MSA's Board of Directors

Our board of directors is MSA's governing body, responsible for adopting sound and ethical guidance and financial management policies.

Interested in joining our board? Applications are open!

Louise Keogh Weed
Chair
Louise has her BA in Women's Studies from Tufts University and her Masters in Public Health in Health Policy and Management from Harvard School of Public Health. She has worked in health care delivery systems, focusing on Patient Safety and Quality Improvement in local Boston-area health care systems. Most recently, she worked at Codman Square Health Center as the Director of Medical Management and Improvement. Louise is currently an instructor at Harvard School of Public Health.
Janelle Fouche
Vice Chair
Janelle is a fifth-year PhD student in Education Policy & Program Evaluation at Harvard University. She is a Malcolm Wiener Ph.D. Scholar in Poverty and Justice in Harvard’s Inequality & Social Policy Program and a Partnering in Education Research (PIER) Fellow at the Center for Education Policy Research. Her research interests lie at the intersection of the carceral system and education policy, as she believes the two are inextricably linked to issues of race, inequality, and opportunity. Janelle has served as a volunteer tutor in prisons and juvenile detention centers, as well as a STEM and ACT/SAT tutor with the Leaders through Education, Action and Hope (LEAH) Project. She holds a B.S. in Economics and a B.S in Management Science (with a concentration in Finance) from MIT. In her spare time, she likes to play with her German Shepherd, 2 Chains. Janelle also enjoys virtual workouts and game nights with her gal pals.
Helene Horan Winn
Secretary
Helene leads the Community Relations team at The TJX Companies, Inc. where she focuses on building sustainable partnerships between TJX and its nonprofit partners across the United States. A proud AmeriCorps alum, Helene served for two years at Nativity School of Worcester and then stayed on at the school as the Graduate Support Director for an additional two years. Since then, Helene's professional career has been split between the nonprofit and for-profit sectors, including roles at EMC Corporation, DetectTogether (formerly 15-40 Connection) and the College of the Holy Cross. Helene is a resident of Shrewsbury, MA and holds a B.A. in Anthropology from the College of the Holy Cross (Worcester, MA), a Masters in Teaching from Clark University (Worcester, MA) and an MBA from Boston College’s Carroll School of Management (Newton, MA).
Eric Solem
Treasurer
Eric is a founding member, Managing Principal, and President of the Boston office of Lee & Associates. Eric is an experienced corporate real estate professional with over two decades of experience as a trusted advisor for business strategy and operational improvement for corporate clients. After a 15-year tenure as a co-founding principal of Landmark Real Estate Advisors and senior associate for Trammell Crow Company, Eric brokered over a thousand commercial real estate transactions in his career. After graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy, Eric completed pilot training and instructor pilot training as a distinguished graduate flying jets in the U.S. Air Force. Eric has an MBA from Babson College and a B.S. from the U.S. Air Force Academy where he also played running back for the intercollegiate football team. Eric lives in Chestnut Hill with his wife and family.
Anne Ostberg
Anne has worked for AmeriCorps for 16 years in various positions and offices, including Concord, New Hampshire; Hartford, Connecticut; and Washington, DC. She currently serves as a Senior Portfolio Manager in AmeriCorps’ Northeast Regional Office, where she and her team of Portfolio Managers oversee AmeriCorps grants in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Anne’s work experience also includes nine years with the Pegasus Foundation, a private-independent foundation committed to environmental protection and public education preceded by various state and local government jobs in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Anne currently lives in Concord, New Hampshire with her husband, AmeriCorps VISTA Alumnus Peter Bender.
Ayanna Crawford
Ayanna is the owner/ President of AC Consulting and Media Services specializing in communications and marketing skills, public relations, and social media management for nonprofits in Western MA. She is also the Chief of Staff for State Rep. Orlando Ramos. Ayanna is a proud Springfield College AmeriCorps Alum. She created “It’s your turn take the mic,” an enrichment program for 5–18-year-old girls in Greater Springfield. She is the founder of Women in the Business club of Western Mass and currently on the board of Parent Villages, American Red Cross, Behavioral Health Network, Woman in Network. Ayanna is currently writing a book on public speaking tips for young girls. She has a B.A. in psychology from Westfield State University and an M.Ed. from Springfield College. She is the proud mother of two children.
Candace Burns
Candace is the Director for Workforce Development at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute where she oversees an initiative designed to assist the current and future workforce achieve academic and career success by increasing access and reducing barriers to college, career readiness, and skill development opportunities. Candace has been a leader in developing long-term partnerships with local, state, and national organizations committed to delivering career development services to underrepresented youth and adults interested in science and health care careers. She has held similar roles at Mass General Hospital, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Raised in Dorchester, Candace holds a B.S. in Marketing and Communications from Babson College and a M.S. in Management from Lesley University. She serves on several boards and committees including Youth Enrichment Services, Fenway High School and the Boston Healthcare Careers Consortium.
Charla Hixson, LICSW
Following a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the University of New Hampshire, Charla completed an AmeriCorps service year in Aspen, Colorado, inspiring a commitment to service learning. She went on to lead an AmeriCorps team the following year, eventually returning to the Social Work profession to complete a Master’s degree from the University of Tennessee. Charla directed an AmeriCorps program in Worcester, MA through the Worcester Community Action Council (WCAC). She has worked for WCAC for the past 19 years, serving in management and senior roles within community action and antipoverty work. Charla is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) and believes in bringing clinical skills to non-clinical settings and macro practice. She lives in Lancaster, MA with her husband and two children.
