A longtime resident of Boston and an active member of the community, Mercedes attended Simmons University for her BA and MBA and is currently Director of Customer Success with athenahealth, having also held past leadership positions with GE Healthcare. Mercedes comes to Raising a Reader MA through her affiliation with The Boston Club fueled by an interest in reading and education services and their impact on overall wellness for school-age children.

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Camille Carlstrom is managing director of research in the Equity Division at Fidelity Investments. Fidelity Investments is a leading provider of investment management, retirement planning, portfolio guidance, brokerage, benefits outsourcing, and other financial products and services to institutions, financial intermediaries, and individuals.

In this role, Ms. Carlstrom is responsible for the REIT group and research associates, as well as undergraduate and MBA campus recruiting. Prior to assuming her current responsibilities, she also served as lead portfolio manager of the FIAM International Growth strategy, co-manager of the Fidelity Enduring Opportunities Fund, and an associate portfolio manager and analyst supporting the FIAM Japan Growth strategy. She also provided research coverage for the Japanese financial sector.

Prior to joining Fidelity in 2012, Ms. Carlstrom was a senior vice president and analyst in the investment division at Putnam Investments. In this capacity, she was responsible for fundamental research coverage of more than 100 financial sector stocks, banks, insurance, credit cards, brokerage, and real estate across developed and emerging Asia. Previously, she co-managed a sub-portfolio specializing in Asian financials in addition to directing the investment associate program for equity research. She also served as a business analyst in the corporate development group and an investment associate in the investment division. Before joining Putnam, Ms. Carlstrom was an assistant national bank examiner at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

Ms. Carlstrom earned her bachelor of arts degree in finance and accounting from Villanova University and her master of business administration degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management.

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Jill Quinby is a Partner at Deloitte, a long-term corporate supporter of Raising a Reader MA. Jill has over 13 years of experience providing audit and assurance services to public companies in a variety of industries. She is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross, and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She lives in Boston with her husband.

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Maggie Begley has lived in Boston since 1992, working first as a corporate associate at Ropes & Gray and, since 1998, as in-house counsel at what was then called The Pioneer Group, Inc. and now is called Amundi US, Inc. Maggie is Vice President, Associate General Counsel, and Assistant Secretary at Amundi US, the US subsidiary of Amundi Asset Management, which is based in Paris. She received her BA in English from Yale University and her JD from the University of Maryland. Maggie is a Co-Chair of Class Agents for the Yale Alumni Fund and a member of the Yale Alumni Schools Committee, and she has been active at the schools her three boys have attended, still serving on the Board of Trustees of Park Street School and in various roles at Boston College High School.

Katy Caldwell is Counsel at Ropes and Gray based in the Litigation and Enforcement Practice. Her practice covers a broad array of industries including medical device manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, private equity firms and their portfolio companies, investment advisers, health care providers, national retailers, academic institutions, and others.

Katy is deeply committed to pro bono and public service. Her pro bono practice includes immigration assistance for clients seeking asylum and temporary protected status; class action litigation on behalf of participants in the Massachusetts Emergency Assistance shelter program; and drafting amicus briefs on behalf of nonprofit organizations. Katy volunteers with and co-chairs the firm’s participation in a literacy program for early elementary students in Boston Public Schools. On the home front, Katy and her husband are the parents of two toddlers.

Prior to joining the firm, Katy served as a judicial intern for the Honorable William G. Young of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. She is a graduate of Michigan State University and Boston University Law School.

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Greg Demers is a member of the employment, executive compensation, and employee benefits practice of Ropes & Gray, supporting clients in a wide range of labor and employment matters. His practice includes pre-litigation counseling and risk assessment, deal support, litigation and dispute resolution.

Greg regularly represents employers in complex employment litigation matters, advises on various employment law issues that arise in corporate transactions, and counsels companies and senior management on employment and executive compensation arrangements.

