The Fund's Board of Directors consists of leaders in the legal, financial services, health care, business, and philanthropic communities. An alphabetical listing of the members of the Board of Directors follows.
A message from the incoming president -
The Board of the MA 9/11 Fund held its annual meeting in June of 2011. An essential part of the annual meeting is to affirm the financial results for the year and review projections for the future. I am pleased to report that the three pillars of our mission are in reasonably good financial shape. We have identified a pool of funds to create an educational program to provide the ability for Massachusetts school systems to have a curriculum available to teach about 9/11. The fund to maintain our memorial in the Boston Public Garden is financed now so that the memorial can be maintained in perpetuity. As regards the ongoing commemoration observances, we have funds set aside and a strategy to maintain these into the near future, but will be working more with the FAC and the families themselves to identify the scope of upcoming commemorative observances into the longer term future so we can do what is best for all.
The Board elected its new officers as follows - David Hastings, president; Eric Lowrey, first vice-president; Linda Gay, vice-president; Faith Arter, Treasurer; Linda Gay, acting clerk. Board members continuing to serve are John Curtis, Diann Corcoran, and Margaret Hatch, who will be joined by new Board member Rita DiGiovanni. Jim Fisher, Peter Dimond and Sally White have agreed to serve until October, 2011, when their terms will end.
As the incoming president, I am honored to accept the position and I will focus on continuing to work with the FAC and our families to strengthen the MA 9/11 Fund going forward, in its new configuration as an all-volunteer organization. All of the Board members look forward to addressing our responsibilities as active curators of the organization and to provide the structure, framework, and oversight necessary for it to serve our mission in support of the families. Commemorations, memorial preservation, and public education are what we support, and why we exist.
- David Hastings, President
Board of Directors
David Hastings, President; Chair, Executive Committee
Eric A. Lowrey, First Vice President; Chair, Audit Committee
Linda Gay, Vice President; Clerk of Corporation; Chair, Events and Nominating Committees
Faith R. Arter, Treasurer; Chair, Finance Committee
John H. Curtis, Chair, Memorial and Strategic Planning Committees
Rita DiGiovanni, Chair, Ethics Committee
Diann Corcoran
Peter Dimond
James D. Fisher
Margaret Hatch
Sally White
Treasurer Faith Arter with Board Member Emerita Mary Kakas
and Family Advisory Committee Co-Chair Teresa Mathai
Honorary Board of Directors
The families and the Fund express their gratitude for the continued support of the Honorary Board members:
Senator Edward M. Kennedy, in memoriam
Senator John F. Kerry
Congressman Marty Meehan
Candy B. Altman
Mary J. Kakas
Molly H. Sherden, Attorney
Barry Tatelman, CEO, Jordan's Furniture
Eliot Tatelman, President, Jordan's Furniture
Faith Weiner, Director of Public Affairs, Stop & Shop Supermarket Co.
The Massachusetts 9/11 Fund, Inc. Board of Directors Biographies & Affiliations (Officers are followed by an alphabetical listing of members)
David Hastings, President; Chair, Executive Committee
David Hastings currently serves as the Director of Administration at Harvard School of Public Health Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases. In addition he is an Adjunct Professor at the Tufts University Schools of Medicine, and of Nutrition Science and Policy.
David and his wife Linda Vasconcellos live in Andover, Massachusetts and are the proud parents of three wonderful young women and one poorly behaved English Springer Spaniel, whom they dearly love. A former Executive Director of the MA 9/11 Fund, David has worked in the field of nonprofit management since receiving his MBA from Boston University in 1976. Mr. Hastings joined the board in October, 2006.
Eric Lowrey, First Vice President; Chair, Audit Committee
Senior Vice President, Investment Management - Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.
Eric Lowrey is a Senior Vice President in the Investment Management department at Brown Brothers Harriman. Currently, he is a relationship manager for private clients and institutional accounts, which the firm serves as an investment advisor. Over the course of his career at BBH, Mr. Lowreyhas had many responsibilities including heading all domestic and offshore services that utilize mutual funds, as well as being in charge of BBH’s Investor Services Legal Administration Department.Mr. Lowrey also founded the company’s Retirement Plan Services group.Mr. Lowrey has been with BBH since 1994; prior to BBH, he was a business analyst at Dun & Bradstreet.
A graduate of Lehigh University,Mr. Lowrey received an MBA from Boston University. In addition to serving as a member of the Executive Committee of The Massachusetts 9/11 Fund and being the organization’s former Treasurer, he serves as a member of the Investment Company Institute’s Sales and Marketing Committee, is the treasurer of the Pinewood Lutheran Church in Burlington, Massachusetts and is on the Board of Trustees for the American Textile History Museum in Lowell, Massachusetts and the Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton, Massachusetts. Mr. Lowrey joined the Board in February, 2002. He also serves on the Executive Committee.
Linda Gay, Vice President; Clerk of Corporation; Chair, Events and Nominating Committees
An experienced management professional, Ms. Gay has served in senior positions in Human Resources responsible for an employee base ranging from as low as 5 to as high as 4,000 including hiring, employee and management training, EEO/AAP, union negotiating, benefits, administration, budgets and planning, compensation, and the interpretation/compliance with laws dealing with employment, benefits and retirement. She has managed human resources in Wang Laboratories, Raytheon Company, Cablevision and the Zayre Corporation.
