Raising A Reader MA – Board of Directors
Officers:
Chair – Janet E. Porter, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Operator, Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Janet Porter has been a passionate advocate for patient care and healthcare leadership development throughout her career. She is currently the Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, one of the nation’s leading cancer hospitals. Previously, she served for seven years as the Associate Dean for Executive for the School of Public Health at University of North Carolina. She was also the Chief Operating Officer of Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio for nine years. Janet is on the faculties of University of Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio State and Harvard University. Janet received a B.S. and M.H.A. from Ohio State University and a M.B.A. and Ph.D. in strategic management from University of Minnesota.
Vice Chair – Steve DiPietro, Audit Partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP
Steve DiPietro has more than 13 years of experience serving as an audit partner on both public and private companies in the technology, industrial products, and services industries. He has extensive SEC reporting experience, as well as significant experience with mergers and acquisitions and related registration statement filings. Steve also currently serves as the Northeast leader of the firm’s US Offering Services Group, providing his knowledge and experience as a resource to engagement teams involved in IPOs and other SEC reporting requirements. Steve is a member of the Massachusetts State Board of Accountancy and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. A graduate of Merrimack College, he has been active in a number of local technology and community organizations, previously serving on the Boards of the Massachusetts Electronic Commerce Association and Mental Health and Retardation Services, Inc.
Treasurer – David Gaw, Chief Financial Officer Pyramid Hotels and Resorts
David Gaw currently serves as Chief Financial Officer of Pyramid Hotels & Resorts, a real estate investment trust. Prior to Pyramid, David was the CFO of Heritage Property Investment Trust. During his tenure at Heritage, he was involved in the company’s initial public offering and then several years later the sale of the company to the Centro Property Group of Australia. Prior to Heritage, David served as the CFO of Boston Properties and was involved in that company’s initial public offering. David has served on the finance committee of the town of Lynnfield and on the Boston advisory board of Catholic Charities. David received a B.S and an M.B.A. from Suffolk University.
Secretary – Richard Rosensweig, Partner, Goulston & Storrs
Richard Rosensweig has been involved with various nonprofits in the Boston area since moving here from Montreal. He is a Partner in the Goulston & Storrs law firm, where his experience includes defending public companies before federal courts around the country in class actions asserting securities fraud, defending directors and officers in connection with shareholder litigation, and representing shareholders in suits regarding their corporate rights. His memberships include the Boston Bar Association, Massachusetts Bar Association, and the American Bar Association. He is an Overseer of Children’s Hospital Boston. Richard attended McGill University where he received his LLB/BCL and BA, with great distinction.
Directors:
Josefina Bonilla, Managing Director of Color Media Group, LLC, Publisher of Color Magazine
Josefina Bonilla is responsible for creating business partnerships and developing opportunities to promote diverse professionals in New England and New York City. Prior to launching Color Media Group, LLC, Josefina was the Editor-in-Chief of EntreAmigos Magazine, a one-of-a-kind publication highlighting professional Hispanics in and around Boston that she co-founded with Hispanic News Press. Josefina was also part of the Editorial Committee of El Planeta Newspaper where her voice weighed in on the weekly content. Josefina has also worked on the other side of the media spectrum as a Public Relations Director for Wentworth Institute of Technology. In this role, Josefina’s responsibilities included creating and implementing the Institute’s public relations campaign as well as managing external communications and relationships with college stakeholders and media outlets. Josefina is committed to continually growing and learning. She is a board member of The Partnership, Inc., Raising a Reader MA as well as The Color Magazine Foundation, which she founded. She sits on the corporate advisory board of the Association of Latino Professionals in Accounting and Finance and is a member of The National Association of Asian American Professionals. She is an avid reader and writer. Josefina has co-written 5 screenplays with her sister Blanca. Two of which, I Love You So Much and On Trial, have been selected as finalist at the Sundance Screenwriter’s competition.
Ann Carter, Founding Partner, Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications
Ann Carter, one of the firm’s three founding partners, oversees the performance of Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications, one of the largest full-service public relations agencies in the US. Since her appointment as CEO in January 2007, the firm has grown by 20 percent in revenues, increased its staff by nearly 40 percent and has been recognized for multiple industry awards. Ann brings more than 30 years of experience in developing proactive strategies for the firm. Prior to joining Rasky Baerlein in 1994, Ann was vice president at Winthrop Financial Associates, one of the nation’s largest real estate investment and management companies, where she was responsible for investor and corporate relations. Additionally, she held public relations and investor relations roles at Boston Edison Company (predecessor to NSTAR). Ann also serves in a number of volunteer capacitates. She is a trustee for the Boston Arts Academy and the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, and an advisor to numerous nonprofits. She is a member of the Bentley Executive Club of Boston and served previously on the Board of Directors and as Chair of the Audit Committee for Abington Savings Bank. Ann earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a minor concentration in business communications from Bentley College and a master’s degree in business administration from Babson College.
