Director

Amy recently retired from the practice of family-based immigration law at Catholic Charities Refugee and Immigration Services where she worked for 13 years. Prior to that, Amy practiced real estate law at Dryer and Traub in New York City. Amy received her J.D. from Brooklyn Law School, and her B.A. from SUNY @ Albany.

Amy served on the Board of Jewish Family & Children’s Services for 19 years and is currently involved with various organizations including Combined Jewish Philanthropies and AIPAC. 

She lives in Newton with her husband and is the mother of 3 adult sons and grandmother to her first grandchild.

Director

Kathleen Chiong has been a third grade teacher in Boston Public Schools since 2015. Her biggest passion is to teach her students about the social issues happening in our community such as financial, hygiene, housing, clothing, and food insecurities, as well as what they, as kids, can do to help. During the school year, Kathleen dedicates each month leading donation drives for her school, collecting thousands of items for nonprofits such as Hope & Comfort, Birthday Wishes, New England Center and Home for Veterans, Friends of Boston’s Homeless, and Charlestown’s Fill-the-Fridge.

With her love of teaching her students how to get involved in service work, Kathleen founded Campassion, a service-based summer camp for children ages 9-11. She and her campers take field trips to food fridges, serve lunch and bingo to seniors, make suitcases for children in foster care, and host donation drives for nonprofits. She also strives to educate children how to practice gratitude, mindfulness, and exercise as a daily habit.

Kathleen is also a fundraising committee member for the nonprofit Birthday Wishes. She graduated from Holy Cross with a B.A. in Psychology and Neuroscience and UMass with a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education.

Director

Ryan T. Debin has been an entrepreneur from the age of 21, when he purchased a 50% share of a residential real estate leasing company, which he successfully owned and operated before selling his interest in 2008. He moved on to a career in banking and was a Senior Vice President of Commercial Real Estate Lending at Anglo Irish Bank for the next ten years. Since 2012, Ryan Debin and his wife have owned and operated multiple franchise businesses involved with community, family, and children. His asset management company, Momentum Enterprises, owns and operates 12 businesses and employs over 160 people. Momentum Enterprises is the largest owner of My Gym Children’s Fitness Centers in the U.S. with 8 locations -and was awarded worldwide franchisee of the year by My Gym Enterprises in both 2017 and 2018 (of more than 600 locations in 38 countries). Momentum also operates children’s art studio Kidcasso, Launch Trampoline Parks in Norwood, MA and Framingham, MA, and a real estate company in Newport, RI -The Newport Venture.

Ryan Debin is also involved in various civic and non-profit organizations. In addition to Hope and Comfort, he is on the Board of Directors for Horizons for Homeless Children and is a member of the Executive Committee and the Chairman of the Real Estate Committee. Ryan is also on the Board of Directors of the Dover Sherborn Soccer Club where he coordinates the Club’s program for Pre-K to Grade 2. He also is the head coach of four (4) different teams. Ryan lives in Sherborn with his wife, Jennifer, and their four (4) boys.

Director

Loren Feingold, former Executive Director, Development at BIDMC, has spent her career in the nonprofit space, holding multiple leadership roles related to health and wellness. Some of these roles include Director of Research and Policy for a cancer foundation, Nutrition Trainer and Educator with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and Clinical Dietitian at Lynn Community Health Center.

Loren received her bachelor’s from Cornell University and her master’s in Public Health and Nutrition Communications from Tufts University. Loren is passionate about giving back and paying it forward in both big and small ways. She believes in for-profit/not-for-profit and private/public partnerships to make sustainable societal change.

Loren shares her skills in fundraising, community building, and grant writing with Hope & Comfort.

