ABOUT US
Building Bridges For BRIANNA
Who We Are
Building Bridges for Brianna is located in York County, Pennsylvania, to help deal with and preventing suicidal and non-suicidal self-injury in members of our community. Even though we are located in York we stretch nationally with our efforts.
Building Bridges for Brianna is the creation of Matt Dorgan. Matt created the organization in response to his grief from the loss of his 15-year-old daughter Brianna Dorgan to suicide on December 3, 2020. He formed a board and team that have had similar experiences that want to work toward helping others.
“It takes a strong community foundation to build the bridge for mental health”- Matt Dorgan
Matt Dorgan wants the community to know that it’s ok to not be ok, we just can’t stay that way and he wants to build the bridge, so people don’t stay that way. Matt has said many times that we need to build the bridge to connect people that need help to the people that can give help.

The purpose of the organization is to promote suicide awareness and prevention, fund suicide awareness and prevention programs, support those in need dealing with mental health, and family support programs for families who have members dealing mental health issues.
Founders
Matt Dorgan
President (Founding Member/ Brianna's Father) York County Crisis Intervention Team Member QPR Gatekeeper Instructor
Matt Dorgan was born and raised in York, Pennsylvania. He graduated from York Suburban High School in 1998 after which he moved to Key West to pursue an occupation in Marine Engineering. While in Key West, he worked many different jobs that catered to the tourism industry, but it was his experience working in a nightclub that reignited his childhood dream of becoming a police officer.
After graduating from the police academy in Key West, Matt was hired by the Key West Police Department where he worked on patrol for many years. Matt finally left to join the private sector in security and loss prevention which brought him back to Pennsylvania. While in the private sector, Matt built partnerships with many law enforcement agencies and was successful in lowering drug overdoses, robberies, and attacks on retail workers and members of the community. He has always been driven to protect others and make changes for the better.
Returning to Pennsylvania provided an opportunity for Matt to raise his children, Brianna and John, around family and friends. The children eventually went to live with their mother in New York, but Brianna returned to York County in 2018 to live with her dad. Brianna and Matt always had a special bond that grew stronger when Brianna revealed her mental health challenges. Matt was unwavering in his support of Brianna taking her to countless appointments and staying by her side through every hospitalization. Unfortunately, Brianna succumbed to the demons she fought on December 3, 2020. Using his grief as a catalyst for change, Matt committed himself to serving his community as a mental health advocate.
In January 2021, Matt started putting together an awareness and fundraising event called Building Bridges for Brianna. The purpose of the event was to bridge the gap between people who needed help and those who could provide the help. That was when Matt realized that this cannot be an event, Building Bridges for Brianna needed to be a movement aimed at reaching as many people as possible to promote mental wellness.
In nearly 5 short years, Matt has turned the devastating grief of losing his daughter into an organization serving York County and beyond. Building Bridges for Brianna, they equip individuals with essential resources, support through suicide prevention programs, mental health guidance, and family assistance initiatives and trainings.
Matt has traveled the county giving voice to Brianna’s and his story with mental health challenges. Brianna’s story lives on in to break the stigma around mental health. Matt’s mantra is, “Go big or go home” and this is embodied in his dedication to Building Bridges for Brianna as a mental health resource center for the community. Matt’s drive to remove mental health barriers is a testament to the love for his daughter.
The culmination of hard work and many emotions came in 2024 when Matt was nominated by his community for the National Jefferson Award. The Jefferson Awards Foundation is a non-profit organization that “recognizes, inspires and activates volunteerism and public service in communities, workplaces and schools across America.” Matt was nominated for this award for all he has done to make York County a better place in honor of Brianna. Matt was one of 5 winners of the National Award receiving 13,000 nominations – the most votes any individual from York County has ever received, Matt continues to live up to the expectations of community service by expanding Building Bridges for Brianna so that people can receive the mental health care needed to live a happy and purposeful life.
