UMass Boston

Martha Bernard Welsh, Board President, Dress for Success Worcester

Martha Bernard Walsh is the Board President for Dress for Success Worcester. Her career has included executive roles in healthcare and financial communications, retirement and financial planning. She led national public education campaigns on mental health and women’s health, health literacy training for seniors, and retirement financial planning. In Boston she helped to launch two non-profit organizations that provide free temporary housing for families of children requiring extensive medical care far from their homes. Currently she is Board President of Dress for Success Worcester which helps women in the Greater Central Massachusetts region learn skills related to job readiness including resume writing, interview research and strategies, and financial acumen. Once these clients are ready for their interview, they are individually dressed in business appropriate clothes – all of which give them the confidence to move forward. Martha also leads the CWPPP's Polly Logan Fund, which was created and named for a longtime and highly influential leader in Massachusetts Republican politics who, in her day, was an advocate for women’s rights, equal pay, the Equal Rights Amendment, abortion rights and more. Polly Logan was especially passionate about educating and mentoring women as candidates and activists.

Celia Johnston Blue, President and CEO, Massachusetts Women of Color Coalition

Celia J. Blue is a seasoned executive leader with 25 years of experience working in the private, public and nonprofit sectors. Currently, she is the President and CEO of the Massachusetts Women of Color Coalition. Celia is the former Deputy Director and Chief Administrative Officer for the Rhode Island Department of Human Services, overseeing human resources, information technology systems and support, performance analytics and continuous improvement, civil rights, diversity, equity and inclusion. Celia was also Registrar of Motor Vehicles for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the first African American in Massachusetts history to serve as the Registrar. As Registrar, she managed operating and capital budgets totaling $280 million and oversaw approximately 800 employees in 31 locations.Celia holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Worcester State University and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Anna Maria College. Celia also sits on additional boards in Central and Eastern MA.

Tess Browne, Sisters of Charity Nazareth

Marie-Thèrése Browne, S.C.N. (Sisters of Charity of Nazareth), “Tess” or Sister Tess, is a long-time practitioner in Social Justice Organizing, beginning with the National Farm Worker Ministry assigning her full-time staff with the United Farm Workers, AFL-CIO in Wisconsin, and Texas. Tess was inspired by boycotting farmworkers who invited her to leave the classroom and join them on the picket line in solidarity with their struggle for dignity and justice. Tess engaged in several organizing and legislative campaigns in Wisconsin, California, and Texas, where she was Director of the National Farm Workers Service Center in San Juan, Texas. Tess co-coordinated successful campaigns to ban “El Corbito”, the short, handled hoe, and to bring toilets and clean drinking water to workers in the fields. After training with the Southwest Voter Registration and Education Project farmworkers in Texas, Tess and others initiated voting rights and policy campaigns. Tess has been an Organizer with the Committee for Boston Public Housing. She was statewide Organizing Director for the Mass Action for Women Audit, as a follow up to the 1995 Beijing UN Conference on Women. She was also coordinator of HELP (Healthy Environment Leadership Project), an interfaith environmental justice organizing project at Episcopal Divinity School. As part of the Catholic Sisters Collaborative, and Saint Katherine Drexel Parish, founding members of GBIO (Greater Boston Interfaith Organization), Tess continues supporting GBIO organizing for criminal Justice, affordable health care, and housing. From Massachusetts Interfaith Worker Justice beginnings, she deepened her commitment to worker rights, intersectionality, and dismantling systemic racism. This work moves on through Jobs with Justice; and Advisory Boards of the UMass Boston Labor Resource Center, the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy, and the South Asian Workers Center. Students in UMass Labor and Gender Studies and at The Labor Guild inspire and challenge Tess to keep going. A native of Trinidad and Tobago and a U.S. Citizen, Tess received her BA from Cardinal Stritch University, and a master’s degree from UMass Boston, College of Public and Community Service. She was a Merrill Fellow at Harvard Divinity School. A former high school Biology and French teacher, Tess credits her mother, Dorothea for her gift of faith, and the call to act with the others for the common good of the wider community. Being a sister of Charity of Nazareth, she tries to live out charity rooted in justice, to care for the earth, and to be in solidarity with oppressed persons, especially women.

