About Us
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Co-Founder – Maureen Broughan, ssj
Sister Maureen Broughan is a Sister of Saint Joseph from Springfield, MA and has worked in education, teaching high school and working in college administration. She has completed two Masters Degrees and has lived and worked in a Latino Parish for six years, from 1984 to 1990, and then went to Guatemala for 5 years as an Associate with the Maryknoll Sisters. Since her return, she has worked in the Maryknoll Cross-Cultural Training Services as a Program Coordinator. She has conducted cultural sensitivity workshops for seminaries, religious communities, parishes and dioceses. She has also served as a consultant with congregational leadership on cross-cultural issues and has facilitated a variety of groups. After finishing a six year term as Vice-President of her community at Mont Marie in Holyoke, Massachusetts, she co-founded Homework House INC.
Education Coordinator – Melinda A. Pellerin-Duck
Melinda is a graduate of Annhurst College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education and History. She has a Masters Degree in Educational Technology from Lesley University grades K-12. Melinda was the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ 2004 Teacher of the Year. She spent twenty-seven years teaching in Springfield, MA and two years teaching at Holy Rosary Institute in Lafayette, Louisiana. She has taught in Africa and was also honored as a Distinguished High School Educator for Massachusetts. After retiring from the Springfield Public Schools, Melinda began working at Homework Housein 2010 as the Chestnut Street Site Supervisor and she now serves as the program’s Education Coordinator.
Site Coordinator - No. Summer Street – Kathleen Imbruno, ssj
Kathleen is a Sister of Saint Joseph who has lived in the Flats section of Holyoke for twenty-eight years. She holds Masters Degrees in French and Spanish and a Doctor of Modern Languages Degree from Middlebury College. After spending many years teaching languages on the high school and college levels, she worked in Administration for her Congregation both on vocation ministry and leadership. She began at Homework House as the North Summer Street Site Coordinator in 2011.
Site Coordinator – Chestnut Street – Margaret Kenney, ssj
Serves as the program’s Site Coordinator for the Chestnut Street site.
TechMission Corps Workers – Jackie Diaz and Frankie Quinones
Jackie Diaz and Frankie Quinones are Homework House parents who work full time at Homework House through TechMission Corps, a program of AmeriCorps. They work as Assistant Supervisors during tutoring hours, as well as doing Homework House’s Neighborhood Outreach in the communities where it is located.
HOMEWORK HOUSE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ashley Batlle moved to Holyoke in 2007, and first experienced the close community of the city when she worked at a bank. She is currently the owner of Eemie Mini Miny Mo Cake Creations, which she founded in 2010 while attending the Lincoln Culinary Institute, International Baking and Pastry Program. Receiving custody of her stepson in 2010 opened Ashley’s eyes to the world of learning and behavioral challenges, and she has learned a great deal about programs and services. Term: 2015
Kathleen Bresnahan Casey grew up in an established business family in Holyoke. The family recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. As co-owner, she has worked to diversify staff and ensure service to the whole city as part of its ethos. She assists Homework House with its business and financial matters, as well as outreach for support to the corporate community in the area. She serves as Board Vice President. Term: 2016
Felicia Buendo is a native of Springfield, Massachusetts. She currently lives in East Longmeadow with her husband, Christopher and two sons (both presently in college). She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design from UMass Amherst. She is employed at Conklin Office Furniture in Holyoke as an Office Space Planner. She is anxious to begin volunteer work at Homework House to give back to the community. Term: 2015
Debbie Fitzgibbon Chieco was born and raised in Holyoke and is proud of her Holyoke heritage. She has over thirty years experience in the field of Human Services primarily working with crime victims for the Hampden DA. She has witnessed the effects of crime that can cripple its victims and communities and believes that education is the best way to combat the obstacles facing the poorer sections of Holyoke. Debbie is a past volunteer and Board Member of the Saint Patrick's Parish CYO basketball program in South Hadley and has been a volunteer reader in local schools as well as volunteering at the annual "Walk to School Day". She holds a Bachelors Degree and a Masters of Science Degree in Criminal Justice. Term: 2016
