Agenda - June 20, 2017

Dr. Deborah Blazey-Martin is chief of internal medicine and adult primary care at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. She has increased primary care access and services and led the growth in Tufts' primary care, adding affiliated community practices and growing the academic medical center practice to serve more than 38,000 patients. The main practice has been certified as a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) at the highest level and is recognized as a PCMH Prime integrated behavioral health practice. It is also recognized nationally for management of patients on chronic opioids. The first woman to be named a division chief at Tufts, she is a founding member of the Tufts Medical Center Physician's Organization Women in Medicine and Science Committee.

From 2007 to 2010, she left Tufts to work as the medical director of Women of Means (now Healthcare Without Walls), a nonprofit that brings volunteer physicians to Boston-area women's shelters to provide free medical care. She also created and ran a curriculum designed to teach Harvard and Tufts medical students and residents to care for homeless women. Deborah also serves as a member of the New England Quality Care Alliance (NEQCA) Board of Trustees and on the boards of NEQCA Accountable Care Inc. and the Wellforce MassHealth ACO.

Nicole Champagne is an associate professor at UMass Lowell and chairwoman of the newly created Department of Public Health, which brings together several academic programs: public health, work environment and health informatics and management. She is a strong promoter of service learning to prepare students for professional public heath roles. Her research areas include opioid overdose prevention, job stress, chronic disease and integrated worksite wellness. She is involved in evaluating programs in the city of Lowell designed to reduce the burden of opiate abuse on individuals, families and the community. She has received many outstanding faculty teaching awards and honors.

Bonnie Comley '81 is the founder and CEO of BroadwayHD.com, an online streaming service on a mission to promote and preserve live theater by extending the reach of Broadway and Broadway-caliber shows to anyone, anywhere. On June 30, 2016, Bonnie and BroadwayHD made history with the first livestream of a Broadway show. "She Loves Me" was livestreamed to over 60 countries, trending on both Facebook and Twitter. BroadwayHD currently has over 150 titles of stage-to-screen content, accompanied by educational features, subtitles, captions and audio descriptions.

Bonnie is a three-time Tony Award-winning producer. She has also received an Olivier Award and two Drama Desk Awards for her stage productions. She is a longstanding member of The Broadway League and has produced 24 shows on Broadway. She is currently producing "On Your Feet!" the Gloria and Emilio Estefan story, and "Sunset Boulevard," with Glenn Close.

Bonnie has received numerous awards for her philanthropic work, including The Actors Fund Medal of Honor, The Drama League Special Contribution to the Theater Award, The Paul Newman Award from Arts Horizons and The Theater Museum Distinguished Service Award. Comley's educational honors include the Distinguished Alumni Awards from Emerson College and the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and she is a member of the business honor society Beta Gamma Sigma. The Music Theater Program is named in her honor at Boston University, The Musical Theater Society Room bears her name at Emerson College and the Comley-Lane Theatre in Mahoney Hall at UMass Lowell also is named for her.

Bernice Cramer is the Director of Project Management and Global Marketing for Bose Professional. Her background includes product management, marketing and strategy leadership roles at prominent consumer technology companies including Plantronics, Altec Lansing, Polaroid and Canon. She has also led startup companies, and she lived in Tokyo for 13 years. A graduate of Cornell University, Bernice has three sons and lives with her husband in Newton.

Maureen Crawford Hentz is a professional career strategist with more than 20 years of experience. She is currently the vice president of human resources at a U.S.-based global manufacturing company. She hasled talent functions in a variety of industries and businesses, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to manufacturing companies and environmental nonprofits. Her expertise includes networking, disabilities in the workplace and people returning to work after an absence. She is also an expert at teaching recruiters how to recruit.

Maureen has been quoted by The New York Times, Newsday, Elle, The Boston Globe, U.S. News & World Report and National Public Radio. She is a regular contributor to the webzine quintcareers.com, and the Quintessential Careers blog has named her a "career mastermind."