Amber Wnek-Dorgan
Treasurer (Founding Member)
Amber was born in New Jersey and is a proud alumna of Milton Hershey School. After graduating in 1988, she returned to New Jersey and attended Stockton University where she earned her Bachelor’s in Accounting. Amber’s proudest accomplishments are her two children, Autumn and Joshua. When her children were younger, she and her husband expanded their hearts and home to become devoted foster parents to many children. Amber wanted nothing more than to give these children a safe place to live while helping them and their families.
Amber and her sister, Sharon, were recognized in the child welfare community for their selfless contribution to fostering children. Both became Chairpersons for the Foster Parent Association and served on the Board of Directors for the State Foster Parent Association. Amber also earned the Foster Parent of the Year Award. However, the greatest recognition Amber received was the gratitude from reunited children and families years after she was a foster parent. Amber’s love and care has positively influenced generations of children.
Amber’s commitment for service to her community extends to those struggling with their mental health. Mental health has impacted her family and she has experienced the sorrow of losing close family members and friends to suicide. In 2020, Amber supported her son when he lost his best friend, Brianna, to suicide. Brianna was part of Amber’s family and she remembers Brianna as one of sweetest and most caring teenagers she has ever met. Amber knows the trauma that Brianna went through and can understand why it was so hard for her to trust others. During their shared grief, Amber connected with Matt and learned their visions for service were aligned and Building Bridges for Brianna was born.
After working with so many children and their traumatic experiences, Amber renewed her dedication to helping those in need. Many do not realize the impact of a loved one’s mental health struggle upon the entire family. When a family is engaged with the daily struggles of mental illness, it is difficult to access the community resources to restore the family. A person outside the family to help coordinate resources is sometimes the greatest support a family needs. Building Bridges for Brianna serves to honor Brianna and every other person who is too afraid to reach out for fear that no one will understand. Amber is passionate about preserving families so they have many years of memories and joy.
Officers
Matt Dorgan
President
Bobby Good
Vice President
Amber Wnek-Dorgan
Treasurer
Board of Directors
Katharine Diorio
Board Member
(Pending) QPR Gatekeeper Instructor
Kate Diorio is a York county native and currently resides in Red Lion, PA. Kate always wanted to be a teacher and pursued her dream at Westchester University. She remained in the Philadelphia area where she evolved from a teacher to an administrator after nearly 2 decades in the burbs of Philly, Kate decided to move back to your county to be closer to her family.
Kate is currently employed by the Red Lion Area School District as the Director of Pupil Services. Her mission is to remove barriers for children so they can experience an equitable education and have agency in their lives.
One of the greatest barriers in her professional world is securing access to high-quality mental healthcare for students and their family members. Personally, Kate found that her greatest challenge was taken care of her own mental health so that she could show up better to support others.
Aside from being an educator and an advocate, Kate is a mother, partner, sister, and daughter. She enjoys travel and spending time with people who bring her joy.
Robert Good
Board Member/ Vice President
QPR Gatekeeper Instructor
Bobby Good is a lifelong resident of York County Pa. He is a 1988 graduate of Dallastown Area High School and has been working for most of the last 30 years as a kitchen designer.
Bobby is also a member of the Sons of American Legion. Being a Legion member allows him the ability to help support Veterans as well as his family and friends that have served. (Thank you all) After attending the first Building Bridges for Brianna event and eventually meeting Matt & Amber and observing their commitment to want to help the young people suffering all around them, he knew he wanted to help in some way. Realizing there are so many people in our community both young and old that have not only tried to take their life but have a plan is worrisome and disturbing. He believes that to help those community members suffering with their mental health we must do what we can to show them there is help and people willing to talk or just listen.
In his spare time Bobby likes to spend time with family, friends, and his dog. One of his favorite things is to travel and his family camping trip to Koebel’s Amusement Park. He enjoys listening to all kinds of music from Jimmy Buffet to Classic Rock and everything in between.
Tom Bream
Board Member/ Asst. Treasurer
Tom Bream Is a lifelong resident of York County, PA. He is a 1983 graduate of Hanover Senior High School and continued his education at Shippensburg University, graduating with a BSBA Degree in Management Science in 1987. Tom worked with Hanover Foods Corporation for his first 7 years after college and worked for Dentsply Sirona out of York, PA as a Supply Chain Analyst for the last 29 years.