Arley Ewald is the Financial Reporting Officer at Chicopee Savings Bank and the Chicopee Savings Bank Charitable Foundation. Prior to joining the bank in 2009, Arley was an auditor at KMPG, LLP in Hartford, CT. Her primary industries of focus were higher education and real estate. Arley has a Bachelors of Business Administration and a Masters of Science in Accounting and Information Systems from the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She serves the Board as Treasurer. Arley also serves on the Board for Guidewire, Inc. Term: 2015
Jeannette Fernandez works in the area of insurance for Bresnahan Insurance Agency. A member of a hard-working Latino family in the city, she represents their voice and their future. She also brings to the Board her knowledge of organizational skills from a business aspect. Term: 2015
Madeline Fernández Johnson's professional passion is Criminal Justice, the field which she studied for her Bachelors Degree. Prior to working in the Hampden County Sheriff's Department, where she has been for more than nine years, she worked for the District Attorney's Office for five years. Although she currently works in Springfield, Madeline's roots and heart reside in Holyoke, where she was born and raised, where she lived for thirty-one years and where she has strong family ties. Madeline continues her attachment to her hometown and she has dedicated herself to working to assist efforts to make it a better place for families. She was a member of the Holyoke Charter School for two years, and she plans to join a team to work to clean up Ward 2 (South Holyoke). Madeline's goal is to work with people in Holyoke dedicated to helping children stay in school, and to making their neighborhoods strong and safe. "I am happy to join the Homework House Board because our hearts are in the same place". Term: 2013
Joseph Golio was born and raised in the Bronx, NY and currently resides in Westfield, MA. Joseph is a retail professional and owner of Crazy Moon Fashion Company in South Hadley, MA. He has worked as a field executive for the F.W. Woolworth Company and Ames Department Store. He is a past Director and Vice President of the Westfield Community Development Corporation. He received his BA at the City University of New York and did graduate work at Pace University School of Business. Term: 2015
Lorraine M. Golio, Director of Human Resources for Mont Marie/Sisters of Saint Joseph of Springfield, has over twenty years of experience in the field of human resources. Prior to joining Mont Marie in 2002, Lorraine served as Human Resources Generalist for a local healthcare system. Lorraine has a Bachelors of Arts in Sociology from the City University of New York and is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources by the Society of Human Resource Management. Lorraine generously offers Homework House her advice and expertise in all aspects of the human resource function. She serves the Board as Clerk and Secretary. Term: 2016
Dalila Hyry-Dermith is a native of Honduras and current Holyoke resident who is committed to seeing Holyoke’s Latino community flourish. She worked for many years in substance abuse treatment and HIV prevention and education, and currently works for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health as a supervisor of Social Workers who support families with children with special health care needs across Massachusetts. Term: 2015
Ashley Menwer has dedicated her life to community service after aging out of the Department of Children and Families Care. From there she went on to working in the Health and Human Service field for eleven years. While maintaining a family life, she is also a Service Net Inc. employee and current board member for their human rights committee. Mrs. Menwer values the city of Holyoke and looks for new and strategic ways to promote enhancement for youth and their families. With persistence, energy, and compassion, she feels that any obstacle can be overcome, believing that empathy and perseverance are key in connecting to one’s core. Term: 2015
Judith Ortiz, after earning her PhD in Hispanic linguistics worked for twenty years as an international and cross-cultural educator, serving as the Academic and U.S. Director of the Center for Cross-Cultural Study, overseeing programs in Spain, Cuba, and Argentina. In addition to her activities on behalf of Homework House, she continues as a translator and consultant in cross-cultural issues. Both she and her husband, a retired professor of Public Health, serve as Homework House tutors. She brings a breadth of understanding of cross-cultural matters as they affect business, education, and human endeavor. Term: 2016
