Meet Our Executives

Richard D. Sanford

Founder & Chairman - email

Dick is a serial entrepreneur and philanthropist. He began his career at Arthur Anderson and was VP of Finance and Executive Vice President of Commodore International. He went on to found Intelligent Electronics, which grew to a $3.7 billion dollar wholesale distributor of micro-products and services. In 1998 Dick started The Sanford Foundation to support disadvantaged children. The first charter school in Pennsylvania was an early product and today that school, known as The Chester County Family Academy, operates in West Chester, PA. He has served on the Board of the Brandywine Museum and Conservancy. In 1998 Dick founded Operation Warm.

Rich Lalley

Vice President, Development- email

Prior to joining Operation Warm in 2009, Rich served as the President of the Rotary Club of Winnetka-Northfield, IL. He joined Rotary in 2004, when he and his wife started a business in Winnetka. He was a Board member and the Chair of the Public Relations Committee, before assuming his position as President. Rich also brings over twenty years of brand marketing and advertising experience to Operation Warm, most recently as Vice President of Advertising & Brand Management for Discover Financial Services. Rich is a graduate of Michigan State University, where he studied advertising. He resides with his wife in Lincolnshire, IL. Their son Alex attends Loyola University in Chicago.

Carey Palmquist

Executive Director - email

Before joining Operation Warm in May 2010, Carey was Vice President of Operations and Continuous Process Improvement at ProCure Proton Therapy Centers. ProCure builds and operates proton therapy centers for the treatment of specific cancers. Carey was also a senior administrator at the Mass General Hospital in both orthopaedics and radiation oncology. Originally from Radnor, PA, Carey attended Villanova University and in 2003 earned her Master’s in Management at Cambridge College. Carey is an expert instructor and national lecturer in the principles of Lean, and is a certified Master Six Sigma Green & Black Belt. She currently has a seat on the prestigious Malcolm Baldridge Board of Examiners. Carey worked with Operation Warm’s founder and CEO at Intelligent Electronics 20 years ago and brings experience to the team in marketing, communications, human resource management, and process improvement.

Cydney Irving-Dasent

Vice President, Government & Community Relations - email

Cydney has been at Operation Warm since July 2007, and has been tasked with working with local and state governments and civic organizations around the country.She develops programs that expand the distribution of coats that aid organizations in meeting their own goals. Cydney works with partner organizations in the 39 states that Operation Warm serves and helps select our community partners in all new program areas.

Cydney has broad experience in non-profits, having served as Director of Prevention Services for the Presbyterian Children's Village. In addition, she is a facilitator for Briding the Gap, a board member of Youth Services, Inc. and the Treasurer of Friends of Malik Boyd.

Cydney is a graduate of West Chester University, received a Masters in social work from Temple and an MBA from St. Joseph's Executive Program.