Tom has held numerous volunteer positions with many organizations over the past 30 years. Tom held a Treasurer position for Dallastown School District Sports for the Football Boosters, and Field Hockey Boosters for several years during his children’s involvement. Tom has also held varying Treasurer responsibilities for other organizations including Christ Lutheran Church (Dallastown), American Legion SAL Post 605, Rocky Ridge Hunting Club, Rescue Fire Company, and SAFER Fire Company over the past 20 years. Tom has never shied away from any financial responsibility within any organization and his attention to detail and organizational skills has led to his success in these ventures.
Tom is a perfect addition to Building Bridges for Brianna as he himself has suffered through varying episodes of depression and mental illness over the past 25 years and has been able to overcome these life difficulties through counseling and other means. Tom is dedicated to BB4B’s cause and makes him a great asset to the organization. Tom’s leadership skills and history make him a perfect fit for this organization and the dedication for the organizational success. We welcome Tom on board to Building Bridges for Brianna.
Erin Schmidt
Board Member/ Founding Member
Erin Schmidt, graduate of Elizabethtown College obtained her Masters in Social Worker at Temple University, in August 2022. Erin has worked in the human services field since 2005, working with various populations, in addition to working for the Department of Health and Human Services. Erin is currently a Program Manager at a local community based organization. Erin has a strong interest in supporting the community she resides in, working to break down barriers to care, making mental services more accessible.
Marie Bedford
Board Member/ Secretary
Marie was born in Monmouth County, New Jersey, and raised in Pennsylvania since the age of six. She has built a successful career dedicated to healthcare and community service, holding degrees from the Pennsylvania State University as well as Harrisburg Area Community College. Combining her education with a passion for helping others she serves as the Regional Director of Case Management at Clinical Care Consulting, where she applies her expertise to improve patient care and outcomes.
Her leadership extends beyond her professional role, having held numerous volunteer positions throughout her career. Notably, she served on the Board of Directors for the Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Assessment Coordinators (PANAC), including six years as President. Additionally, she was the Cheerleading Commissioner for the Dallastown Cougars organization, contributing to her community during her children’s involvement in youth sports.
Mental health advocacy is especially close to Marie’s heart. Having witnessed friends and family struggle with mental health challenges, and tragically losing some to suicide, she is deeply committed to raising awareness and promoting support for mental health issues. Her own experiences with depression and anxiety have fueled her determination to overcome adversity and inspire others to seek help and healing.
Managers AND ADVISors
Jess Leahy
Advisory Committee / Founding Member
Jess Leahy was born and raised in York, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Central York High School in 1998, while also being 8 months pregnant with her first child, which was at the beginning of her battles with mental health. She went on to attend Empire Beauty School’s York campus in late 2000, she was unable to finish due to being hospitalized on bed rest for a month and a half because during the 27th week of pregnancy with her second child, the was a hole in the amniotic sac and amniotic fluid was leaking in small amounts. The early birth of her son and his extended stay in the NICU for 2 months put even more strain on her mental health, she went through counseling at various facilities in York County. She also tragically received domestic violence from her third child’s father in 2012 and has extensive trauma from those incidents, still, she has risen above and used her traumatic experiences to try to help other domestic violence survivors in her area.
She also spent over a decade as one of your lovable bartenders at The Glad Crab in Dallastown, Pennsylvania. While there she met Matt Dorgan and they became friends, for years she has been there to lend an ear or give advice with all his struggles in the past with Brianna’s mental health issues. She has also lost so many friends to suicide over the years, deep down she needed to raise awareness but didn’t know how, until now. She was asked to join the Building Bridges for Brianna team in late February 2021 by Matt. She is currently on the advisory board. She is an active member of the team who helps with the organizing of all the events that take place to raise awareness to mental health and suicide prevention. With all of her past issues with mental health, she has the knowledge to help others and the desire to want to help as well.
Dana Ryer
Advisory Committee
Dana Ryer is a York County Native. He was born and raised in York County. He currently resides in Dallastown with his wife. There they raised 2 children. Dana graduated from York County School of Technology in 1991. He is a machine operator at SKF USA INC. in Hanover.
