Meet Our Committee Chairs
Laura Rettig
Executive Chair
Hi, I’m Laura, and I’m honored to serve as the Executive Chair of The Brady Effect. In this role, I oversee our dedicated team of officers, ensuring the seamless execution of our mission. I work closely with our Board of Directors, implementing policies and driving initiatives to ensure that every child—regardless of their abilities—has the resources to be safe and confident in the water.
I was born and raised in Hardin County, Ohio, where I chose to stay and raise my family. I’m a proud mom of three wonderful grown children and absolutely love being Gi-Gi! My husband and I currently reside in Findlay, Ohio, along with our beloved Beabull, Izzy.
With 29 years as a Registered Nurse and 16 years as an educator in Health Professions, I have dedicated my career to shaping the next generation of healthcare professionals. Currently, I serve as the Senior Health Professions Instructor at Millstream Career Center in Findlay, Ohio. I am passionate about mentoring students and preparing them for rewarding careers in healthcare.
My greatest accomplishment in life has been raising my children and watching them grow into unique, passionate, and compassionate adults. My son, Brady Donnelly, was a shining example of this journey. His infectious spirit, unwavering kindness, and deep connection with children made him a beacon of positivity in the lives of so many.
In September 2024, my world was shattered when Brady lost his life in a drowning accident. The pain of his loss is immeasurable, but from this tragedy, The Brady Effect was born. This is not just a cause—it is Brady’s legacy. It is our way of transforming profound grief into purpose, advocacy, and action to ensure that no family endures the same loss.
Through The Brady Effect, we are committed to spreading awareness, educating families, and creating inclusive water safety programs that empower children of all abilities. We hope to extend Brady’s kindness, passion, and determination far and wide—making the world a safer and more inclusive place, one ripple at a time.
Lydia Poloni
Advocacy Chair (MI)
Hi, I’m Lydia, and I have the honor of serving as the Advocacy Chair (MI) for The Brady Effect. In my role, I’m responsible for raising awareness, building relationships within the autism and adaptive swim communities in our service areas, fostering connections with families, instructors, advocates and local organizations, as well as identifying opportunities for collaboration and community engagement.
I grew up in Brownstown, Mi and still reside Downriver in Allen Park. I attended Central Michigan University for my undergrad where I double majored in Youth Studies and Psychology. During this time, I was offered a position to work in the field ABA Therapy as a Behavior Technician, which I accepted because one of my best friends growing up was on the Autism Spectrum. I officially began my career of working with children on the Autism Spectrum in 2012. I completed my Master's Degree in Psychology and Applied Behavioral Analysis and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) in 2019. I have continued to work in the field of ABA Therapy as a Clinical Director.
I met and had the privilege of working with Brady as his supervisor at ABA Pathways. Brady was charismatic, compassionate, and was able to create meaningful connections with not only the clients he worked with, but all of his co-workers as well. Brady was passionate about the work he was doing with our clients and always went above and beyond for them.
The reason why I decided to join The Brady Effect is to help prevent other families from suffering such a devastating loss. I hope that through The Brady Effect we can keep making a positive impact and continue to serve the population that meant so much to Brady by spreading awareness and providing education and resources to families.
If you are interested in joining our team, please submit your information here!