Margaret Hall, Executive Director and Co-Founder, GreenLight Fund
Margaret Hall has more than 12 years experience in senior management positions in the nonprofit sector. Prior to this position, she served as Associate Director of the Georgia Center for Nonprofits, a statewide organization that supports the nonprofit sector through capacity building, research and advocacy. She has served on several nonprofit Boards of Directors and chaired the Boards of CityCares (now Hands on Network) and Hands on Atlanta. She currently serves on the board of Boston Cares and is a member of the Lead Boston class of 2005. Margaret earned an MPA at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and completed a fellowship at The Center for Effective Philanthropy.
Joshua Hebert, Founder and CEO, Magellan Jets
Joshua founded Magellan Jets in 2008, melding his passion for aviation with his knowledge and expertise in financial relations which he gleaned from serving at the prestigious of Shearson Lehman, Sands Brothers, and Paine Webber. In 2000, Joshua helped build Jets.com, a private jet company, where he served as sales and marketing director. During his time with Jets.com, Joshua led the sales team in 2001 by increasing the company’s growth by an astounding 600 percent. The following year, Joshua became managing partner and executive vice president where he managed all of Charter Auction’s sales, concierge, aircraft membership, and fulfillment departments. Prior to making his mark at Jets.com, Joshua applied his sales magic at The Boston Business Journal, a division of American City Business Journals, Inc., a Conde Nast company. As the Journal’s sales manager in 1997, he boosted sales by an incredible 800 percent margin and earned the company its highest sales award for the next three years. In addition to Raising A Reader MA, Joshua serves on the board of directors for The Heath Evans Foundation, Iowngreen.com, and, previously, Jets.com. He is now the chairman of the board at Magellan Jets.
Joan Jolley, Marketing & Business Development, Legacy Place
Joan Jolley manages marketing and business development for Legacy Place, the premiere lifestyle center owned by WS Development - one of the top 50 mall owners in the world. Previously she worked with IDC, a private worldwide technology company, where she was the Director of Operations for the US Conference Group. Prior to IDC, Joan owned her own consulting firm specializing in business development, marketing, public relations, and events consultant for various companies including H&M, Portico, Lyons Group Management, The Frog Pond Skating Rink, ICA, and First Night Boston. Prior to these roles, Joan was the former executive director of the Newbury Street League. In her role, Joan reported to a board of directors and managed Newbury Street’s marketing, public relations, government relations, environment, and fundraising. Joan graduated from Babson College with degrees in Finance and Quantitative Methods, and lives in Beacon Hill with her cactus.
Sharad Joshi, President & COO of Microline Surgical Inc. in Beverly, MA, and its wholly owned subsidiary, Starion Instruments Corp., Sunnyvale, CA
Sharad has over 20 years of experience in the medical device field including leadership positions in Business Development, Marketing, Sales, and R&D. In addition to his experience at Boston Scientific and Alliant Medical Technologies, he was the Founder, President, and CEO of Blue Torch Medical Technologies. Sharad now resides on the Board of both Starion and Microline and has served as a Trustee, and is past President of his church in Grafton. He lives with his wife and two children in Hopkinton, MA.
Christopher C. Kennedy, Executive Director, Oppenheimer & Co. – Boston Office
Chris Kennedy recently joined the Boston office of Oppenheimer & Co. as Executive Director. Prior to founding Sturgeon Holdings, Chris spent sixteen years as Executive Vice President and Principal of Capital Advisors Group, a national investment firm with over $7 billion in assets under management. During his time with the firm he was instrumental in the operational direction and strategic development of all aspects of the firm and continues to serve as an active member of the board. Prior to Capital Advisors, Chris held senior level investment positions with The Boston Company, US Leasing Corporation and American Finance Group. He is actively involved in numerous professional organizations such as the New England Venture Network, and Financial Executives International, and serves as Co-Chair of the Finance Committee for the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council. He is a graduate of Boston College and lives in Weston, Massachusetts with his wife Heather, daughter Brooke and son Pierce. Chris actively supports numerous nonprofit organizations in the Boston area and on the Island of Nantucket.