In addition to his employment work, Greg also maintains an active pro bono practice. He has successfully represented asylum-seekers fleeing from political persecution, parents seeking custody of their children, and low-income tenants facing disability discrimination. Most recently, Greg defended a nonprofit social service provider against discrimination claims in Massachusetts Superior Court, obtaining a complete dismissal at the pleadings stage.  

On the early literacy front, Greg has been a member of the Raising A Reader Emerging Leadership Board since November 2022. He lives with his wife, an elementary school teacher and author of several children’s books, and his two pre-school age children. His favorite childhood book is Ender’s Game.

Prior to joining the firm, Greg clerked for Chief Judge Dennis Jacobs of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals and United States District Judge Michael Ponsor in the District of Massachusetts.

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Dale is the CEO and co-founder of BlackFacts.com, and the CEO and founder of Intellitech Consulting Enterprises. BlackFacts.com, co-founded in 1997 with Ken Granderson, is an online resource for Black History Facts (People, Places, Events). The site whose tagline is “Learn Black History, Teach Black History” grew to become the #1 on all search engines for Black Facts, has millions of unique visitors and a social media reach that grows exponentially. Black Facts aspires to become the Black Wikipedia that focuses not only on history but also the cultural contributions of people of color- past and present. Its history is chronicled by Dowdie in the American Diversity Report here.

Intellitech Consulting Enterprises is an Information Technology and Services company located in Boston, Massachusetts and specializing in Project/Program Management, DR/BC Planning, Large Scale Infrastructure Integration, Office 365 Deployment and vertical market software development. Intellitech clients have included Staples, McCormick & Co., and Harvard among others.

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Accomplished fundraising professional Pati Fernández serves as the Chief Development Officer for Esperanza Academy, a tuition-free, all-girls, middle school in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Pati has spent over a decade supporting independent schools, healthcare organizations, and non-profit organizations with their philanthropic goals. Her in-depth experience includes leadership positions with Belmont Day School and The Pike School. A Lawrence native and first-generation Dominican, Pati supports her community through a variety of volunteer board and advisory roles, including Community Inroads, Essex County Habitat for Humanity, Groundwork Lawrence, and Northern Essex Community College. Pati is a graduate of Simmons University, holding a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Communications and a Master’s degree in Communications Management.

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Aria Glasgow is an Partner in Aon’s Human Capital Solutions practice. Aria has over 20 years of compensation consulting and human resources experience. Her client engagements include developing programs that attract and retain key talent required to help companies scale. She is a frequents speaker at human resources conferences. Prior to joining Aon, Aria held leadership roles at Sullivan, Cotter & Associates, Pearl Meyer and Investors Bank & Trust.

Aria has a Bachelor of Arts in accounting from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a Master of Business Administration from Babson College.

Aria has served on several not-for-profit boards and enjoys volunteering her time with Habitat for Humanity and other community organizations. Some of her favorite childhood books include Goodnight Moon, Charlotte’s Web, and Bears in the Night. Aria lives in Westborough, Massachusetts with her husband, 3 children, and 2 dogs. In her free time, Aria enjoys practicing yoga and skiing.

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Susan Houston’s experience covers the private, public, and non-profit sectors. Most recently, Susan was Executive Director of MassEcon, a private, non-profit economic development entity charged with promoting Massachusetts as the best place to start, locate, and grow a business. As MassEcon’s first Executive Director, she grew the organization from its inception in 1993 to become a respected voice within the economic development community.

During her tenure there, Susan was a gubernatorial appointee to the state’s Economic Development Planning Council and a member of the board of the Massachusetts Marketing Partnership.  She currently serves on the boards of JVS (Jewish Vocational Service), New England Economic Partnership, and as a consultant with ESC, Empower Success Corps.

In her spare time, Susan can be found at her favorite neighborhood haunts – the Brookline Booksmith and Coolidge Corner Theatre. Her favorite childhood book was Plain Girl by Virginia Sorensen. Susan holds an undergraduate degree from Boston University and a Master of City Planning from MIT.

