COACH K

Following a successful 18-year Wall Street career, Brian Kriftcher (Coach "K”) retired from the business world at the age of 40 in order to devote his full-time energies to his passions for coaching, teaching and philanthropic work.

Coach "K" is the Founder, President and Head Coach of Stamford Peace Youth Foundation. He recently became the Head Coach of the boys’ Varsity basketball team at Trinity Catholic High School. Previously he was the Head Coach of the girls' Varsity basketball team at Westhill High School in Stamford, CT and the Head Coach of the boys’ Varsity basketball team at St. Luke's School, a secular college-preparatory independent school in New Canaan, CT, where he won the coveted Fairchester Athletic Association tournament Championship in 2010 – 2011. Before that he was head coach of the boys’ Freshmen basketball team and assistant coach of the boys’ Varsity and Junior Varsity basketball teams at Westhill High School in Stamford, CT.

Coach "K" has been a lifelong student and teacher of the game, and has successfully coached both boys and girls teams representing Stamford in the JCC Maccabi Games in Orange County (CA), Westchester County (NY), and Connecticut, as well as many other teams in many other events. Coach "K" has worked at such distinguished basketball camps, and under such well- known coaches, as the Bob Hurley Basketball Camp, Coach K Academy/Duke Basketball Camp, and Point Guard College. He is also a frequent basketball clinician/instructor and 1-on-1 trainer. As a player, Coach K earned a Silver Medal representing the U.S.A. as a member of its Masters (35+ years old) basketball team in the World Maccabiah Games in Israel in 2009. Previously, he earned a Gold Medal in the Pan American Maccabiah Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2007.

Coach "K" earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the State University of New York at Albany, where he was a member of the men’s intercollegiate basketball team for two seasons. He earned a law degree from St. John’s University Law School, which he attended at night; and remains licensed to practice law in New York State.

Coach "K" serves on the Board of Directors of PeacePlayers International – a not- for-profit organization that uses the game of basketball to bridge divides between young people in conflict areas throughout the world – where he served as Global Chairman from July 2012 to December 2018. He also serves on the Board of Directors of PowerFORWARD International, which through basketball develops educational opportunities for young people in Haiti. From 2009 – 2012, he was president of the Stamford JCC. Coach "K" has been a Stamford resident since 1996, where he lives with his wife, Jeannie, and three daughters, Hannah, Charlotte and Sophie.

CHARLES AIKMAN

Charles Aikman is a tax director at PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, where he supports multinational companies throughout the entire corporate tax lifecycle. Prior to joining PwC,  Charlie was a senior tax manager in the Energy Financial Services business of GE Capital based in Stamford, CT. He holds a bachelor's degree in finance from Penn State, as well as a law degree and MBA from  DePaul University.  He is a licensed attorney in the state of New York, as well as a CPA. 

Charlie lives in White Plains, NY, where he can regularly be found supporting the growth of the game throughout the community.

DOROTHY BRILL

Dorothy Brill is Head of Human Resources for Strategic Value Partners, LLC, a global investment firm with headquarters in Greenwich, CT.  She was Head of HR for Silver Point Capital from 2008 to 2013 and has had other HR leadership roles, including 8 years as Head of HR for Synapse Group, Inc. and HR jobs at GE/GE Capital.  She began her career in Institutional Sales at Allen & Company, Inc. where she also helped manage their Investment Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho.  During her eclectic career, Dorothy also spent 4 years teaching high school history and coaching field hockey and lacrosse at The Harvey School.

Dorothy earned a BA from Williams College and an MBA from Cornell’s Johnson School.  She lives in Stamford with her two teenage sons and has been cheering from the sidelines of courts and fields for years.  She served in the past on the “Hope in Motion” committee that organizes the charity walk & run event to raise funds for Stamford Hospital’s Bennett Cancer Center.

GINA FREDERICK

Gina Frederick is a social worker at Apples Early Childhood Development Center, a public pre-school in Stamford which addresses the needs of both typical children and children with special needs. Prior to that she was a school social worker at Northeast Elementary School in Stamford, CT. She provides counseling services and works closely with children, teachers, parents, and the Department of Children and Families. Over the past 8 years, Ms. Frederick has developed and fostered partnerships with various community organizations, such as the Connecticut Food Bank and Person To Person.  Through these collaborations, Ms. Frederick has helped secure food and clothing for needy children, as well as helping to provide up to 40 camp scholarships every summer.

