local soccer, basketball, and baseball teams. By merging his professional expertise with his commitment to the community, Randy aims to help elevate the WVRS brand within Westfield and neighboring towns—accelerating awareness, driving donations, and recruiting highly motivated new members to the rescue squad.
Joanna Rice
Joanna Rice has been a Westfield resident since 2015 and is an active member of the community. She is a local real estate agent with Coldwell Banker and brings more than two decades of experience in corporate social impact, finance, and strategy across global publicly traded organizations.
Joanna has extensive experience collaborating with executive leadership and advising on enterprise risk, reputation, and innovation with a strong stakeholder focus.
She holds a degree in Economics from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and has completed executive education in ESG Strategy. Joanna serves on the Business Council of Hudson River Park Friends and is actively involved with community initiatives including Project Playground and The Rialto.
Kelly Gilson
Kelly Gilson brings professional experience in strategic planning, business operations, and client development. She currently serves as a Client Capabilities Manager at McKinsey & Company, where she focuses on process design, operational efficiency, and performance management for a division of the firm’s Strategy & Corporate Finance practice.
Prior to McKinsey, Kelly held roles at Latham & Watkins LLP and Goldman Sachs.
She is a graduate of Villanova University and is actively involved in the Westfield community. In addition to serving on the Westfield Volunteer Rescue Squad Advisory Board, Kelly also serves as Treasurer of the Westfield Newcomers Club. She lives in Westfield with her husband, Adam, and their two sons, Joshua and Benjamin.
Anthony V. Carrozza, MD, FACEP
Anthony V. Carrozza, MD, FACEP is a board-certified emergency medicine physician and longtime Westfield resident with more than 20 years of experience in emergency and urgent care medicine.
Dr. Carrozza currently practices as a high-acuity urgent care physician at Summit Health, where he treats complex medical emergencies and performs advanced diagnostics. He previously served as a full-time emergency physician at Valley Health System in Las Vegas, as well as Overlook Medical Center and St. Peter’s University Hospital, and has held leadership positions including Director of Emergency Department.
He earned his medical degree from SUNY Downstate College of Medicine and completed his emergency medicine residency in New York City. Dr. Carrozza has been board-certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine since 2008.
Larry Darrow
A lifelong resident of Westfield, Lawrence L. Darrow “Larry” attended Westfield public schools and graduated from Westfield High School. He currently resides in Westfield with his wife, Donna, and their daughter, Emma, who serves as an EMT with both the Westfield Volunteer Rescue Squad and Villanova University, where she is a rising sophomore majoring in biology/pre-med.
A graduate of Marist University, Larry has spent more than 30 years in the financial services industry while maintaining a longstanding commitment to volunteerism, community service, and nonprofit leadership throughout Westfield and Union County.
Over the years, Larry has been actively involved with numerous community and nonprofit organizations. In addition to serving on the Westfield Volunteer Rescue Squad Advisory Board, he previously served six years on the Board of Trustees of The Westfield Foundation, including two years as President. He currently serves as Vice President of The Two Hundred Club of Union County and is also a board member of the Westfield YMCA and the Optimist Club of Westfield. Most recently, he was appointed to the Overlook Medical Center Community Advisory Board.
Professionally, Larry has built a career in institutional equities and capital markets, working with a range of financial institutions throughout his career. He remains committed to supporting organizations and initiatives that strengthen the local community and create meaningful local impact.
Arthur “Art” Cooke
Art Cooke is a longtime Westfield resident who moved to town in 1977 with his wife, Grace. Together they raised three daughters and are now proud grandparents to six grandchildren.
Art earned a BA from Georgetown University and a JD from Fordham University. He spent more than thirty years working with General Public Utilities electric companies in procurement contracting and insurance risk management before later serving in the Power & Utilities practice at Marsh McLennan, specializing in casualty insurance consulting and broking.
Art has been a member of the Westfield Volunteer Rescue Squad since 1981 and accumulated more than 40 years of EMT riding experience. During his time with WVRS, he served in numerous leadership roles including Sergeant, Lieutenant, Treasurer, Vice President, and President. He is currently an honorary member of the squad.