Aimee Cronin has worked in nearly every facet of the beverage industry: retail, hospitality, winery, agency, importer, distributor and technology. Drawn to entrepreneurship from the start, she helped launch a small winery in Long Island and build a wine and spirits public relations agency in New York early in her career. She followed that with several years at powerhouse companies including Pernod Ricard, Moet Hennessy and Martignetti. In 2012, Aimee joined Drync, a Boston-based B2B mobile startup for wine, spirits and alcohol commerce. Aimee graduated from Boston University School of Communications. She lives outside Boston with her husband, three young children and dog.

Eileen Davis has more than 30 years of experience in suicide prevention. She is the director of Call2Talk, an emotional support, mental health and suicide prevention helpline that is a direct service of the United Way of Tri-County. She oversees all aspects of the program's operation, including volunteer recruitment, training, scheduling, program outreach and sustainability. She also oversees two related programs: TeleCheck, in which peers reach out to isolated older adults who are experiencing a difficult life change; andLOSS (Local Outreach for Suicide Survivors), a volunteer group of suicide loss survivors who visit the scene of a suicide to offer comfort, support and resources to family and friends of the deceased.

Eileen is certified in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) and as a safeTALK trainer. She is the founder and chairwoman of the MetroWest Regional Coalition for Suicide Prevention and also serves on the state executive committee. She received the 2010 Massachusetts Leadership in Suicide Prevention Award.

Franky Descoteaux '16 is a problem-solver who has dedicated her professional life to solving core challenges through the lens of innovation. She teaches entrepreneurship and small business management at Middlesex and North Shore community colleges. She also works for Epilepsy Foundation New England, where she is building a professional development program for people with epilepsy.

Franky is a trustee for the Greater Lowell Health Alliance and Innovation Academy Charter School, and she sits on the Middlesex Community College Advisory Board. She holds a B.S. in Management Information Systems from University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and an M.S. in Innovation & Technological Entrepreneurship from UMass Lowell.

Tamara Dillon joined Akebia as vice president of human resources in August 2014. Previously, she worked at Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, where she served as head of human resources in the Global Discovery Chemistry group and was responsible for all aspects of human resources across five sites and four countries.

Previously, Tamara held several key roles at Genzyme, a Sanofi company, including senior director of human resources for global research and development. In this global leadership role, she worked closely with the senior management team to ensure that overall business strategies were translated into impactful and effective human resources programs.

Karoline Evans is an assistant professor of management in the Manning School of Business at UMass Lowell, where she teaches negotiation. Her research focuses on how social relationships, influence dynamics and diversity affect teams. She has consulted for companies in manufacturing, energy, and product development. Before her academic career, she worked in research and development at Accenture Technology Labs, where she specialized in emerging mobile technologies and helping companies develop innovation best practices.

Therese Gearhart is president of the Coca-Cola Latin Center Business Unit, responsible for 31 countries across the Caribbean, Central America, Ecuador and Colombia.

Therese brings 28 years of international experience in general management, marketing and sales. She joined The Coca-Cola Co. at its Atlanta headquarters in 1998, and over the past 17 years she has held the following positions: central region vice president, North America Food Service Division; vice president of marketing, North America Food Service Division; general manager, Central America; vice president for marketing, customer and commercial functions, Eurasia Africa; and president, Southern Africa Business Unit.

Therese also currently co-chairs the Global Women's Leadership Council for the company and serves on the board of directors for the Coca-Cola bottling company in Peru.

Prior to joining Coca-Cola, Therese held various positions in general management and marketing at Motorola and Black & Decker. Therese holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Central Florida and a master's degree from the American Graduate School of International Management in Arizona.

Therese is the mother of three children: Taylor, 18, Noah, 16, and Paige, 13. She is fortunate to have been experiencing her amazing international career with her entire family, including her husband, Chuck, who is enjoying the full-time benefits of playing golf. In her spare time, Therese enjoys cooking for her family, reading, playing tennis and spending time with family and friends.

Eva Gomez is a staff development specialist at Children's Hospital Boston who is committed to family-centered, positive and impactful care for patients of all ages. Throughout her 20-year career in health care and nursing, she has been an educator, leader, consultant, mentor and role model to staff at multiple levels. She has a comprehensive understanding of patients' needs as they move through the healthcare continuum, thanks to her experience in a variety of clinical settings: hospital inpatient, critical care, outpatient and in-home. Fully bilingual in English and Spanish, She is engaged with a number of organizations and groups focused on positively affecting the health and well-being of the Latino community. She is also an alumna of the National Hispana Leadership Institute.