In her community work, Ms. Gay is involved in the Girl Scout Organization as Trainer and Registrar for two towns with a membership of approximately 750 scouts. She has served as PTO President and PTO Treasurer for the Sacred Heart School, including responsibilities for fundraising and planning. She was the Co-President of the Parents Guild for the 2008-2009 school year at Central Catholic High School and was appointed President for the 2009-2011 school year. She also volunteers at the Catholic High School store since 2007. She is a member of Tewksbury 9-11 Committee since 2005. Ms. Gay was elected to the Board in 2006. She also serves on the Executive Committee.
Faith R. Arter, Treasurer; Chair, Finance Committee
President, Arter Financial Strategies
As the Founder and President of Arter Financial Strategies, Faith Arter has been providing individuals and businesses with quality insurance, investment, and financial planning services since 1983. A graduate of Cornell University, she has earned both the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) designations. Ms. Arter is a qualifying and life member of the Million Dollar Roundtable and Court of the Table, which recognizes the top 1% of insurance agents in the world based on their level of sales. Ms. Arter has been a member of the Massachusetts 9/11 Fund Board of Directors from its inception in December of 2001 and has served in a variety of positions with the fund, including President. She currently also serves on the Executive and Strategic Planning Committees.
John H. Curtis, Chair, Memorial and Strategic Planning Committees
Retired President & CEO – Network Engines, Inc.
Mr. Curtis retired from Network Engines in 2006 after serving as President and CEO from 2001 to 2006. Previously, he was Vice President of Worldwide Sales with Artel, Inc. and earlier as Vice President of Worldwide Sales for Intellution, Inc. and for Stratus Computer. Mr. Curtis has served in the United States Air Force and holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Babson College. Since 2007 he has been a Director and Treasurer of Enable, Inc., a nonprofit which provides a variety of educational, social, rehabilitative, and vocational services to children with or without established disability or children who are at biological or environmental risk for developmental delay. Mr. Curtis joined the Board of Directors in November, 2003, served as interim Executive Director in 2006 and has been Vice President of the Board and Chair of the Audit Committee. He currently also serves on the Executive and Finance Committees.
Rita DiGiovanni, Chair, Ethics Committee
Ms. DiGiovanni is a graduate of Emmanuel College and Suffolk University Law School. She has spent much of her professional career working in the public sector, first with the City of Boston and then in various positions with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. There, she served as general counsel of the Committee on Criminal Justice in the State Senate, and also as general counsel of the Executive Office of Transportation. She currently works in the private sector on contract and real estate matters. She is a founding member of the Matthew C. Sellitto Foundation, created to honor her 23 year-old nephew who died in Tower One. Ms. DiGiovanni has served for nine years on the MCS Foundation Board, which has granted more than fifty scholarships and public service awards in her nephew's memory since 2002. She joined our Board of Directors in 2011.
MEMBERS
Diann Corcoran
Diann Corcoran is a graduate of Providence College. For most of her career, she worked in the apparel industry, 19 years as a Product Manager for WearGuard Corporation. Her experiences include Product Development, Inventory Management, Vendor Negotiations and Production Quality Control. She founded the Jay Corcoran Memorial Scholarship Foundation in 2001 in memory of her husband, Jay Corcoran, who was killed in the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Ms. Corcoran joined the Family Advisory Committee of the Massachusetts 9/11 Fund in 2006 and the Board of Directors in 2009. She serves on the Audit Committee.
Peter Dimond
Public Relations Consultant – Dimond & Associates
Peter Dimond provides public relations counsel to corporate, business, and institutional clients, focusing on strategic planning, media relations, business communications, public affairs, and crisis management. As the former chief communications executive with the MBTA and Commonwealth Energy System he won numerous industry awards for crisis communications, news releases, news conferences, annual reports, and corporate community service. In addition to serving on the Board of the Massachusetts 9/11 Fund, he also serves as President of the Newton Historical Society, and Member of the Board, coach, of Newton Girls Soccer and is a former Co-Chair of the WGBH Community Advisory Board. Mr. Dimond joined the Fund in January, 2002.
James D. Fisher
James Fisher, a graduate of Yale University, has over 30 years marketing and advertising experience in a managerial capacity. He has worked for several large restaurant service corporations including Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores, Sodexho Marriott Services, Bakers Square Restaurants, Pizza Hut and Au Bon Pain. Mr. Fisher joined the Board of Directors in October, 2003.
Margaret Hatch
Margaret Hatch was elected to the Board in 2009, and serves on the Strategic Planning Committee. She recently retired after a 30 year career with American Airlines working as a Flight Attendant/Pursar. Together with her late husband John Ogonowski, they established White Gate Farm in 1989. It is a thriving 150 acre hay and fruit farm in Dracut, MA. She has raised three daughters while volunteering time at their schools and for the American Cancer Society and Cor Unum in Lawrence, MA.
Sally White
Sally White, a retired elementary and preschool teacher, earned her Bachelor's of Science in Education from Wheelock College. Sally is very active in her community, volunteering in local hospitals and founding an annual fundraiser to support the YMCA's Integration Initiative. The event honors her daughter Susan Blair, who perished on September 11, 2001, and benefits the integration of children with special needs into YMCA youth programs. Sally has been involved with the Mass 9/11 Fund and is an active participant in the Mass 9/11 community. She is the proud mother of Susan and Leslie Blair, and loves to spoil her grandchildren, Mara and Nicolas, and her grand-nieces and nephews.