The Junior League of Boston is primarily managed and led by volunteers.
Volunteer leadership is slated and elected on an annual basis by a group of their peers. 

Pamela (Giasson) Lynch serves as the President of Junior League of Boston in 2016-2017. Pamela served as Director of Community Service 2014-2015 and chaired JL Boston Germaine Lawrence Amiga committee 2011-2013. Pamela believes in the positive development of girls and continuous improvement in her community.  She intends to increase awareness of JL Boston’s community impact and strengthen relationships with JL Boston’s partners.

Professionally, Pamela is the Director of Engineering at a local battery startup, Pellion Technologies.  She has 10+ years of engineering, operations management, and product development experience.  She holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and currently serves on WPI’s Alumni Association Board of Directors.  Pamela, her husband, Tom, and rescue mini beagle, Emmie, live in Back Bay.

Karen Page serves as President-Elect and will serve as President in 2017-2018. Karen is a Clinical Scientist at Pfizer with over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. While working as a research associate, she earned her PhD in Pharmacology at Boston University School of Medicine. She specializes in exploratory biomarkers and broad profiling studies that provide translational value to early clinical assets targeting various inflammatory disease indications. She also has over 15 years of experience as a community volunteer and organizational leader.  She has been a member of the Junior League of Boston since 2000 and has served in many ways.  Her focus has been on community, strategy, and membership.  She has served on the Management Committee and the Board of Directors.  She is the recipient of the 2005 Active Volunteer Award, the 2006 Outstanding Manager Award and the 2015 Sarah Lawrence Award.  Karen currently serves on the Board of Directors for Science Club for Girls and remains active as a Past President in the Massachusetts Chapter of the Association for Women in Science.

Grace DaFonseca serves as Secretary for the 2016-2017 year. Originally from New England, Grace grew up in Ohio. After graduating from Miami University with a B.A. in Political Science and a B.A. in Classics, she returned to her New England roots by moving to Boston for law school. Eager to meet new people in Boston and begin supporting her community, she joined JL Boston. She has served on the Events Committee and Secretary’s Council. She has loved every minute of her time in JL Boston so far and looks forward to continuing to make a positive impact in our community.

Angela Laliberte serves as the Treasurer of the League for the 2016-2017 year. Upon moving to Boston in 2011, Angela joined the Junior League of Boston. She enjoyed her first two years on the Germaine Lawrence committee, focusing on the mentorship of young ladies in the Boston area. The following three years, Angela served on the Finance Council, providing her an opportunity to experience firsthand the inner workings of the League. Angela is a Senior Vice President in Commercial Real Estate with Wells Fargo. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Finance. Angela lives in the South End with her husband Jeff and her two sons, Dylan and Sawyer.

Michelle Lentz serves as the Director of Fund Development and has been actively involved with the Junior League since 2002, when she joined as a New Member in San Antonio, TX. She transferred to Dallas, TX in 2003 and served for several years on a variety of community-based and internal-supporting placements, including Musical Therapy and the Dallas Dish Cookbook, on which she held leadership positions. Since transferring to Boston in 2011, Michelle served in a leadership capacity as the Transfer Committee Co-Chair in 2012-2013 and the Director of Membership 2014-2015. She returns to the Board of Directors again this year as Director of Fund Development. Michelle graduated from Texas Christian University and currently lives in the Back Bay. She works in the advertising/marketing industry and serves as Account Director for the digital marketing firm, Primacy.

Catherine Madden serves as the Directory of Community Service. Before taking this position Catherine served as Director of Strategic Management and Planning. She served as the co-chair of the Germaine Lawrence committee from 2010 – 2013, and has served on the cookbook and Carnegie Mellon/Roxbury committees. She is a native of Detroit, and has been an active member of the League since 2003.

Professionally, Catherine is an experienced research analyst and consultant with more than 15 years’ experience in the information technology, energy, clean transportation and automotive manufacturing sectors as part of companies including Standard and Poors’ DRI and IDG. She has advised executives of Fortune 500 companies through qualitative and quantitative analysis underpinning market intelligence, business strategy, and competitive assessments. Currently, she works for the Office of the Attorney General of Massachusetts on policy issues. Catherine lives in Cambridge with her husband, and when not hiking in the White Mountains, she enjoys running and reading.

