Aug 31, 2026 / The East Hampton Press
The Retreat has added Kara Sue Ackerman and Laura Fox to its board of directors, bringing community advocacy and clinical expertise in trauma and family dynamics to the organization’s leadership.
Ackerman, a lifelong East Hampton resident, is the founder of Secrets N Style, a fashion, beauty and lifestyle platform. A former jewelry designer and brand consultant, she has spent more than two decades working with entrepreneurs and creative businesses.
Her connection to The Retreat is personal. Ackerman is joining the board in honor of her late mother, Judith A. Ackerman, an early leader of the organization who advocated for people experiencing domestic abuse.
“Joining The Retreat board is both an honor and a deeply personal commitment,” Ackerman said. “My mother believed wholeheartedly in the organization’s mission and dedicated so much of herself to helping others.”
Fox is a licensed clinical social worker in private practice in Jericho. She has 26 years of experience working with children, adolescents and adults and has post-graduate training in parenting and child development, family mediation and trauma-informed care. Before becoming a therapist, she earned a law degree and worked in family law and mediation.
Fox also volunteers as a court-appointed special advocate for CASA Long Island.
“I am honored to be a part of The Retreat board and excited to work with such an outstanding community of professionals dedicated to protecting and advocating for Long Island’s domestic violence victims,” Fox said.
“Kara and Laura bring exactly the kind of expertise and heart The Retreat needs,” said Cate Carbonaro, executive director of The Retreat. “One carries forward a deeply personal legacy in this community; the other brings decades of clinical insight into trauma and healing.”
