Our Team
Paul Reinhardt is Founder & Chief Poombah of the New Canaan Parent Support Group. Before starting NCPSG, Paul was an investment portfolio manager at GE Asset Management for 35 years. A native of Albany, NY, Paul attended the Albany Academy, Hartwick College and Columbia Business School. A resident of New Canaan for over 30 years, Paul has 4 children including his beloved Evan, who died of an overdose in 2015.
Paul is proud of the awareness created through NCPSG's hosted events, which include support meetings, Pathway Sessions, and the Annual Community Addiction Awareness Vigil.
The first Vigil took place on August 31, 2017, and has been held in downtown New Canaan each year since then. Paul believes in the Power of Story, and has encouraged 100 individuals to step forward and share their inspiring recovery stories with others.
Paul is a member of St. Mark's Episcopal Church, and loves to bike, hike, ski, golf, and start the day with yoga.
Nick deSpoelberch is a Licensed Professional Counselor who specializes in counseling individuals with substance use and/or co-occurring disorders. In recent years, Nick has worked in a variety of clinical treatment settings–for CT Renaissance, Pivot Ministries, and ND Counseling for Hope & Growth. He is known in the drug & alcohol counseling community for his ability to reach both youth and adults alike.
Nick is also an individual in recovery; he has shared his story in community panels sponsored by Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan and Wilton. Nick started to facilitate the weekly meetings of the New Canaan Parent Support Group in January of 2017. The feedback from parents who attend the meetings has been uniformly positive.
Prior to his current counseling career, Nick worked as Dean of Students for Regis High School in New York City. He has a Master of Science in Guidance and Counseling from the College of New Rochelle. Nick lives in Darien and is a proud father of three children: Liam, Quinn and Shay.
Rich Hoge began attending our support group meetings in 2020. He was an active volunteer in New Canaan youth sports for many years and was a member of the New Canaan Youth Wrestling Board. His wife Lori is an elementary school educator. They have three adult sons. Rich provides consulting services to asset managers and early-stage businesses.
After a career in tax law and investment banking, he was a founder of a successful startup and an asset management executive. Rich has a BBA from Hofstra University, a JD from St John's University, and an LLM from NYU Law School.
Liza Pohle began attending our support group meetings in 2021. She and her husband, Chris, have been blessed by opportunities to volunteer with organizations in New Canaan including the YMCA, their children’s schools, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, New Canaan Museum & Historical Society, New Canaan Community Foundation, Congregational Church, and to support their children’s youth sports teams. They have three adult children.
Prior to starting their family, Liza worked on U.S.-Soviet programs for the U.S. Department of State and had the good fortune to be part of a transformative time in international relations. Liza has a BA in History and Political Science from Colorado College and serves on the CC Board of Trustees.
For self-care, Liza likes to read, ski, travel (especially to National Parks), E-Bike, and spend time with her immediate and extended families.
Eric Thunem began attending our support group meetings in 2019. He and his wife, Cynnie, are active members of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and they have two adult sons. Eric is a community volunteer who holds positions on several local boards, including the Gridiron Club and the Town Players of New Canaan. He is also a member of the New York Regional Advisory Board for Caron Treatment Centers.
Eric retired from his financial services career in 2021, after having spent more than twenty-five years in capital-raising for private equity, credit, and real estate funds, and twelve years in the U.S. domestic oil and gas industry. He has an MBA from Columbia Business School, and a BA, Cum Laude, from UConn.
Francesca Compagno joined us as our social media intern in November 2022. Francesca graduated from Sacred Heart University in May 2023 with a BA, Magna Cum Laude, in Strategic Communications, PR & Advertising. She is currently attending Seton Hall University to receive her MA in Public Relations. Francesca plans to pursue a career in digital marketing, social media, and other related fields.
Francesca was born and raised in Staten Island, NY. In her free time, she likes to read, sing karaoke, and take her dog on walks. We are grateful to have her join our team.