Elizabeth Wagner serves as the Director of Strategic Management and Planning. She joined the Junior League in 2011 and has previously served as Chair of Kids in the Kitchen – BRCS, and on the Finance Council and other Community programs. Elizabeth is Chief Operating Officer for 3 biotech start-ups in the Boston area. She is also a Lecturer for a biomedical engineering seminar course at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Elizabeth holds a BS in Pre-medicine from the University of Notre Dame, an MA in Clinical Research from Boston University School of Medicine and an MBA/MS from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In addition to her work with the Junior League, Elizabeth is Director of the Notre Dame Business Council Healthcare Vertical, Director of the Board of Champions for Life Science Cares and was the former President of her triathlon club. She is an Ironman and avid traveler. Elizabeth currently lives in the South End.

Stephanie Lerner serves as the Director of Communications and has been a member of the Junior League of Boston since 2012. She has served on the JL Ball committee, in JLB Arts BRCS, as a Provisional Advisor and most recently as Active Member Advisor on the Membership Council. Professionally, Stephanie is the District Retail Manager at Chobani, where she acts as broker liaison for the New England territory. She is a magna cum laude graduate from Ithaca College Park School of Communications, and an avid yoga practitioner.

Kathleen Riley serves as the Director of Nominating. She joined the Junior League of Boston in 2006 and has served as Director of Community Council, Director of Training Council, Placement Manager, Membership Concierge and as a Presidential Appointee.

A graduate of St. Anselm College, Kathleen worked in Student Affairs and Special Programs at Berklee College of Music for nine years, most recently as Associate Director of Enrollment Management for Special Programs. She is currently works at Benefitness Health Club for Women as a Personal Trainer, Pilates Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor. She has volunteered as a member of the Steering Committee for the Skating Club of Boston’s Team Excel, a Girl Scout Leader, a youth soccer coach and creator and instructor of the MoveIt! exercise program for children. She lives in Brookline with her husband, Tom, and daughters, Mia and Daisy.

Victoria Groves-Cardillo serves as the Director of Membership. Victoria joined the Junior League of Boston in 2010 and has previously served in placements including JLB Events, Digital Impact and Dress for Success. Victoria is the events and communications manager for the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business & Government at the Harvard Kennedy School. She holds a Masters in Public Administration and a Bachelors in Journalism, both from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Nissa Knight serves as the Director of Sustainer Membership. She has been an active member of the League since 2001 and an even more involved Sustainer since 2010. An avid cook, she served as the co-chair of the Cookbook Committee from 2007-2009 after serving as Cookbook Treasurer on the Cookbook Advisory Committee during the planning, development, and launch phases of this successful project.  Nissa also served on the Technology and Girls’ Coalition Committees.  

Marissa Bellio serves as the Director of Training. She joined the League in 2012 and has served as the chair of the Cookbook and Products Committee as well as chairing the 2015 Junior League Charity Gala and the Bachelor Auction. She has also served as a member on the Cookbook and Products Committee. Marissa has a BA in Psychology from Providence College and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in School Psychology from Rhode Island College. Professionally she works as a School Psychologist for a middle school. In her free time she can be found skiing, playing golf, or relaxing with friends.

Managers

Amy Bucher serves as the New Member Program Manager. Amy has been a member of the Junior League of Boston since 2011 and she has served on the Membership Committee for past several years as both the New Member Program Manager-Elect and a New Member Program Advisor. She has also served with Digital Impact and as a member of the Research & Development Committee. Outside of the League, Amy works as a Behavior Change Design Director with Mad*Pow, a design agency that strives to help people improve their health and wellness, meet their financial goals, learn, and connect. Some of the issues Amy focuses on professionally include patient engagement, medication adherence, health behavior change, wellness, happiness, and goal-directed behavior. Amy frequently speaks in the Boston area about issues related to motivational design and behavior change, and blogs at amybucherphd.com. She earned her PhD in psychology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and her undergraduate degree from Harvard University. In her spare time, Amy loves to run, read, cook, and travel. She lives in Charlestown.

