DANBURY – Helping others with compassion and positivity as they find their path toward healing is at the forefront of Kelly Rybczyk’s mission as the new executive director of the Center for Empowerment and Education (CEE).
“My guiding philosophy in work and life is to meet people where they are and empower them to reach their goals,” Rybczyk said. “I’m honored to join CEE and lead an organization whose mission carries such personal meaning for me. I’m committed to fostering compassionate, accessible, and trauma-informed leadership, and I look forward to working alongside staff, survivors, and community partners to continue advancing this vital work.”
Formerly The Women’s Center of Greater Danbury, CEE has been a safe haven as the sole provider of services to victims of domestic and sexual violence in an 11-town service area including northern Fairfield and southern Litchfield counties. Each year, CEE serves more than 22,000 individuals from area communities with confidential services available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, and provided at no cost.
“We are thrilled to welcome Kelly to CEE,” said Erin Byrne, CEE board chair. “Her experience, compassion, and dedication to ending domestic violence and sexual assault make her an exceptional leader for our organization and the communities we serve.”
Under Rybczyk’s leadership, CEE looks forward to building on its strong foundation, deepening community partnerships, enhancing prevention education initiatives, and continuing to expand access to critical programs that empower individuals and promote healing across the region.
Rybczyk succeeds Ashley Dunn, whose leadership over the past four years was instrumental in strengthening CEE and making meaningful contributions during the nonprofit’s period of significant growth. Now, Rybczyk, who offers vast experience in education and the nonprofit sector, will help CEE move toward a new chapter.
“I hope to eliminate barriers to accessing CEE’s services so we can more fully meet the needs of our community. I’d like to deepen our programs to ensure that we are there every step of the way,” said Rybczyk, who will focus on prevention education programs in the schools to educate students about boundaries and healthy relationships and stopping violence before it starts. “We know that advances in technology have led to new ways to cause harm. I want to ensure that our advocates are not only ready to help clients with issues they are facing today, but have the knowledge to combat the issues of the future.”
Rybczyk will also extend CEE’s services to help victims become survivors through the nonprofit’s new Extended Therapy Program that expands access to long-term, trauma-informed mental health care for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and related trauma.
After earning a Bachelor of Arts in child study from the University of Saint Joseph, Rybczyk began her career as a teacher before transitioning to nonprofit work where she gained a strong track record in nonprofit management and advocacy. While earning a Master of Science in strategic fundraising and philanthropy from Bay Path University, she spent four years in development roles at educational organizations.
Rybczyk’s passion for serving survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault led her to Project SAGE, CEE’s sister agency, where she dedicated six years to advancing the organization’s mission. There, she held roles in fundraising, operations, and served as interim executive director. Also, she became a certified domestic violence counselor and built strong partnerships with the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV) and agencies across the state. Most recently, Rybczyk worked at Community Access to the Arts in Great Barrington, supporting programming for individuals with disabilities.
As executive director of CEE, Rybczyk looks forward to learning more about the Greater Danbury community.
“I hope to serve as a resource and advocate as I use my connections to get more people involved in the mission and create a safer community together,” she said. “Oftentimes, people believe interpersonal violence and sexual assault are not problems where they live. Statistically, we know that’s not true.
“I’d like to lean into our prevention education programs and community outreach to destigmatize the experience of trauma and abuse, stop violence before it starts and ensure that every person in our area knows we’re here if they, their family members, friends or neighbors need us.”