A survivor of heart disease, she has been a national and regional spokeswoman for the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women and Go Red Por Tu Corazón campaigns since 2011.

Kathleen Goneau has been a Realtor for more than two decades and a Certified Business Coach for the last five years. She is a member of the National Association of Realtors and a licensed real estate instructor. Thanks to her experience coaching professionals from multiple industries, Kathleen has a unique perspective and has successfully assisted clients in changing positions for personal growth. She earned a degree from Mount Ida College in marketing and business and has pursued continuing education as well, earning various certifications in her areas of expertise. Kathleen has also served her community, both professionally through area networking organizations and personally as a volunteer and leader with the GFWC Marlboro Junior Woman's Club.

Stephanie Goodell is a strategic consultant whose passion is achieving gender parity and supporting organizational growth through diversity and inclusion. She is a dot connector, an optimist and a keen facilitator of conversations and relationships. Philosophically and practically committed to experiential learning, collaboration and thought leadership, her work in global, corporate, higher education and nonprofit settings has earned her a reputation for creativity, business acumen and big-picture insights. Stephanie is a sought-after speaker and trainer. She is also a certified facilitator for Take The Lead's core training: 9 Leadership Power Tools to Advance Your Career. Her company, Samaya Consulting, was recognized as one of the 2017 Most Disruptive Women-led Companies to Work For by Ivy Exec, and Stephanie was selected for the prestigious Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program in 2015. Recently, Stephanie has joined IBIS Consulting Group to focus on helping corporations and higher education institutions instill sustainable diversity initiatives in the workplace. You can contact her on Twitter at @IBISDiversity or @itsgoodell.

Valisha is a technology product manager leading the build-out of a new technology infrastructure intelligence platform at Morgan Stanley. She has a keen interest and focus on financial technology and how it is disrupting traditional financial service business models.Since joining Morgan Stanley in 2005, she has been responsible for the definition, development and delivery of a range of software applications – equity derivatives, equity valuation, business supply chain, profitability analytics, LBO and cross-asset analytics – that provide client investment insights. She was instrumental in the buildout of ModelWare, an innovative equity research and investment analytics platform. That led to a chief technology officer role for the Investment Banking and Global Capital Markets divisions. She has also worked at an an e-commerce start-up and taken on roles in finance planning and analysis and treasury management.

She is a trustee at her high school alma mater, Suffield Academy, and a member of the President's Council of Cornell Women. She teaches at the New York Institute of Finance. She earned a bachelor's degree in government and international relations from Cornell and an M.B.A. from Columbia .

Tara Healey is the founder and director of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care's Mind the Moment mindfulness program. In addition to holding an M.Ed. in Health Education and having over 20 years of experience in organizational development, Tara is a longtime practitioner of mindfulness meditation and an advocate for the health benefits associated with its practice. The comprehensive mindfulness courses developed by Tara at Harvard Pilgrim have been conducted at over 150 organizations, reaching over 10,000 individuals. Additionally, Tara has spoken about mindfulness at numerous events domestically and abroad, and she has contributed articles to Mindful Magazine and the Harvard Business Review blog.

Amanda Heller is a buyer at the TJX Companies, currently working in the beauty category for TJMaxx and Marshalls. She has worked for TJX for more than 10 years, holding positions in both finance and merchandising. Previously, she worked at Siebel Systems and General Electric. Her background is in finance. A graduate of Cornell University and Harvard Business School, she lives in Wellesley, Mass. with her family.

Beth Humberd is an assistant professor of management in the Manning School of Business at UMass Lowell, where she teaches organizational behavior. She is also a research associate at the university's Center for Women and Work. Her research on gender and diversity in organizations, leadership and identity development and relational dynamics at work has been featured in top academic journals and popular news and financial publications including Time, Forbes and The Wall Street Journal.

Before her academic career, Beth worked in corporate finance and human resources at Boston Scientific and in the consulting practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Jennifer Imbeault is a vice president financial consultant for Fidelity Investments in the Shrewsbury office, where she works closely with clients to achieve their financial goals. Jennifer joined Fidelity in 2006, and over the last 11 years she has helped hundreds of families with their financial planning needs, from investment and retirement planning to their portfolio income structure. She and her team also educate clients on estate planning and assist in family wealth discussions. Jennifer received her bachelor’s degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology. She is a Certified Financial Planner.