Director

Robert Himmel is a Senior Managing Director at Gordon Brothers Group. He joined the firm in 2002, and has served in a variety of roles, including Co-President of Gordon Brothers Commercial and Industrial Division, CEO of the (former) Coby Electronics Brand affiliate, and as a founding Principal of their Wholesale business. Prior to joining Gordon Brothers, Robert was President of the Malden Ventures Division of Malden Mills Industries, the manufacturer of Polartec® branded performance textiles. In a career spanning over 15 years in the textile industry, Robert also served as the Vice President and General Manager for Malden Mill’s North American business unit, and as a corporate vice president of Product Development and Marketing for Guilford Mills, a then NYSE-listed multinational manufacturer of textiles. Robert is a past member of the Board of Trustees of TMA Global (Turnaround Management Association), Board of Directors of CBY Holdings, LLC, vice president of the Board of Directors of the Knitted Textile Association and a former member of the Board of Directors of Jewish Vocational Services, Inc. Robert is a graduate of Stony Brook University.

Director

Michelle Hipwood is CFO, Head of Finance and Operations at clypd, an early-stage technology company in the television advertising space. Prior to clypd, Michelle was Director of Finance and Operations at ImmusanT, an immunological biotech company. She joined ImmusanT after being the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of The Capital Network, a nonprofit dedicated to providing extensive educational and mentoring programs to help early-stage high growth entrepreneurs master the entire funding process and successfully raise seed capital. Michelle’s early career was focused on Strategy Consulting and Investment Banking at firms such as Roseview Capital, Deloitte, and Fleet Bank (now Bank of America). In addition, Michelle has dedicated much of her spare time as various nonprofit Board’s such as Land’s Sake Farm and currently Hope & Comfort. She has an MBA from Babson College’s Olin School of Business and a B.S. from Boston College.

Director

Jay is a Vice President and Head of North America Investment Risk for Columbia Threadneedle. He currently Chairs the N.A. Investment Risk Committee as well as the N.A. Liquidity Risk Committee. In addition, he is Chair of the firm’s N.A. Diversity and Inclusion Group and heads up the firm’s innovation efforts.

Prior to joining the firm in 2014, Jay held several positions at Legg Mason, including Managing Director of Investment Risk, Portfolio Manager and Equity Analyst. He has over 30 years of investment experience. He received a B.S., cum laude, in finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a former President and Director of the Baltimore Security Analysts Society. He also holds a Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Director

Ralph is the Chief Lending Officer at North Easton Savings Bank. Prior to joining North Easton Savings Bank, Ralph was the Chief Banking Officer at Wellesley Bank and the director of commercial and industrial lending at Cambridge Trust. He has a 33-year banking and finance career in the Boston area, previously working with Citizens Bank and Boston Private Bank in commercial banking leadership roles.

Ralph has been active as a volunteer and board member in a number of community and not-for-profit organizations. He was a board member of the Natick Visiting Nurse Association, and he served on the board of the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce and finished as the chair of the audit committee. He also serves as chairman of Natick’s Elderly & Disabled Taxation Fund Committee which collects donations to help pay real estate taxes for eligible low-income homeowners in Natick, MA.

He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Merchant Marine Academy and an MBA from Babson College. Ralph shares his expertise in management, finance, and social service with Hope & Comfort.

Director

Ezra is a private investor, focusing on early stage investment opportunities across various sectors. Previously, Ezra was a Portfolio Manager and Partner at Arrowstreet Capital, an investment management firm that manages global equity portfolios for institutional investors around the world. Prior to that, Ezra managed international and emerging market equities as well as global asset allocation strategies at PanAgora Asset Management. Ezra’s early investment career included equity and derivatives trading at Valores Bursatiles de Mexico, in Mexico City.

Ezra earned a Master of Science in Finance from Brandeis University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Northeastern University. Ezra is a chartered financial analyst and a member of the CFA Society Boston.

In addition to his service with Hope and Comfort, Ezra volunteers at Jewish Family Services of Metrowest, Sudbury for Wounded Warriors, and CJP. Ezra shares his skills and experience in management, finance, and community service with Hope & Comfort.

Director

Kelly is an entrepreneur who started a home organizing business, Styled Neatly, following over a decade in the corporate world. Her experience includes digital product management, sales, and marketing. She previously worked at Fidelity Investments, where she became involved with Hope & Comfort during a volunteer program. Kelly holds a BS in Marketing from Providence College as well as an MBA from the University of Massachusetts.