Katy Galli serves as Placement Manager.  She previously served as the Leadership Education & Training Development (LETD) Coordinator and prior to that was a member of Done in a Day and the Strategy Committee. She joined the Junior League in 2013. Prior to joining the Junior League of Boston, Katy volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, Give Back Cincinnati, and the American Cancer Society. Katy is an Associate Underwriting Manager at Great American Insurance Group. She holds a BS in Finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She currently lives in the South End and enjoys traveling and yoga.

Pendery Haines serves as the Transfer Member Program Manager. Pendery started in the Junior League of Omaha in 2009 where she served on Kids in the Kitchen and the Literacy Committee. In 2011 she moved to Cambridge and joined the Junior League of Boston in 2012. Over the past five years, Pendery has been an active transfer and legacy transfer and served on the Digital Impact, Strategic Management and Planning, and Transfer committees. She couldn’t live without the Transfer Committee because it is the hub of her social network within the league, and it connects her with so many additional opportunities such as travel, other volunteer activities, and numerous social events. In her spare time, Pendery loves to ski, read, and eat burgers (always with french fries, usually ice cream). As a result, she forces herself to also love spinning and boxing. Pendery works in finance at Harvard University for Campus Services. She studied Anthropology at Middlebury College and completed a Masters in General Management at Harvard.

Melissa Ortega serves as Community Research and Development Manager. She joined Junior League of Boston in 2013 and previously served on Community Council and  Done In A Day. Professionally, Melissa Ortega, Pharm.D., M.S, is Director, Pediatrics and Inpatient Pharmacy Operations at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. As a member of the Pharmacy Department’s  leadership team, she oversees a combination of clinical and operational pharmacy services which includes central operations, the sterile products area, pediatrics and the emergency department. Additionally, she serves as preceptor for the PGY1 practice management rotation and oversees the Northeastern University’s Bouve’ College of Health Sciences School of Pharmacy cooperative education (Co-op) program.  Melissa received her doctorate of pharmacy degree from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and completed her pharmacy practice and health-system pharmacy administration residencies at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics.  Melissa also remains activer in her professional organizations locally and nationally. Locally she serves on the Massachusetts Society of Health-System Pharmacists annual committee. Nationally, she serves on the  American s Society of Health-System Pharmacists Public Policy Council as well as the ASHP Section for Pharmacy Practice Managers on Leadership Development.

Kaliko Veiseh serves as the Technology Manager and non-voting member of the Board of Directors. She joined the Junior League of Boston in 2012, volunteering on the Secretary’s Council, Finance Council, and Technology Council. Professionally, Kaliko has over 13 years of experience in the investment advisory field, working with families on all aspects of financial planning. She believes strongly that sound financial planning doesn’t have to be complicated, which keeps her motivated to continue knowledge sharing with others around investments and finance. She holds a BA in Finance and Management from the University of Washington. She and her husband moved to Cambridge in the fall of 2011 to pursue a job opportunity, and welcomed their first child in 2013.

Nominating Council Members

Kate Slemp Douglas has been a member of the Junior League of Boston since 2010 and serves as the Director-Elect of Nominating. She has served on a number of internal placements including Strategy, Training, Research and Development, and Membership Council.  Most recently the League’s New Member Program Manager, Kate has a BA in Biology-Neuroscience from Colby College and a MS in Health Care Management from George Washington University.  She is certified in Lean Six Sigma and works as the Senior Director of Performance Improvement at Commonwealth Care Alliance.  Though free time is limited these days, she enjoys running, reading, and cooking when she can.  She lives in Back Bay (Boston) with her husband, Andrew, and daughter, Ainsley.

Laima Bobelis serves as a member of the Nominating Council for 2015-2017 and has been a member of the Junior League of Boston since 2013. Before serving on the Nominating Council she served on the Secretary’s Council, the HQ Branding Committee and chaired the Ball and Bachelor Auction. Laima graduated in May 2012 from Boston College. She works at Ropes and Gray as the Attorney Development and Career Planning Coordinator. A Florida native, Laima loves all water sports and spending time at the beach.   