Dr. Lawrence Neil Bailis
Dr. Lawrence Neil Bailis, a political scientist, is an associate professor at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University who has specialized in understanding and enhancing efforts to promote social justice through advocacy, protest, and community organizing. He has conducted numerous research projects that address the effectiveness of strategies to increase the utility of service programs operated by the Corporation for National and Community Service and others. He received his M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University. He is currently board chair of the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action (JALSA) and has previously chaired the MSA board and other boards.
Grace Lichaa
Grace values service because it is an opportunity for service members to gain new experiences and learn more about organizations and services they may not have through other means. She was in health and wellness education at Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston until January 2022. In her spare time she likes cooking, spending time with her kids, and playing board games.
Hallie Zenga-Josephson
Youth Seat
Hallie serves on the MSA Board in the Youth Seat position. She is currently a member of the Class of 2024 at Harvard University. She studies Applied Math with Application in Sociology, and an Educational Studies minor. She has engaged in volunteerism her whole life, and it has made a big impact on her goals for the future. She has spent her summers working for nonprofit organizations doing data analytics, and plans to continue this work post-grad. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, doing yoga, and hanging out with her family's two Havanese pups.
James Lin
James Lin is an Associate Partner at New Profit, Inc - a national venture philanthropy organization created by and for social entrepreneurs. At New Profit, James sits on the Portfolio Performance and Support team where he works to advance New Profit’s deal practice and learning and improvement work. James formerly served as an Executive Director at Peer Health Exchange, a national nonprofit focused on health equity for systemically underserved young people of color across the country. James began his career as an AmeriCorps member where his passion for service and social impact work began.
Joe Oliveira
Joe has his BA in Accounting and a Masters in Accounting/Finance from the University of Connecticut. Joe is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Massachusetts and Connecticut since 2004. He has worked in public accounting since 2000 and has focused on tax planning for high-net-worth individuals and families, trusts, and small businesses. Joe is currently a Senior Tax manager at MP CPAs in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Kristen McKinnon
Kristen serves as the Assistant Director of the Office of Student and Family Support at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration and mental health counseling from Suffolk University, and a Bachelors degree in psychology from Providence College. Kristen has spent the last 20+ years developing and implementing youth programs that support academic achievement, promote healthy behaviors, and improve social behavior and civic engagement.
Midori Morikawa
Midori Morikawa currently serves as the Head of Corporate Citizenship at State Street, where she oversees $25 million in grant-making strategy, execution, and operations, as well as initiatives to ensure State Street employees are engaged through volunteering in communities around the world where State Street has presence. Previously, she was the Deputy Chief of Economic Development at the City of Boston, where she oversaw programs and policies to spur inclusive economic growth especially post pandemic. Midori also developed the City’s Tuition Free Community College initiative in which Boston residents can attend colleges free of charge – the program has served over 800 students since its inception. Before joining the city government, Midori worked at ABCD., Inc., and YWCA Boston. A native of Japan, she grew up in Malaysia and Indonesia before coming to the U.S. to attend Clark University and Brandeis University for her undergraduate and graduate studies.
Osin Ghimire
Youth Seat
Coming from a Nepalese immigrant family background, Osin is a passionate advocate for service and equity especially in regard to education and opportunities. As she wraps up her AmeriCorps service year as a College Advising Corps member at the John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science, she has guided 320+ underrepresented students through the college & financial aid application processes, fostering a college-going culture. Osin is currently pursuing a Master's in Clinical Social Work and is a part of the Tri-Alpha Association at Boston University. She continues to make a positive impact on marginalized communities in hopes of empowering the next generation. Osin is excited to continue this work as a new member of the MSA board in the Youth Seat position.
Simone Lawrence
Simone is the Senior Assistant Director at College Advising Corps at Boston University. Prior to this role, she was a Partnerships Manager at uAspire Boston, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting students find an affordable path to and through college. In this role, she worked with uAspire's external affairs team to create and improve systems that will effectively support partner schools, communities and cities. Simone served as an AmeriCorps member with the Massachusetts Promise Fellowship at uAspire Springfield and later worked as a Senior College Affordability Advisor at the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. Simone is an alumna of Smith College, where she obtained her B.A. in American Studies and Spanish.
Tyissha Jones-Horner
Tyissha Jones-Horner is a Boston native who has worked over 20 years in the nonprofit and government sectors. Currently, she serves as the Administrative Director of Volunteer programs for the City of Boston’s Age Strong Commission which engages people 55 and over in impact driven service; two of which are Americorps Senior programs. In her spare time she loves spending time with her family, traveling and exploring everything technology related.