Dana has been volunteering with Building Bridges for Brianna for the last couple of years. Dana knew Brianna as she was a close friend with his daughter. After Brianna’s passing, his daughter Desiree and his wife Michelle, started attending events for BB4B. They then started volunteering for different events for BB4B and became friends with Matt and Amber. Throughout this time, their daughter and son started struggling also with Mental Health. Depression, anxiety, PTSD etc. Building Bridges for Brianna was a huge help with dealing with their struggles. Dana then started volunteering for Building Bridges for Brianna and now a part of their Advisory board.
Dana’s hobbies include hunting and fishing. When Dana isn’t hunting or fishing, he is spending time with his family and friends. In the summer, he and Michelle love spending time on their boat.
Michelle Ryer
Advisory Committee
Michelle Ryer is a York County Native. She was born and raised in Windsor. She currently resides in Dallastown with her husband where they raised their 2 children. She attended Red Lion High School. She is a Sales Administrator at Bunzl Distribution where she has been employed for 20 years.
Michelle started struggling with mental health many years ago. With the help of her doctor, she has found medication that helps her with her struggles. She then was made aware of her children’s struggles with Mental Health when her son was a teenager. Very early on, she didn’t understand the extent of his mental health issues for a few years. Her daughter has struggled with mental health issues most of her life. It was very difficult to manage her struggles. It wasn’t until her daughter’s friend lost her fight with mental health and passed away to suicide that Michelle really began to understand the depths of both her children’s struggles. Her daughter’s friend was Brianna. Through this tragic time, Michelle reached out to Matt and from that a friendship was founded. Michelle and her daughter began helping with the Building Bridges for Brianna event. From volunteering, Michelle started realizing how deep the mental health crisis really is including her own children. Michelle now volunteers at a lot of the events that BB4B have. Michelle and her family have become very good friends with Matt and Amber. Michelle is now one of the main contacts for volunteers for BB4B.
When Michelle isn’t volunteering her time with BB4B, she loves spending time with her family and friends. Her son and daughter in law live in Connecticut and she loves spending time with them when they can visit. Michelle’s daughter is a student at Temple University and she spends time with her when she is able to make it home. Michelle and her husband are also enjoying “Empty Nesting” and spending time as a couple.
Kim Duerr
Advisory Committee
Kim was born and raised in York, she grew up In Jacobus, PA., and graduated from Dallastown Area High School in 1982. Kim also graduated from Empire Beauty School in 1984. She has worked as a dental assistant for over 30 years. Kim is also a pet sitter as she has a love for all fur babies. Kim loves to travel to Ocean City, MD. and the Caribbean with her friends and boyfriend. Besides her love for travel and animals she enjoys reading, watching sports, swimming, and spending time with friends. Kim became interested in volunteering with Building Bridges for Brianna after attending our first festival. After attending she knew wanted to become a volunteer and help make a difference, help build the bridge. After Kim began to volunteer, she knew she could do more. At that time Kim decided she wanted to assist in a more leadership role so she can help save lives. Kim enjoys talking to people to help educate them on what Building Bridges for Brianna does for the community and the resources available.
Shannon Giannini
Advisory Committee
Shannon Giannini is a York County native. She completed her bachelors degree in accounting and business administration at Central Penn College. For the past 10 years she has worked for a local non-profit, 7 of those years as the Assistant Director of Finance. Shannon has a relationship with mental health issues both in her personal and professional life and because of this she is passionate about spreading awareness concerning mental health. When Shannon first learned about Building Bridges for Brianna she immediately thought of her own children and the importance of having open conversations with them regarding mental health. She began volunteering for a couple of events and decided she wanted to be a bigger part of the organization because she values the work and mission that the organization provides to the community.
In her free time, Shannon enjoys spending time with her two children, rooting for the Packers and reading a good book
Sara McCarthy
Advisory Committee
Since 2010, she has worked in the event and entertainment industries, specializing in marketing and graphic design. In 2017, she embarked on her entrepreneurial journey, launching both a design business and a photo booth rental company.