Elizabeth McCann serves as a member of the Nominating Council for 2016-2018. Elizabeth has been Secretary and Technology Manager and on the Training and Communications Councils. She transferred to JL Boston from the Junior League of St. Petersburg, Florida. Outside of JL Boston, Elizabeth is a writer, and her professional experience includes serving as copywriter at Mintz Levin and as staff writer and editor at duPont Registry Tampa Bay, a luxury lifestyle magazine, and freelancing for the St. Petersburg Times, now the Tampa Bay Times, and its Bay magazine. Originally from New York City, Elizabeth grew up on Chicago’s North Shore. Her love of volunteering started with Amigos de Las Américas in Manabí, Ecuador, and Dajabón, Dominican Republic. She has served on the board of the Boston chapter of Amigos de Las Américas and is part of the Beacon Hill Women’s Forum public relations team. She received her BA in English from University of New Mexico and her MA in Liberal Arts from St. John’s College. 

Sarah McKinnon serves as a member of the Nominating Council for 2015-2017. Sarah has been a proud member of the Junior League of Boston for four years. She completed her Provisional year in the Junior League of Tampa and transferred to Boston in 2011. Placements in the Junior League of Boston include the Nominating Council (where she currently serves), Membership Council, Co-Chair of Strong Women, Strong Girls, and placements on the Transfer committee, and Cookbook & Products committee.

Sarah graduated from Boston University with a Bachelors of Science in Therapeutic Studies, Minor in Business Administration, and a Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy. She has been practicing as an occupational therapist for six years and currently works at MGH and Spaulding Charlestown while teaching part-time at Boston University. She is also pursuing her Masters in Public Administration to assist with her interest in leadership and work in the public sector. Sarah lives in South Boston with her husband, Brendan.

Tania Tagliavento serves as a member of the Nominating Council for 2016-2018. Tania has been a member of the Junior League of Boston since 2013, before serving as the Co-chair of Girls Scouts she volunteered with Learning Circles Charlestown, a community placement, for two consecutive years. Professionally, Tania is a relationship analyst on the global consultant relations’ team for a large global investment management firm. She earned her B.A. in International Relations and Spanish from Roanoke College and her MBA from Simmons College. She is active within her company’s grant review committee and is a notary public. Tania has lived in Charlestown for over 10 years, which should officially make her a “townie.”

Courtney T. Thorne serves as a member of the Nominating Council for 2015-2017. Courtney has been a member of the Junior League of Boston since 2013, before serving on the Nominating Council she served on the Finance Council and volunteered with Done in a Day, a community placement. Professionally, Courtney is a corporate and securities associate for an international law firm, and focuses her practice on public company representation. She earned her B.A. and M.P.A. from The George Washington University and graduated cum laude with a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School. She is a proud GW alum (Go Colonials!) and serves on the Board of Directors of The George Washington Alumni Association. Courtney lives a stone’s throw from Fenway Park with her husband, Rich.

Elizabeth Tyminski serves as a member of the Nominating Council for 2016-2018. Elizabeth is a Past President of the Junior League of Boston. She has also served Nominating Chair, Manager of Training, Provisional Program Chair, Active Program Vice Chair, Director-Elect of Internal Communication, Centennial Ball Chair, Annual Conference Chair and as a Presidential Appointee. Elizabeth was a provisional advisor to a number of classes and is quite proud that includes the current President. Professionally Elizabeth is the Director of Finance and Administration of The Engineering Center. Previously she was a Marketing Director for the Worth Collection and worked in both finance and HR for Liberty Mutual. Elizabeth has applied what she has learned in the League to other volunteer activities. Currently she is President of the Boston Smith College Club and also serves on the College s Volunteer Leader Campaign representing Greater Boston. She completed a 6 year Board term for Respond, Inc, the oldest domestic violence agency in New England She is on the of The College Club and currently co-chairs the 125 Anniversary Committee. She is also the Treasurer of the College Club of Boston Scholarship Fund. Elizabeth is also on the Directors Council of the UMass Amherst Library. A native of the Boston area, Elizabeth and Michael Kelley live in the Back Bay. Elizabeth is a graduate of Smith College and has her MBA from Boston College.