Our Team
Paul Reinhardt is a native of Albany, NY, with degrees from both Hartwick College and Columbia Business School. Paul is a 30-year resident of New Canaan, where he raised his four children with his wife Marge. Paul worked for GE Asset Management in Stamford for 35 years, retiring as an investment portfolio manager in 2017.
In September of 2016, following the overdose death of his beloved son Evan the previous year, Paul founded the New Canaan Parent Support Group (NCPSG). Since then, the group has held more than 300 weekly support meetings and over 40 Monthly Pathway Sessions.
On August 31, 2017, NCPSG hosted the first annual Community Addiction Awareness Vigil. This event—held in downtown New Canaan—has become an annual event to educate and raise awareness about addiction and substance use in the community. Paul’s looking forward to NCPSG’s 7th annual Vigil this year, scheduled for August 30th at 7pm.
For self-care, Paul loves to hike, ski, golf, walk his Lab Lacey, 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 sharing 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.