Michael C. Lange, ESQ.
Michael Lange has been a practicing attorney for more than 20 years. He is the Founder of Gray Cliff Ventures, LLC, and a Director at The Liberty Square Group, a government affairs and public relations firm in Boston and Washington, DC. An entrepreneurial lawyer, Mike is a professional connector whose strategic relationship building skills help clients maximize their ventures across a broad spectrum of industries. He represents one of the largest law firms and the biggest government relations firms in the country. Mike is also skilled at international matchmaking, representing the business and export departments for a Canadian provincial government; helping a global center promote economic development in Latin America; and creating connections with Chinese firms and professionals. For 8 years, Mike was an equity partner at Berman DeValerio, a prominent national securities litigation firm in Boston. In addition to prosecuting multi-million dollar contingency fee cases, Mike led the firm’s business development, marketing and government relations efforts and developed an extensive network vital to the firm’s practice and growth. During his tenure through 2006, the firm’s institutional client list grew from five to more than 60. Mike received his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School and a bachelor’s degree in economics, magna cum laude, from Swarthmore College. He is a skilled guest lecturer and has handled hundreds of press calls, and written extensively for the professional and popular press.
Alison Schonwald MD, Medical Director of Developmental Outreach of the Developmental Medicine Center at Children’s Hospital, Boston
After her undergraduate education at Yale University and then medical school at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Schonwald completed pediatric residency and developmental-behavioral pediatrics fellowship at Boston’s Children’s Hospital, where she joined the faculty in 2001. She is board certified in Pediatrics and in Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics. Dr. Schonwald’s clinical and research interests range from early diagnosis of developmental disabilities to psychopharmacology for children with a variety of developmental disorders. She is the medical director of a multi-site school problems clinic (the ASK Program), and psychopharmacologist for the Williams Syndrome Program. Dr. Schonwald is the author of “Pocket Idiot’s Guide to Potty Training Problems” and created www.developmentalscreening.org, where pediatricians can learn how to implement developmental screening into practice.
John Simon, Board Chair Emeritus and Co-Founder, GreenLight Fund
John Simon is an entrepreneur in both the nonprofit and for-profit worlds. He is a Managing Director of General Catalyst Partners, and was Founder, Chairman and CEO of UroMed Corporation, a start-up which merged to form Alliant Medial Technologies. John is currently a board member of Bridgeport Networks, Inc.; GTESS Corporation; MFORMA Group, Inc.; OutStart Inc.; ProfitLogic, Inc.; M-Qube, Inc.; Maven Networks, Inc.; MillenniaNet, Inc.;Taleo, Inc.; and Vette Corp., which are all active General Catalyst investments. In the nonprofit sector John is co-founder of The Steppingstone Foundation in Boston and founder of KEEN, based at Oxford University in England. John earned a BA from Harvard University and an MA from Oxford University where he was a Rhodes Scholar.
Gary Smith
Gary is an advocate for youth and education with a social justice perspective. After practicing law in Boston, Gary worked for many years for Houghton Mifflin Company, the Boston publisher, as an attorney and then as Senior Vice President for Administration. He now spends his time working with a number of nonprofit organizations in Boston, including the GreenLight Fund and Raising A Reader MA, Lesley University, the Center for the Study of Sport in society at Northeastern University, The Open Circle Social Competency Program at Wellesley College, Bay Cove Human Services, the Boston Bar Foundation, and WGBH. Gary is a graduate of the University of Michigan, Wayne State University School of Law and Harvard Law School. He and his wife, Lynne Smith, lives in Wellesley, MA and are the parents of four adult children.
Stephen Smith, CEO, G3 Games, Inc.
Steve Smith has built profitable businesses, both within large companies such as Dun & Bradstreet and at stand alone start-ups, such as Thinking Machines and Optas. These businesses are unique in delivering products that leverage technology for business needs within a highly disciplined approach to hiring, development and profitability management. He founded, ran, and eventually sold Optas for a 3.5x multiple of revenue in a down market after growing the company from $0 to $6 million in revenue at 70% gross margin with no outside investment. Steve has science, technology and business degrees from MIT and Harvard, and has written two seminal books on the business application of data mining through McGraw-Hill. He lives with his wife and three children in Lynnfield, MA.