Meet the Board of Directors
OFFICERS
CHAIR
John Alekna - Tremont Street, grew up in South Boston and has been active in a variety of local business and civic groups over the years. A 1983 graduate of Babson College, he began his current professional career at Merrill Lynch and is currently a Senior Vice President at Morgan Stanley’s Private Wealth Management division. 
PRESIDENT
Ellen Sheets - Tremont Street, relocated to the South End from Concord, MA three years ago. Currently she is the chief executive officer at a Lexington based venture company but started her Boston career as a gynecologic oncologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital. She is also on the board of Partners Healthcare's Innovation Fund and the BU-Fraunhofer Alliance Board. 
VICE PRESIDENT
Chris Block - Appleton Street, is originally from Michigan and moved to the South End two years ago. Chris is a practicing anesthesiologist at Newton-Wellesley Hospital and an avid cyclist who commutes to work by bike when he can. He also enjoys cooking, reading, sailing and walking with his wife and their two golden retrievers. 
VICE PRESIDENT
Patty Brennan - Montgomery Street, moved to the South End from New York City in June 2005. She works as an Account Director for The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, AZ. She volunteers with Saint Cecilia Parish and the Animal Rescue League of Boston. She loves animals, being outdoors and leads an active lifestyle. 
TREASURER
Matthew Rhoades - Lawrence Street, is an experienced investor, entrepreneur, and CFO. Originally from Pennsylvania, he moved to Boston in 2008 to attend Harvard Business School and now lives in the South End with his wife, son, and puppy. He enjoys community engagement and currently serves as the Chairman of Ellis Neighborhood's Development, Licensing, and Zoning Committee. 
CLERK
Robin Johnson - Tremont Street, is the branch manager of the South End office of Hingham Savings Bank. She has been working in the South End as an experienced banker and lender for four years and enjoys working with different community organizations throughout the neighborhood. DIRECTORS
Max Alderman - Clarendon Street, has lived in the South End for the past 3.5 years. He has been involved with the Ellis since 2015 as a part of the Scholarship and Community Outreach committees. Max currently works as the Diabetes Program Coordinator with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. In his free time he enjoys biking, hiking, and rooting for Boston sports teams.
Bob Berstein - Tremont Street, has more than 22 years of financial experience and currently serves as managing director at an investment bank in Boston. He is a graduate of Cornell University where he has served in a variety of alumni leadership roles.
Ross Bundy - Gray Street, was born and raised in MetroWest and has lived in the South End for the past 5 years. Ross joined the Ellis in 2015 and most recently, started the Young Professional Committee which aims to connect and empower professionals across a variety of industries. Ross currently works in tech research sales and enjoys golf, travel, and cooking.
Meghan Dichiara - Chandler Street, moved to the South End in 2009. After an earlier career in litigation consulting, Meghan is now a stay at home parent and has been active on the boards of both Childe Hassam and Titus Sparrow Park. Meghan and her husband both enjoy restaurants in the South End, exploring Boston with their kiddos and puppy, and travel in Mexico.
Cheryl Dickinson - West Canton Street, moved to the South End from Litchfield, CT in 2010. She has served as a teacher, reading specialist, principal, and Professor of Literacy. Her outreach efforts have enabled inner-city teachers to raise reading achievement among students ranging from at-risk to high-achieving. Cheryl’s continued research seeks ways to develop literacy skills through the integration of fine art and reading.
Paul Duffy - Clarendon Street, was born and raised in Boston’s South End and has remained a lifelong resident. He took a role in improving the South End as a real estate developer and subsequently founded O’Ryan, Lopez & Chin, a real estate maintenance company, which he owned and operated from 1986 to 1998. Paul is a Charter Member of the Ellis South End Neighborhood Association as well as other local organizations.
Peter Filonowicz - Warren Avenue, born in Jamaica Plain and raised mostly in Revere. He moved to the South End in 2015. Peter is a Software Development Manager for MFS Investment Management where he has been employed since 1996. He enjoys helping those in the community and is currently a mentor for students at the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology. Peter is also a trustee for the D4 condo association as well as a member of the Ellis' Development, Licensing and Zoning committee.
Jack Fitzgerald - Chandler Street, is a Managing Director at Leerink Partners LLC, where he provides legal and regulatory guidance for institutional clients. A graduate of Boston Latin, University of Massachusetts and Suffolk Law, he and his wife recently moved to the South End from Beacon Hill.
Jennifer Girvin - Chandler Street, is originally from upstate New York and has lived in the South End for the last 23 years with husband Ken. She is a residential broker with Keller Williams Realty. Jennifer served on the Ellis Board for 12 years and returns with a renewed interest in keeping the neighborhood a fun and vibrant place to live. Her favorite inspirational quote “what you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make”.
Bill Gregor - Appleton Street, is a retired general management consultant with over thirty-five years’ experience consulting to financial services firms on five continents. When not in the South End you can usually find him skiing or sailing. A former Ellis Chair, he has served the Association in many capacities and is currently chair of the Ellis Wine Group and an Ellis Marshal in Boston’s Pride Parade.
Michael Hall - Clarendon Street, has been a South End Resident for the last 28 years and has served on the Ellis Board for many of them, most recently as President and Treasurer. A Certified Public Accountant for the last 34 years, he is currently employed by R. J. Gold & Company, P.C.
Wendy Hamm - Montgomery Street, moved to the South End in 2007 with her husband, sons and dogs. They quickly fell in love with the South End as they found themselves in the neighborhood frequently going to parks and eating at restaurants. Wendy grew up in Michigan and has lived in San Francisco, Martha’s Vineyard and Boston previously. Wendy is the owner of a floral design business, Flower Power Boston.
Gregory Ruffer - Tremont Street, is President & CEO of the Boston Center for the Arts. Previously he served as the President & CEO of the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, a nationally-recognized nonprofit community school of music based in Milwaukee. As a conductor Ruffer has appeared on stages across the U.S. and Europe. He is a voting member for the Grammy Awards with the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences following his part in the recording Of Rage and Remem’brance with the National Symphony Orchestra, the 1996 Grammy winner for Best Classical Recording.
Carol Trust - Chandler Street, has lived in the South End 30 years, about a half mile from where her mother was raised on Columbus Avenue in the early 1900's.' She is the Executive Director of the National Association of Social Workers, the Massachusetts Chapter, and is a Licensed Independent Social Worker.
Lecolion Washington - 34 Warren Avenue, after over 20 years as a performing classical bassoonist, 15 years as a music professor, and 10 years as an arts administrator, Lecolion has established himself as a leader for the next generation of arts entrepreneurs, and he has been a staunch advocate for the relevance of music as an agent for social change. He is currently the Executive Director of Community Music Center of Boston, a 108-year-old legacy organization in the South End which provides equitable access to excellent music education and arts experiences to over 6000 students in 15 neighborhoods in Boston.
|
|