Director

Sara Quist is Director, Community Programs for The Cigna Group and Vice President of The Cigna Group Foundation. She leads the company’s initiatives to improve the health and vitality of local communities through grant programs, corporate charitable giving and employee giving and volunteerism. She joined Cigna Healthcare in 2017 with more than 18 years of experience in branding and marketing in the consumer products, financial services and higher education verticals with brands including Heinz, Procter & Gamble, and American Express. In her previous role as Senior Director of Marketing and Communications at Babson College, she earned two Women Who Make a Difference Awards.

In addition to the Hope & Comfort Board of Directors role, she is on the leadership committee for the Greater Boston Corporate Volunteer Council, previous steering committee member for the Massachusetts Caregiver Coalition and a previous wish grantor with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Sara received a B.B.A. in Marketing from Loyola University, Maryland.

Director

Towma Rastad, a native of Florida, moved to Massachusetts 20 years ago with her husband, Jason, and their two children Alec and Allissa. Both children were born with a rare life-threatening immune disease, which led Towma to volunteer for the Immune Deficiency Foundation for the past 20 years. She spent much time as a peer contact as well as lobbying on Capitol Hill for healthcare change. This is where Towma really found her love and passion for helping others.

Towma spent the last 7 years as Business Marketing Account Rep for Wegmans, where she worked with organizations like the Greater Boston Food Bank, Hope & Comfort, and United Way. Towma served for the past 3 years on the Executive Board of the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce as the Vice Chair of their DEI Committee. Towma has a passion for people, and DEI is a very important focus for her. This passion led to a recent career change, and she is now the Director of Diversity Equity and Inclusion and Member Retention for the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce. Towma looks forward to continuing to serve these amazing organizations and more.

Director

As Jumpstart for Young Children’s Chief Development and Marketing Officer, Sharon brings a wealth of diverse experience to the position. Her professional career has crossed every sector from higher education to Fortune 500. Before joining Jumpstart for a second time, Sharon was the Vice-President of Development at the Greater Boston Food Bank, the Executive Director of Cradles to Crayons, Boston, Executive Director of Women’s Lunch Place, and Director of Community Relations and Public Policy at The Food Project. Previously, Sharon served as Tri-State Regional Director for JumpStart for Young Children in their New York City office in 2013.

A 20-year resident of Boston, Sharon has received numerous honors including a Pinnacle Award from the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce for her record of excellence as a non-profit leader, The Boston Celtics Heroes Among Us Award, the Back Bay Association’s Heavy Lifting Award, and the Sisters of St. Joseph’s Community Service Award.

A native Mississippian, Sharon is a graduate of Rust College, the University of Mississippi, Commonwealth Seminar, and the Boston College Executive Leadership Program.

Sharon is a mother of three adult children, two sons and a daughter, and the Granny of 17 beautiful children.

A lover of nature, one of Sharon’s favorite past times is picking wild blueberries and camping in the woods at Tully Lake.

Director

Betsy Rosen is a marketing, branding and strategic planning consultant who partners with nonprofit organizations to lead strategic and marketing initiatives. Her background includes nonprofit and for-profit work for organizations including Hope & Comfort, Play Ball! Foundation, Reach Out and Read, Digitas and D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles. In addition to her consulting work, Betsy is a member of the WGBH Board of Overseers, the Miriam Fund, and The Ohio State University Parents Advancement Council, a volunteer mentor at MassBay Community College, and a past Board President of JF&CS. Betsy is a graduate of Williams College.

Director

Cheryl Schondek is the Senior Vice President of Food Acquisition and Supply Chain at The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB). Prior to her decision to join GBFB in 2014, Schondek had a successful career at Shaw’s/Star Markets Grocery Stores for more than 25 years.

Cheryl is active in the food industry, chairing the GBFB Food Industry Council. She is an executive board member of the New England Food Foundation, the New England Region of the Network of Executive Women, and a founding member of the New England Produce Council. Cheryl was a member of the Supervalu Corporate Diversity and Inclusion Board and was the president of the Shaw’s Affinity Group – MESA. Along with degrees from University of Vermont and Bridgewater State University, Cheryl has completed course work in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Executive Supply Chain & Strategic Management certificate sessions and has a certificate in produce management from Cornell University.