Karen Charles, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Telecommunication and Cable

Karen Charles is Commissioner of the Department of Telecommunications and Cable, where she serves as the principle communications regulator for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  In addition to her duties at the Department, Commissioner Charles is a member of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners serving on the association's Board of Directors and is Chair of its Committee on Telecommunications. Commissioner Charles also serves as NARUC representative to the North American Numbering Council.  Commissioner Charles is also involved in broadband policy development, and is a member of both the Massachusetts Broadband Institute and the FCC’s Broadband Deployment Advisory Council.  Prior to her appointment as Commissioner in 2014, Karen joined the Department as its Chief of Staff in 2012.  Karen brings to the Department years of leadership experience in both city and state government, having served as Chief of Staff for the Registry of Motor Vehicles, the Executive Office of Transportation, and the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority.  Before joining government, Karen was a producer for the award winning news program, Greater Boston with Emily Rooney on WGBH.  Karen is a graduate of Suffolk University and CWPPP's Gender, Leadership & Public Policy  graduate certificate program.

Helen Chin Schlichte, Co-Founder and President Emeritus, South Cove Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Facility

Helen Chin Schlichte is the past President of the South Cove Manor Nursing Home, and former vice-chair of the boards of directors of the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley and the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. She now serves onn the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston Senior Advisory Board and on the Youth Villages Board of Directors. She entered public service in 1949 and retired in 2003 from her position as Assistant to the Secretary for Administration and Finance in Massachusetts. During her service she served 13 Secretaries and 12 Governors. Throughout her career, Schlichte served in leadership positions in many nonprofit organizations. In 2008, Schlichte, a former Kwong Kow Chinese School student, a 93 year old heritage language school, was invited to be volunteer chair of the Board. As one of the first Asian women to achieve prominence as a public administrator, Schlichte has been an effective mentor and strong supporter of women aspiring to careers in government. Schlichte gives credit to her parents for instilling her with a commitment for service in the community.

Karen Courtney, Executive Director, Foundation for Fair Contracting of Massachusetts

Karen Courtney is the Executive Director of the Foundation for Fair Contracting. Appointed to the UMass Building Authority in 2011 by Governor Duval Patrick, Karen holds a Masters degree in Labor Studies from UMass Amherst.

Cheryl Clyburn Crawford, Executive Director, MassVOTE

Cheryl Clyburn Crawford is the Executive Director of MassVOTE and also serves as the the 1st Vice President of the NAACP-Boston Branch. She is a former Executive Board Chair of EmergeMA, a political leadership training program. Cheryl sits on the Women's Pipeline for Change’s Oversight and Planning Board. She is an active member of the Order of the Eastern Star; a Prince Hall affiliated organization. She is a member of the Attorney General’s Advisory Council on Racial Justice and Equity. Most recently she was appointed to the Citizen’s Commission on Constitutional Amendment, as well as a board member of American Promise.Before MassVOTE, Cheryl served as Campaign Manager and then Chief of Staff to State Representative Willie Mae Allen.  Born in New York, Cheryl grew up in Boston; and is a graduate of Lesley College, Cambridge, MA.

Carol Donovan, Former Massachusetts State Representative

Former Representative Carol A. Donovan of Woburn served seven terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. She serves as president of the 1991 Class of Legislators and during her last term, she served on the Energy Committee and the Personnel and Administration Committee. She was a member of the Special Committee on Foster Care. During her 14-year tenure as State Representative, she served as a member on the following committees: Ways and Means, Rules, Housing, Banks and Banking, Rules and Public Safety. She was Treasurer for the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators and a member of the Legislative Caucus of Older Citizens Concerns, the Massachusetts Legislative Children's Caucus (Steering Committee), and the Legislative Tobacco Control Caucus. She formerly served as the Vice Chair of Bills in Third Reading and as Vice Chair of the Post Audit and Oversight Committees. Donovan served on the Executive Board of the National Council of State Governments (CSG) organization and as a member of the Eastern Regional Executive Board of the CSG. She is an active member of the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus and the national organization of WiLL/WAND (Women's Legislative Lobby/Women's Action for New Directions). In 1996, Donovan was elected to the Massachusetts Electoral College as an Elector for President Clinton and Vice President Gore. She has her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Regis College. Donovan was part of the first cohort of CWPPP Distinguished Public Service Fellows.