Ms. Frederick received her B.A. from the University of Michigan and her M.S.W. from New York University.  She previously worked at Child Guidance Centers in both Stamford and New London. She served on the board of directors of the Friends of the Ferguson Library, where she co-chaired the Stamford Literary Competition, and currently serves as an Advisory Board member of the Avon Theatre in Stamford.

Ms. Frederick lives in Stamford, with her husband Steven and their 3 children.

REV. DR. STEPHEN CHAPIN GARNER

Rev. Chapin Garner is a native New Yorker, having grown up over the border from New Canaan in Westchester County. His greatest passions in life are being a husband, father, and pastor.

Chapin is a graduate of Boston University School of Theology, and he holds Doctor of Ministry degree in preaching from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He has served as a pastor at the Village Church in Wellesley, Massachusetts and the United Church of Christ in Norwell, Massachusetts.

Chapin has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Alban Institute, he is an adjunct faculty member in homiletics and pastoral studies at Boston University School of Theology, and he is a resident preacher at the Church at Point O’Woods in Fire Island, New York during the summer. Chapin’s books include: Lost in the Middle? Claiming an Inclusive Faith for Christians Who Are Both Liberal and Evangelical; Found in the Middle! Theology and Ethics for Christians Who Are Both Liberal and Evangelical; Scattering Seeds: Cultivating Church Vitality; and As The Spirit Moves: A Daily Devotional.

DARRELL JOHNSON

Darrell Johnson is the first Executive Director of the New York City Chapter of the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA).  Darrell is charged with working with a dynamic board and high impact strategic partners such as the New York Yankees, Madison Square Garden (NY Knicks, NY Rangers & NY Liberty) and NYC FC soccer club to transform the NYC tri-state area into a youth sports development zone.

Prior to joining PCA, Darrell's career was spent in brand management at Sara Lee, PepsiCo and Heineken focused on marketing and media strategy, new product innovation as well as sports and entertainment activation for several world renowned brands. Darrell has a BA from Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT) and a MBA from Boston College (Chestnut Hill, MA).

A native New Yorker, Darrell currently resides in Stamford, Connecticut with his wife and three children (all aspiring athletes!). Active in youth basketball, Darrell coaches boys and girls AAU basketball at various levels. He can always be found in a gym, park or driveway watching, coaching and training future basketball stars.

BRIAN LARGE

Brian Large is a Partner at Lenox Advisors Inc., a wealth advisory firm based in New York, with offices in Stamford (CT), Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

KEVIN O’REILLY

Kevin O’Reilly has spent the past 20 years in various senior finance positions at Terex Corporation a global machinery manufacturer servicing the construction, energy and materials management industries. Prior to Terex Kevin spent 11 years at PriceWaterhosueCoopers in New York City. Kevin is a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology.

Kevin and his wife, Betsy, have lived in Stamford, CT for over 20 years. They have three children. Their youngest Kyle, is currently a videographer with Stamford Peace AAU.

PATRICK POWERS

Patrick Powers has been involved in the grassroots basketball space as a business operator for more than a decade. Currently, he is the Owner/Operator of the HoopHall Dreams Camps. His camps serve more than 750 youth basketball players per year.

Patrick is a graduate of Brown University, where he was a four-year member of the Varsity basketball program. As a player at Brown, Patrick broke the school’s single season record for most three pointers made. Patrick earned All-Ivy League honors in 2004; and Academic All-Ivy League honors in 2003 and 2004. In addition, in 2004 he was named to the District 1 Academic All-American team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (a CoSIDA Academic All-American).

MICHAEL TEPEDINO

Mike Tepedino is a member of the Executive Committee of HFF L.P., a leading provider of capital markets transaction services to the U.S. commercial real estate industry, where Mike has been since 1997. He has been in the real estate industry for 28 years, having started his career at Travelers Insurance Company.  Mike is a graduate of Skidmore College and the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University.

Mike lives in Rye, New York with his wife, Kerry, and four young children, all of whom are avid hoop fans and players. The Tepedino’s oldest child, Will, attends the undergraduate business school at Villanova University. Their son, Matthew, plays on the 17u Peace AAU team and has played for the Peace since 5th grade.