Director

Yolanda Taylor is a managing director at Prio Wealth, where she oversees their socially-responsible investing efforts and manages marketing communications. She is also the co-owner of Lexington Power Yoga, a yoga and barre studio in Lexington. Prior to these ventures, she was a partner at Copper Rock Capital, and director of research, analyst, and portfolio manager at Fidelity Investments. Yolanda has an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University and a B.A. and B.S. from the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton School of Business. She is the author of “Take Me Back to Redway” – her memoir about growing up homeless.

In addition to the Hope & Comfort board, Yolanda serves on the Board of Cradles to Crayons, and is actively involved in the town of Lexington, helping with school PTA activities and coaching Fit Girls. She lives in Lexington with her husband and four children.

Director

Rich is a private investor, focusing on publicly traded small cap companies.  He is also an adjunct professor of Finance at Bentley University, his alma mater. Rich has 30 years of experience as a stock picker. He was an Equity Analyst at Manchester Growth fund before joining the Equity Division of Fidelity Management and Research in 1996. Rich was an Equity Analyst, Portfolio Manager and Managing Director of Research at FMR with a focus on small cap stocks until his retirement in 2019.

In addition to his professional experience, Rich has participated in various volunteer activities. He enjoyed leading his teams to many community service events with Fidelity Cares and he previously served on the Board of Trustees at Belmont Day School. He is actively involved with the Catholic Schools Foundation. Rich lives in Lexington with his wife and 3 children.

Director

Krishna Valluru is a director of the Advanced Data Analytics technology team at Fidelity Investments Asset Management with 20+ years of experience in financial industry. Krishna started working at Phillips Kiln Services, collecting and analyzing the data from steel and cement plants using lasers and other electronic devices. As a result, he traveled to 21 different countries to collect information from around 70 different cement and steel plants. He graduated with a BA in Production Engineering from Pune University in 1992 and received his MBA in High Technology at Northeastern University in 2005.

In addition to his professional work, Krishna is also a part of the editorial board of the MIT CDO Magazine and is actively involved in community service events sponsored by Fidelity Cares. He lives with his wife, two children, and a golden doodle.

Director

Marcel Vernon, Sr. currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Finance at Bay Cove Human Services, leveraging nearly three decades of professional expertise across finance, accounting, administration, and planning. His proficiency in global strategic and tactical planning enables him to adeptly oversee acquisitions and manage project financing arrangements. Throughout his career, Marcel has consistently improved sales, profit, and cash flow, strategically applying technology to optimize resource utilization.

Prior to his role at Bay Cove, Marcel held the position of Chief Financial Officer at the University of New Hampshire. Marcel holds a Master’s Degree in Finance and International Business from Syracuse University, complemented by a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Colgate University.

Beyond his professional commitments, Marcel actively engages in advisory roles, serving as a member of the Whitman School of Business Advisory Council at Syracuse University and the Advisory Council of The CFO Leadership Council.

Director

Amy is a founding partner with the law firm Kertzman & Weil, LLP and has practiced law in Wellesley since 1994, following two years at a Boston law firm. She graduated in 1987 with a B.S. in Business Management and Communications from Babson College and received her law degree from Suffolk University Law School in 1992. She is a member of the Massachusetts Real Estate Bar Association and the Massachusetts Bar Association. Amy is currently Vice Chair of Babson’s Board of Overseers and was formerly a member of the Executive Board of the Babson College Alumni Association. She is also an adjunct professor in the Accounting and Law Department at Babson where she teaches Business Law.

Beyond her professional roles, Amy also volunteers a great deal of time with the Babson community. She actively organizes and participates in Babson’s Coaching for Leadership and Teamwork Program, a program that provides undergraduate students with constructive coaching in the areas of teamwork, leadership, and communication. Amy shares her expertise in law and business as well as her enthusiasm for volunteerism and community with Hope & Comfort.