Sonia N. Pagan has worked in the Hampden District Attorney’s Office for nineteen years, where she served in a number of positions related to children and family issues. During the past year, she held a dual role position as a Victim Witness Advocate in the Holyoke Juvenile Court and as Coordinator in the Community Safety and Outreach Unit of the Hampden County District Attorney’s Office. Most recently, Sonia was assigned as the Domestic Violence Unit Coordinator in the Domestic Violence Unit. Sonia was born in Dorado, Puerto Rico and moved to Springfield, where she still resides, as a child. She is newly enrolled in the One-Day-a-Week Saturday program at Bay Path College pursuing a Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice. Sonia has two children, both of whom attended Springfield schools. Her younger child is presently attending Holyoke Community College. Term: 2015
Attorney María F. Rodríguez has worked for many years in the field of criminal justice, first as a probation officer and later as an Assistant District Attorney in Hampden County in the District Attorney’s Office, she was the Chief of the Family Protection Unit and Victim Witness Program, and developed the Child and Family Abuse Unit, the Domestic Violence Intervention Unit, and the Victim Witness Assistance Program’s Internship Program. She also worked with the Sheriff’s Department on several initiatives including the Criminal Justice Collaborative, alternative sentencing program for drug dependent young people. She is a member of the Massachusetts Sentencing Commission, and was on the MA Supreme Judicial Court’s Gender Bias Commission, and the MA Supreme Judicial Court’s Study on Substance Abuse. María chaired the Hampden County Domestic Violence Task Force, the Hampden County Child Death Review Team, and facilitated the STOP team to intervene with offenders to stop domestic violence. Her work experience has not only informed her of the problems facing our youth and families today, but also how to creatively address them. In 2010, María retired from the DA’s office, and started her own hand-made ethnically inspired jewelry business. She became interested in Homework House after filling in as a tutor, and seeing firsthand the challenges facing these children. She is excited to participate on a new team, and hopes to bring her knowledge of program development and organization to the table. Term: 2015
Hector Salas was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He has lived and worked in Western Massachusetts for twenty years, and has been the President and Owner/Operator of ¡Autentica! Mexican Restaurant for eleven years. Hector is the father of three and the grandfather of five. Hector believes in the potential of our youth, and that Homework House will bring each individual’s potential to the next level. Term: 2014
Frances Welson comes to the Board of Homework House with many years of experience as a teacher and administrator in alternative, secondary, and post secondary education. A Holyoke native, she had a long term involvement with the Holyoke Street School as teacher, steering committee member and member of the Board of Directors; was Co-Director of Urban Ministry, providing resource, referral and organizing expertise to underserved areas of the City; and taught in the Holyoke school system. After serving as Assistant Dean, Director of Career Services and Alumni Relations at Western New England School of Law, she joined her husband in the business of custom design, fabrication and installation of parquet, marquet and inlaid hardwood floors. She still lives in Holyoke and is currently the Executive Administrator at Full Frame Initiative in Greenfield. Term: 2014
Teresa Winters Dunn first became familiar with Homework House as an Associate Dean of Students at Elms College. She observed students volunteering at Homework House. Teresa is a resident of Holyoke. She has a Masters Degree in Education and anticipates completing her second Masters Degree in Mental Health Counseling and Addictions in 2013. Teresa hopes that the relationship between Elms College and Homework House will continue to grow and strengthen. Term: 2015
Aaron Vega, a Holyoke native, has been a Documentary Film Editor for over fifteen years. His work includes editing for Ken Burns, HBO, TLC, PBS, and others. In addition to film editing, Aaron and his wife Debra opened Vega Yoga and Movement Arts in 2008. Vega Yoga is Holyoke’s first yoga studio and is located in the heart of the historic canal section of Holyoke at Open Square. In 2009, Aaron was elected to the Holyoke City Council as an At-Large Councilor where he hopes to help the city move forward in the 21st century. Aaron was brought onto the Homework House Board in the fall of 2009. Term: 2013
EX OFICIO MEMBERS:
Reverend Sean O'Mannion, Pastor, Immaculate Conception Parish
Jane Morrissey, ssj, Executive Director, Homework House