She will be the first to admit that she is easily distracted by anything shiny. In fact, it was the purple lights displayed throughout York for Suicide Prevention Month that led her to BB4B. Wanting to give back to her community, she reached out to see how she could use her background and resources to help further the goals and mission of BB4B.
Sara’s favorite tool for keeping her mental health in check is music. You will often find her with headphones on, or playing the double bass, as a way to handle stress. When she isn’t behind a laptop screen or onsite at an event, Sara can be found cheering on her daughter, a member of the Dallastown Swim Club (Go Wildcats!), traveling with her family to as many Broncos and Dolphins games as possible, and spoiling her English Lab, Patrick, while watching reruns of shows such as ‘Dexter’, ‘How I Met Your Mother’ and ‘Seinfeld’.
George Fleagle
Advisory Committee
George was born and raised in York County, PA. George served his country for six years in the US Army Combat Engineers. Using the GI Bill, George earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from Penn State University. He continued his education at George Washington University, earning his Master’s Degree in Project Management. George is now retired after working for 48 years in both the public and private sectors.
In his spare time, George likes motorcycling, traveling, and spending time with his friends and family. George also volunteers for the Dallastown American Legion where he is a Past Commander and founder of the Dallastown American Legion Riders. George is a loyal Kansas City Chiefs fan and of course, he loves his Nittany Lions.
George learned about Building Bridges for Brianna when Matt Dorgan joined the Dallastown American Legion Riders. George has personally experienced the impact of mental illness when a family member attempted suicide. This traumatic event inspired George to advocate for those who are struggling with their mental health. George is dedicated to raising awareness for mental health services and the prevention of suicide.
Tyler Leahy
Advisory Committee / Founding Member
Tyler Leahy was born and raised in York, Pennsylvania. He is our jack of all trades board member, he has 15+ years of experience in construction and other mechanical.He currently is employed as a concrete finisher/lead. He had struggles with mental health issues when he was younger and wants to help others struggling as well.
He lost his best friend to suicide in 2016, his first experience with losing someone close in that way, it affected him greatly, as well as several other friends taking their lives through the years. Tyler was asked to join Building Bridges for Brianna in May 2021, his role was for our main event to help shuttle people attending the event, his role has grown so much since then and now he is a member of the advisory board. He has a strong passion to help build the bridge!
Desiree Ryer
Social Media Advisor/ Brianna's Best Friend
Desiree Ryer was born and raised in York, Pennsylvania. She was a student at Dallastown Area High School before transferring to Capital Area School For The Arts Charter School where she graduated in 2023. She currently is a student at Temple University in Event and Entertainment management. She was one of Brianna’s close friends when she moved to Dallastown in their 7th-grade year. Desiree learned more about Brianna’s struggles with mental health, which encouraged Desiree to open up more about the things she was struggling with. To Desiree and many other people, Brianna was an amazing person who would create a smile on her face whenever she needed it. When Desiree heard about Brianna’s passing, She knew there needed to be a change made so there weren’t any more people, so she started volunteering with them in June 2021 and has continued ever since. She is currently the Social Media Adviser and hopes to help bring Building Bridges to more places around the United States.
Staff
Lisa MacKillop
Therapist
More Information to Come…..
Kristina Crippen
Licensed Social Worker
Kristina Crippen was born in South Korea and came to the United States at 3 months old. She is from Lancaster County and graduated from Manheim Township High School. Kristina received both her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Social Work from Millersville University. She began working with juvenile probation youth and then worked with the elderly population. Kristina then began working in homes with children as a mobile therapist before deciding on her current position of in office therapy. She has worked with individuals, couples, families, and groups. Kristina holds an LSW and is certified in DBT Therapy and Family Group Decision Making. She also has had numerous trainings in trauma and OCD related disorders. Kristina enjoys helping others and has dedicated her life to making small differences in the lives of others. She has two children with whom she credits most of her life experiences and what she has learned from them to. Kristina enjoys traveling with her husband and playing bingo. Ironically Kristina met Matt at a Building Bridges For Brianna Bingo and that is how she came to be apart of the organization. Kristina enjoys helping people through some of the most difficult times of their lives and giving them outlets to use or just being a listening ear.