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Jeannette Hsu is a mother of three, who balances her family life with volunteering for non-profits.  Raised in both Seattle and Hawaii, she spent her childhood traveling abroad extensively and spending extended periods of time in a variety of different countries to experience other cultures, working abroad, as well as helping those in need.  She speaks five languages, and her background is in investments. 

Twenty years ago, she relocated to Boston, from San Francisco, where she worked for Credit Suisse First Boston in the Technology Group.  She sits on the New England Regional board of UNICEF and is very active in several UNICEF committees and endeavors, with a focus on child protection within the organization.  She also sits on the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center board, where she is focused on development, advocacy and chairing a committee of ambassadors and the Equity Diversity and Inclusion endeavors.  Jeannette is involved in several other local non-profits, serving on committees and advisory boards. 

An avid hiker, she has climbed Mt. Rainier, traversed Patagonia, and made it to the Mt. Everest base camp. Other interests include: skiing, yoga, beekeeping, and she is a Master Scuba Diver. 

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Myra is working as a consultant, and just prior to this had a decorated career at Harvard University. Most recently, she served as the Director of the Harvard Dental Center where she was a member of the Center’s leadership team, overseeing many aspects of two sites, including clinical affairs and compliance. Previously, she held roles in human resources at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

She also has experience volunteering for cultural institutions and various affinity groups. Most recently, Myra served as a Latino Board Fellow with Latinos for Education and is currently serving as a Mentor in the Coaching & Mentoring Program for ALPFA Boston.

Myra received a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Boston University and a Master of Liberal Arts in Management/Organizational Behavior from the Harvard University Extension School.

Originally from South Texas and now a New Englander for 25+ years, Myra has long been interested in bridging knowledge and equity gaps from preschool to graduate school, instilled by her mother, a retired educator in K-12 and higher-ed.

When time allows, she enjoys spending time with immediate family, connecting with friends and extended family, and being a career advisor to personal and professional contacts. Myra’s favorite children’s book is the Stories and Fables volume of the Childcraft series—the ‘70s edition.

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Mark McPherson represents individuals, corporations, and universities in government and internal investigations involving healthcare fraud, securities fraud, the False Claims Act, and other civil and criminal matters.

Mark also helps clients manage NIH, HHS, and/or DOJ investigations, enforcement inquiries, and Congressional oversight requests related to systematic programs of foreign influence at U.S. academic and research institutions. This includes leading internal reviews in which allegations of conflicts of interest, undue foreign influence, or federal grants mismanagement have been raised, and helping to resolve material findings with appropriate government agencies.

Mark recently served as a Special Assistant District Attorney with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, where he gained significant criminal trial and motion practice experience.

Prior to attending law school, Mark served as a pilot in the United States Air Force.

Mark holds a B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh, an MBA from Oklahoma State University, a master’s in international relations from the University of Oklahoma, and a J.D. from Boston University Law School.

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Isis Ortiz-Belton is a financial services and banking professional with over 14 years of credit risk, corporate finance, and underwriting experience. She is a Vice President, Portfolio Manager at Eastern Bank where she manages a portfolio of commercial banking relationships with a broad array of middle market and security alarm companies.

Isis is an active community leader and diversity, equity and inclusion champion. She’s a strong advocate for the education and financial literacy of minority students and the rights of women, BIPOC and those identifying as LGBTQ+. Notably, Isis is the immediate past President for the Boston chapter of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (“ALPFA”), the first and largest Latino professional association serving over 100,000 professional and student members across the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada. She sits on the Board of Trustees for Phoenix Charter Academy Network, is a member of the Lawrence Boys and Girls Club Advisory Council, and a Committee Member of the Cummings Foundation.

Isis holds a B.A. in Mathematics and a B.A. in Business Management from Emmanuel College, a Master of Science in Finance from the New England Institute of Business at Cambridge College, and a Master of Business Administration from Bentley University. She’s a 2018 Latinos for Education Board Fellow, a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce 2021 Boston Future Leaders Fellow, and a 2021 LEADS Lawrence Fellow. Most recently, Isis was recognized as a 2021 Latinx Amplifier, a 2021 Latina Rising Star by the Association of Latino Professionals for America, and co-authored her first book, Extraordinary Latinas. She has also been identified as a 2023 Leading Women Award recipient by the Girls Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts.