Alicja Januszewicz is a talent management consultant for small biotech firms in Cambridge. Her expertise is in the areas of employee development, organizational development, succession management, high potentials and workforce planning. She also teaches organizational behavior at the Boston University School of Management. Alicja has worked in research and development and talent development at some of the premier biotech firms, including: Baxalta (formerly Baxter BioScience), Epizyme, Haemonetics, Boston Scientific HQ and Genzyme. She holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the Polish Academy of Science and the Copenhagen Business School.

Elissa Magnant is a visiting instructor at the UMass Lowell Manning School of Business, where she teaches business ethics. Elissa was admitted to the bar in 1995. She worked in a consumer bankruptcy law firm, litigated for a larger insurance defense law firm, clerked for three federal judges and ultimately owned her own law and mediation practice. She held a major ownership interest in two family businesses, a $25 million-per-year distributorship of scientific equipment and a local franchise of an international chain.

Sarah Mann is a leadership coach and human resources consultant who helps individuals and organizations gain clarity on their goals and create a road map to get there, building the nimbleness and stamina needed to execute on personal and professional priorities. Her blend of straight talk, insight and creativity makes Sarah a powerful ally. Having worked in diverse companies, Sarah understands what it takes to succeed in different environments. Sarah's background spans multiple, senior-level roles in human resources, marketing and operations across a variety of industries including consumer products, retail, business services, technology and professional services.

LZ Nunn is an energizing leader with over 15 years of experience as a nonprofit executive, fundraiser and consultant. As executive director of Project LEARN (Lowell's Education Foundation), she builds partnerships and develops new resources, innovative programs and funding streams to help every student succeed in the Lowell public schools. Her expertise spans community planning and design, fundraising and grant writing, coalition-building and brand development. Before joining Project LEARN, LZ specialized in creating programs for international teams on women's leadership, innovation and design thinking.

Kelly Quinlan is an estate planning specialist in the Wealth Planning and Personal Trust group within Strategic Advisers, Inc. (SAI), a registered investment adviser and a Fidelity Investments company. Fidelity Investments is a leading provider of investment management, retirement planning, portfolio guidance, brokerage, benefits outsourcing and other financial products and services to more than 20 million individuals, institutions and financial intermediaries. In this role, she is responsible for providing comprehensive estate planning to Fidelity's high-net worth clients, financial consultants, and branches in the New England region.

Prior to assuming her current position in August 2015, Ms. Quinlan was director, wealth strategist from 2013 to 2015 and director of estate planning from 2011 to 2013. Before joining Fidelity in 2011, she worked as an estate planning attorney at a number of firms, including Devine, Millimet & Branch from 2004 to 2011, Hinckley Allen & Snyder from 2000 to 2003 and Donahue & Donahue from 1997 to 2000.

Ms. Quinlan earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in business and education from Providence College and her Juris Doctor degree from Suffolk Law School. She also holds the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Series 7 and 66 registrations and is licensed to practice law in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Jessica Reed is a general partner at Alta Equity Partners, where she has been part of the team since joining as an associate in 2006. At Alta she has led and managed investments in a diverse group of companies across a range of industries including technology, business services, distribution, media and advertising. Jessica serves on the board for many of her investments and is actively involved in pursuing strategic opportunities and exploring operational improvements with each company to maximize financial performance. She was named to GrowthCap's Top 40 Under 40 Growth Investors in 2015 and 2014.

Prior to Alta, Jessica was an investment banker in the Boston office for Harris Williams & Co. A graduate of Babson College, Jessica is an active member of the Boston steering committee for the Women's Association of Venture & Equity (WAVE), a national networking organization for women in venture capital and private equity.

Catherine A. Saunders is Head of Putnam's Client Engagement Center. She is responsible for leading Putnam’s innovative client-centric approach to sales and marketing services and for developing programs that respond to current marketplace demands on client firms, such as wealth transfer and outreach to Millennials. In addition, Ms. Saunders oversees the critical early career development of new sales and distribution associates across the firm. She has been in the investment industry since joining Putnam in 1987.