Melissa Ferretti, Chairperson, Bourne Select Board and President, Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe

Melissa Ferretti is President of the Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe and Chair of the Bourne Select Board. Born in Wareham, Massachusetts, she is the daughter of Bernard Marsden Harding (Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe) and was raised in Cedarville/South Plymouth and Bournedale by Verna May Harding, a respected Tribal Elder. Melissa is part of the current cohort of CWPPP Distinguished Public Service Fellows. In May 2025, Melissa was appointed Chair of the Bourne Select Board, having first been elected in May 2022. She is currently serving her second term and is the first Wampanoag woman—and believed to be the first person of color—elected to this body. She also serves on several state and local boards and committees. Melissa is proudly serving her fifth two-year term as elected Chairwoman of the Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe, where she is deeply committed to strengthening and supporting her community. Her work includes protecting sacred sites and ancestral burial grounds; conducting archival research, documentation, and digitization; and advancing tribal rights and self-determination. She is also engaged in environmental justice, mental health and substance-use prevention, youth empowerment, grant development, and public education about the Tribe’s well-documented history.  Her professional career began in 1998 in the Mashpee Town Clerk’s Office, followed by service as Executive Administrative Assistant to the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. In 2003, she became a licensed Real Estate Sales Associate and Notary Public in Massachusetts and remains affiliated with Jack Conway and Company. She is also the former Vice President of Operations for Select Staffing of Massachusetts and currently provides freelance research, consulting, and back-office bookkeeping services. In 2020, Melissa co-taught an undergraduate course at the University of Massachusetts Boston titled Indigenous Women’s Leadership and Tribal Nation Self-Determination in the Women’s and Gender Studies Department. She attended Plymouth-Carver schools and Cape Cod Community College, where she studied Information Technology. Melissa is a married mother of two sons and a proud grandmother of four.

Jovita Fontanez, Former Head of Boston Election Commission

Jovita Fontanez is a pioneer of Latina Leadership in Massachusetts politics. She has had a remarkable career, including being the first woman and Latina Commissioner for the City of Boston’s Election Department, one of the first Latina commissioners of the City’s Fair Housing Commission, and the first Latina elected to the Massachusetts Electoral College. In her impressively diverse career, Fontanez has also served as Associate Director of the South End Community Health Center and worked on the creation of Case Ezperanza’s Latinas y Niños, Boston’s first residential treatment facility designed to address the unique bicultural needs of Hispanic mothers. Fontanez is as award-winning leader known for developing outreach strategies and programming – with special emphasis on identifying underserved populations – and ensuring access to key services including voting rights, health care, housing, and diversity on oversight boards. She earned her master’s degree in public administration from Northeastern University, her bachelor’s degree from UMass Boston, and completed graduate-level programs at both Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Diana Hwang, Founder and Executive Director, Asian American Women's Political Initiative; Political Organizing Director, She the People

Diana Hwang is the Founder and Executive Director of the Asian-American Women’s Political Initiative (AAWPI). Diana began her career in politics at the State House as the Executive Director of the Caucus of Women Legislators and as the Legislative Aide to late State Representative Debby Blumer (D-Framingham). She then served as Chief of Staff on the Boston City Council. Diana is a Founding Commissioner on the Mayor’s Women’s Commission for the City of Boston.  She also serves on the Boards of the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy (CWPPP) at the University of Massachusetts Boston and the Salesian Boys and Girls Club of East Boston, and served as Co-Chair of the Board of Directors for the Boston Women’s Fund.  Diana was profiled as "one of Boston's most powerful thought leaders" in Boston Magazine and has spoken at the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C. and at a number of colleges, including Salem State University, Wellesley College, Northeastern University and Dartmouth College about starting AAWPI.

Jocelyn Jones, Attorney, Segal Roitman, LLP

Jocelyn B. Jones advises public and private sector unions and individual employees as both a litigator and a policymaker. Jocelyn’s practice includes collective bargaining, arbitrations, administrative proceedings, court litigation, private enforcement of the wage and hour laws, and government relations. She provides strategic counsel to labor organizations on public policy, including licensing, regulatory enforcement, bid protests, and legislative advocacy on the federal, state, and municipal levels. For more than 15 years, Jocelyn served in the Fair Labor Division of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, serving at various times as Acting Chief, Deputy Chief, and Special Counsel for Fair Labor Policy, and Assistant Attorney General. As an AAG, Jocelyn prosecuted hundreds of wage and hour and employee misclassification cases. As Deputy Chief for over eight years, Jocelyn guided enforcement, particularly in the construction arena, oversaw complex litigation and managed the public construction bid unit. Additionally, she advised the Attorney General on public policy, and worked closely with the Legislature and state and federal agencies and Division stakeholders. Jocelyn served on the Commonwealth’s Joint Task Force on the Underground Economy & Employee Misclassification, and was appointed to the Massachusetts Commission to Investigate Project Labor Agreements. In 2015, Jocelyn played a central role in drafting and implementing the Commonwealth’s Earned Sick Time and Domestic Worker regulations. Previously, Jocelyn worked at a Boston labor law firm representing unions and employees.

