Team

Joe is our Executive Director.  He served first as the Policy Director for MASSCAP for seven years and, since 2000, as our Executive Director.  He has extensive experience in human services, beginning his career as a lobbyist for the United Way Organization in Providence Rhode Island.  He served as a legislative aide for a state legislator from Amherst, Massachusetts, as the Manager of Communications for a statewide association of healthcare organizations, and ran a public affairs consulting practice.  Joe has a Bachelors Degree from Dickinson College and a Masters Degree in Political Science with a focus on American Government and Public Administration from The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.  He served on the Westford, MA Finance Committee and the Westford Affordable Housing Trust Fund, and he is now the Vice Chair of Westford’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee.

Lisa is our Director of Communications and Member Services. Prior to joining MASSCAP, Lisa spent ten years working to ensure access to high quality educational options; first for a nonprofit charter school management organization managing the national and local marketing efforts as well as supporting the development of new charters, and then for a nonprofit service provider spearheading research and assisting school clients with marketing efforts. Lisa has extensive experience in marketing and communications including international sales management and international marketing program management. Lisa holds a BA in Spanish and Political Science from the University of Rochester and a MS in Multinational Commerce from Boston University.  She previously served as Board Treasurer of College Ready Now, a nonprofit awarding last dollar scholarships to deserving high school seniors.

Katie is our Project Coordinator for READYGO.   Katie is an experienced project manager whose background spans work in public schools, higher education, biotech, and non-profits. Prior to being the READYGO Project Coordinator, she was part of Babson College’s Development team where she assisted with grant and proposal writing and research, and was responsible for the establishment and implementation of a process for tracking and managing sponsorships for events. She has experience in teaching, curriculum development, database management, and grant management. She has taught English at local high schools, and worked in administrative roles in higher education. She is herself a writer and, in addition to maintaining a blog about interconnections, she has had short stories published in literary magazines and is working on a novel. She has a Masters of Teaching from Simmons, a Masters in Urban Planning from the University of Michigan, and is earning a graduate certificate in Instructional Design from Harvard Extension.

Colleen is our Director of Grants Management and Compliance. Prior to joining MASSCAP, Colleen spent 15+ years working in the communications field, whilst transitioning seamlessly into grant writing and development. With a specialization in the non-profit sector, Colleen has led global communications efforts for the International Fund for Animal Welfare’s global Elephant Protection Program and recently served as Associate Director of Development and Communications for the Firehouse Center for the Arts, based in Newburyport, MA. She has specialized in persuasive programmatic storytelling; aggressive domestic and international media outreach and engagement; and, has proven successful in both fundraising and the acquisition of new donors. Colleen’s early career as a Senior Technical Writer lends greatly to her detail-oriented approach within compliance work today. Colleen holds a B.F.A. in Journalism from Long Island University, is a Certified Grant Writer®, and a freelance writer. Currently, Colleen also serves as a founding board member of the 501(c)(3) Boston-based non-profit, Massachusetts for Elephants, which works locally to protect elephants globally.

Ancel is our Program Manager, Financial Empowerment.  Prior joining MASSCAP, Ancel managed the Financial Literacy and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program for Greater Lawrence Community Action Council, the Community Action Agency serving the greater Lawrence area.  Ancel has extensive background in banking including serving as a branch manager and loan office for Santander Consumer USA Inc. and serving as branch manager and vice president for Bank of America.  Ancel holds certifications from the IRS as a VITA Site Coordinator and Advanced Level Tax Preparation as well as from the United Way as a Financial Stability Coach.

Tammy serves as our Chief Financial Officer.  A graduate of Suffolk University with over 40 years of experience, Tammy has proven success in assisting startups, established companies and non-profit organizations in creating financial infrastructure and objectives for sustainability and growth.  Tammy has been working with MASSCAP for more than five years.  She has worked to strengthen our network, and she continues to support the agencies and streamline our financial operations.