Isis was born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico and raised with significant Dominican influence. She currently resides with her wife in Lawrence, MA.

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Annie Knickman Plancher is Vice President of Partnerships and Strategy at Social Finance, an impact investing and advisory nonprofit. She leads the organization’s efforts around strategy, business planning, growth evolution, as well as cultivating a community of funding and programmatic partners. Prior to joining Social Finance, Annie was a management consultant at McKinsey and Company, where she worked with education organizations and healthcare companies on strategy, organization design, and operational effectiveness. She also launched Generation, a nonprofit incubated out of McKinsey, focused on supporting people to build skills and access high-quality careers. She serves on the Board of Trustees of the Boston Ballet, the Boston Leadership Council of Room to Grow, and is a former board member of PowerMyLearning.

Annie has a Doctorate in Education Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she studied funding flows in U.S. K-12 education, outcomes-based funding opportunities, and innovative ways to link K-12 education with postsecondary and career opportunities. She graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College, where she studied psychology and economics.

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Sara has a passion for educational equity and social impact. She has taught both early childhood and middle school and enjoys engaging with students and families at every grade level. Sara brings a wealth of experience in the education and nonprofit sectors along with passions for educator well-being and educational equity.

Prior to arriving at IE, Sara
served as Program Director for a nonprofit partner of Boston Public Schools. Sara’s content expertise in the area of P-12 education and her passion for policy continue to drive her work outside the classroom.

Her favorite children’s book is Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes. A book still, as an adult, she quotes on challenging days: “Today was a difficult day, tomorrow will be better.”

Sara holds an undergraduate degree from Washington University in St. Louis where she studied Education, Psychology, and Children’s Studies, and an Ed.M. in Policy and Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

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Patricia “Trish” Schiapelli is a Boston-based 20-year commercial banker with a passion for giving back to the community. She is currently a Vice President of Sales at Northern Bank, a business bank with 13 locations throughout Middlesex County.

Trish manages a team of 12 people across four business units and is a regular volunteer and contributor to the Northern Bank Charitable Foundation.

Trish earned her MBA from Simmons Graduate School of Management in Boston and a Certificate in Leadership & Ethics from the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce’s “Future Leaders Program,” sponsored by Harvard Business School.

In Trish’s spare time she enjoys reading, biking and gardening. Her favorite children’s book is Charlotte’s Web.

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Joe Theis is a partner in Goodwin Procter’s Technology Companies group. His practice concentrates in general corporate and securities law and he has significant experience in capital markets transactions, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital financings, SEC compliance and corporate governance. Joe represents public and private emerging growth technology and healthcare companies, as well as venture capital funds and investment banks focusing on technology and healthcare companies.
Joe’s pro bono practice has included the longtime representation of The Greenlight Fund and Raising a Reader Massachusetts, and he previously received the Political Asylum/Immigration Representation Project Pro Bono Attorney Award for assisting two Ugandan women with successful asylum applications. Joe has also volunteered countless hours coaching Hingham Youth Soccer. On the home front, Joe and his wife Abby (a pre-school teacher) are the proud parents of 4 children.

Joe is a graduate of Boston College and Boston College Law School.

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Michelle Tutunjian is a versatile IT professional with a wealth of experience spanning multiple industries. Currently based at Harvard University, she has successfully navigated the realms of Banking, Software Development, Affordable Housing, and Higher Education throughout her career.

Originally hailing from Boston, MA, Michelle earned her bachelor’s degree from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO. As a proud parent, she balances her work and personal life, caring for her three children.

Michelle finds joy in her hobbies of reading and travel, indulging in adventures both within the pages of books and across different destinations. She holds a special place in her heart for the childhood classic, The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf, a gentle reminder that everyone is not always what they seem. Michelle’s diverse background, curiosity, and family experiences shape her unique perspective and approach to life.

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