Representative Kay Khan (D - Middlesex 11th)

Kay Khan recently retired from the Massachusetts House of Representatives after 30 years of dedicated service (1995-2024) representing the 11th Middlesex District (Newton). Khan holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing from Boston University, Appointed in 2009 as House Chair of the Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities, she served in this role for 12 years and held positions on multiple other committees, including Public Health, Elder Affairs, Housing, Human Services, the Judiciary, among others. She also served as Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure. Khan is credited with key legislative achievements such as the ban on conversion therapy for minors, the licensing of certified professional midwives, and, along with then Representative Liz Miranda, the establishment of a Special Commission on Racial Inequities in Maternal Health. She was also instrumental in founding the nation's first legislative Mental Health Caucus and co-chairing the Taskforce on Justice Involved Women. Representative Khan is also one of CWPPP's current Distinguished Public Service Fellows.

Representative Elizabeth Malia (D – Suffolk 11th)

First elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1998, Liz Malia represented the 11th Suffolk District until 2022. Serving a district that consists of parts of Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, Dorchester and Roslindale, Representative Malia dedicated her tenure to constituent services and improving the quality of life for residents in her district. She worked extensively on public safety issues, improving community relations with the police, to promote independence and well-being of the elderly, and to ensure transparent and inclusive community development processes. In the legislature, she served as the Assistant Vice Chair of the Committee on Ways and Means. She also served on Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development and as the House Chair of the Women’s Legislative Caucus (191st General Court).

As the former House Chair of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use, and Recovery for more than a decade, Representative Malia led efforts to improve access to mental health and substance abuse services, especially in communities of color.  She received the Presidential Award by the Massachusetts Psychiatric Society and the Kathleen M. Scanlan Advocacy Award by the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling for her commitment to mental health issues.

In addition, Representative Malia led the legislative efforts against human trafficking and  championed such issues as marriage equality, CORI reform, foreclosure legislation, affordable housing, immigrants’ rights, women’s health issues and many others. Born in upstate New York, Liz Malia earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Boston College and later attended the Women in Politics and Government graduate program at UMass Boston (now the Gender, Leadership, and Public Policy graduate program). Representative Malia lives in Jamaica Plain with her wife Rita and their dog, Bobo.

Senator Liz Miranda (Democrat – Suffolk 2nd District)

Senator Liz Miranda represents Suffolk 2nd District in Massachusetts. As the daughter of Cabo Verdean immigrants, she has been a tireless advocate for immigrant rights. Senator Miranda was previously a state representative from 2019 to 2022, representing Suffolk District 5, the most of color district in Massachusetts. She has filed legislation around reform to save Black lives, improve racial disparities in maternal health, promote environmental justice within disproportionately impacted communities, and ensure a just recovery for micro-to-small businesses most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, she was the first legislator in the Commonwealth to establish a district-led community care program that assisted over 3,000 vulnerable residents in Roxbury and Dorchester with food security, housing assistance, unemployment assistance, and access to COVID-19 testing.  

Evelyn Murphy, President, The WAGE Project, Inc.; Former Lieutenant Governor

Evelyn Murphy, PhD, is President and Founder of The WAGE Project, Inc., and former Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts. An economist, Dr. Murphy founded The WAGE Project in 2003 as a national grassroots nonprofit dedicated to eliminating the gender wage gap in the United States. Through a partnership with the American Association of University Women (AAUW), WAGE salary-negotiation workshops for women are now being delivered to an estimated 10 million women nationwide, while WAGE continues to focus on addressing racial and gender bias within workplaces. Dr. Murphy previously served as Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of Environmental Affairs, and Secretary of Economic Affairs. Her current civic leadership includes serving as Co-Chair of the Boston Women’s Workforce Council and as a Director of The Commonwealth Institute. She has also served on the boards of publicly traded corporations, mutual companies, and privately held businesses.