For the past 30 years, Ms. Saunders has been instrumental in developing Putnam's ability to identify and address the needs of clients across the financial industry. Most recently, she served as Head of Putnam's Registered Investment Advisor Business, Private Bank and Trust. Prior to that, Ms. Saunders served as Head of North America Institutional Business, including consultant relations and client service. Previously, as a Regional Director, Ms. Saunders managed sales and distribution for all brokerage firms, financial planners, and financial institutions in the Western United States. She is a member of Putnam's Diversity Council and the Posse Foundation Boston Advisory Board, and drives Women and Investing programming initiatives. Ms. Saunders holds her Series 6, 7, 24, 26, 63, and 65 licenses with FINRA.

Laurie Schloff is a corporate presentation coach, author and human rights activist. Her books include "Smart Speaking," "He and She Talk" and "Twenty Twinkling Stars," a children's book to celebrate the spirit of the children of Sandy Hook, Conn.. Her clients include Fidelity, TJX, MassMutual and UMass Lowell. Laurie's passion is delivering one-on-one communication programs for individuals and teams. Her special focus areas include conference coaching, style coaching and helping her clients create high impact talks. Laurie enjoys delivering programs with humor and engagement. Her mission is to help her clients use communication as a tool to create a more positive work environment and world.

Lex Schroeder is a leader/practitioner of conversations about gender justice, living systems and the future of work. As co-founder of Feminists at Work with CV Harquail, Lex helps individuals and organizations bring a feminist lens to transforming workplace systems, structures and practices. She also designs conversations to bring women's history and feminist values into collective leadership and systems change work. Lex has worked as a media entrepreneur, a writer and editor in the systems thinking community and led strategic initiatives at The Berkana Institute, The Lean Enterprise Institute and Take The Lead. From 2015 to 2016, Lex served as director of strategy and partnerships at Take The Lead, a nonprofit dedicated to gender parity in leadership across all sectors by 2025. You can follow her on Twitter at @FeministsAtWork and @lexschroeder

Lydia Sisson is the co-director of Mill City Grows, where she oversees the Urban Farm and Mobile Market programs. She is an experienced commercial farmer and small business owner. She holds a B.A. in environmental studies from Vassar College, a master's degree in economic and social development of regions from UMass Lowell and a certificate in Amazon resource management and human ecology from the School for International Training in Brazil.

Before founding Mill City Grows, Lydia ran a five-acre CSA farm for four years, feeding 75 families and selling wholesale product to other regional CSAs. Her expertise in food production is backed by 9 years of commercial agricultural experience, while her understanding of community organizing is rooted in years of coalition-building work in Lowell. She currently serves on the Massachusetts governor's Board of Food and Agriculture, and was the founding member of the Lowell Food Security Coalition.

Erica L. Steckler (Twitter: @EricaSteckler) is an assistant professor of management in the Manning School of Business at UMass Lowell. She is also a research fellow at the Hoffman Center for Business Ethics at Bentley University. Her research focuses on stakeholder perceptions of organizational authenticity within the global domains of sustainability and corporate responsibility. Overall, her work contributes to an understanding of key dynamics among organizations, leadership and stakeholders in strategic social issue contexts. She received her Ph.D. from the Department of Management & Organization at Boston College. Before her academic career, Erica's international professional experience spanned consulting, technology, research and higher education.

Meta Wagner (www.metawagner.com) is the author of "What's Your Creative Type?: Harness the Power of Your Artistic Personality" (Seal Press/Hachette). She is a contributor to The Boston Globe op-ed page, was a columnist for PopMatters and has written on pop culture and creativity for the Huffington Post, Chicago Tribune, Salon and Wall Street Journal custom studios. She was also a Tedx BU 2017 speaker.

When she's not writing, Meta is molding young minds as a senior affiliated faculty member at Emerson College and Boston University. She developed and teaches a "cult favorite" seminar called "Creativity in Context" (the springboard for her book), along with classes in creative nonfiction and communications writing. She has also taught at Grub Street and Wheelock College.Meta was previously in executive positions in the marketing and public relations fields and received multiple awards from professional organizations.