Susan Rohrbach, Chair, Cape Women's Coalition; Former District Director, Senator Daniel Wolf

Sue Rohrbach is currently the Chair of the Cape Women’s Coalition, a Cape Cod organization that works to encourage women to become active in local government and civic life through educational events, an annual International Women’s Day Breakfast, and collaboration with other local women’s organizations. Retired now, she spent 14 years of her career as District Director for former State Senators Rob O’Leary and Dan Wolf. Earlier, she coordinated successful lengthy campaigns for The Cape Cod Land Bank and the preservation of 15,000 acres at Joint Base Cape Cod for water protections and compatible military training. She has been extensively involved in local government, serving on the Barnstable Town Council, Planning Board, Community Preservation Committee, and others. She now serves on several local non-profit boards.  Sue received a Graduate Certificate from the Center in 1995.

Lauren Scribi, Vice President of Public Affairs, Benchmark Strategies

Lauren Scribi is Vice President of Public Affairs, Benchmark Strategies. She previously served as Director of Government Partnerships at Bird and prior to that was the Director of Programs and Government Relations at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate where she worked with elected leaders and produced public programs for adult audiences. As a former Executive Director of the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators, Lauren worked on the unanimous passage of the most comprehensive equal pay legislation in the country along with other successful efforts to make the Commonwealth a more equitable place for women. She has been appointed to numerous boards and commissions, served as Legislative Aide to former State Representative Rhonda Nyman (D-Hanover) and was selected to travel to Ukraine, Israel and Jordan with the US Department of State. After spending seven years working for the Massachusetts Legislature, Lauren believes in the ideals of government, democracy and civic engagement.  Lauren holds a BA in history and political science from the University of Vermont and an MA in magazine journalism from Kingston University London.

Ingrid Tucker, Executive Director, Codman Square Neighborhood Development Association 

Dr. Ingrid Tucker is the Executive Director of the Codman Square Neighborhood Development Associatio.  She is a lifelong dedicated and passionate educator who has more than 25 years of experience in leading independent schools in urban and suburban communities.  Dr. Tucker was formerly the Head of Cambridge Montessori School (CMS) where she made a significant impact in the strategic vision, student experience, investment in faculty and family engagement. Prior to joining CMS,  Dr. Tucker was the President of Mother Caroline Academy & Education Center in Dorchester, a tuition-free middle school serving girls from economically disadvantaged communities in the City of Boston. Dr. Tucker is also the President of the Boston Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, a public service Sorority.  She is passionate about volunteering her time in schools and communities in need.  Dr. Tucker is an ordained pastor who co-founded Awaken Christian Church with her husband of Phillip. She and Phillip have four adult children; three daughters and one son.  They reside in Milton, MA.

Laurie Taymor-Berry, Legislative AdvocaSprinte, Criminal Justice Policy Coalition

Laurie Taymor-Berry began social and economic justice work as an organizer for the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party in 1971. She worked as a Protective Social Worker and Program Development Specialist for the Massachusetts Department of Social Services for over a decade before serving as the Legislative Liaison for Survivors' Inc. a low-income women’s nonprofit for the next twenty years. Currently, Laurie serves on the External Advisory Board of the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy at UMass, Boston and has been a longtime member of the Boston Branch of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF).

Susan Tracy, President, The Strategy Group

As President of The Strategy Group, Susan works with clients on strategic planning, communications and community relations. Susan is widely respected for her ability to develop precise strategies that achieve a client's objectives by reaching out to targeted community members, media outlets and governmental officials with clear, concise and compelling messages. She is also an experienced manager who combines a keen eye for detail with her ability to successfully supervise and direct projects and teams of all sizes. Susan was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1990, serving Allston-Brighton for four years. In her second term, she was appointed to the House Ways and Means Committee and named Vice Chair of the Committee on Natural Resources and Agriculture. In 1995, after working for 10 years in state and local government, Susan began her own consulting practice, Tracy & Company. The firm assisted political figures, non-profit organizations and private sector clients with strategic planning and community relations advice. Prior to serving in the Legislature, Susan worked for the City of Boston, where she served as Director of the City's Emergency Shelter Commission, coordinating Boston's services for the homeless. Susan also worked as a member of the City's state relations team and coordinated statewide efforts for the Mayor of Boston. Susan has managed a City of Boston Mayor's race and done extensive political work locally and nationally. In 1998, she ran for Congress from Massachusetts' 8th Congressional District. Susan won endorsements from a diverse group of constituencies and praise from a wide range of political observers. Susan serves on a number of Boards, including Pine Street Inn and Save the Harbor Save the Bay.  She holds a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from Boston College. Susan resides in Newton, MA with her family. An alumna of CWPPP's Gender, Leadership & Public Policy graduate program, Susan also served CWPPP as one of its Distinguished Public Service Fellows.