Secretary, Event Communications Manager
(she/her/hers)

Board member since 2023

Emily is an Operations & Project Management professional who lives in Manhattan with her family. Emily currently works for a large staffing & consulting company based in Andover, MA where she has been employed for over 10 years. Emily is passionate about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives in all aspects of her life, as well as supporting women and children in any way possible. At A Better Chance of andover, Emily serves as board member & secretary, as well as a member of the Admissions Committee and Sustainability Committee.

Alumni Engagement Committee
(he/him/his)

Board member since 2023

Geno is an alumna of the ABC of Andover program, graduating in 1971. He went on to graduate from Middlebury College in Vermont then entered the US Army. After his service, Geno worked in various management roles within the supply chain field for companies such as Pepsi-Cola, Coca-Cola, and Diageo. Upon retiring in 2021, Geno has dedicated his time to volunteering with organizations including Habitat for Humanity and Team Rubicon where he helps with home construction and disaster response projects. Geno joined the ABC of Andover Board of Directors in 2023, and not only serves on the board’s alumni committee, he also volunteers a week of his time each summer to support house projects at ABC of Andover and ABC of Simsbury, CT. After moving around over the years, Geno is currently living in Chadds Ford, PA.

Host Family Co-Chair
(she/her/hers)

Board Member since 2025

Lizzie is a marketing leader with over 15 years of experience building and growing brands in the organic and natural food sector. Currently Brand Director at Stonyfield Organic, she has led major repositioning and innovation initiatives that have strengthened the company’s connection with millennial families. A longtime Andover resident, Lizzie is eager to connect with families who want to make a meaningful impact in Scholars’ lives through the Host Family Program.

Host Family Co-Chair
(she/her/hers)

Board Member since 2025

Courtney is a dedicated educator with over 15 years of experience supporting students’ academic and social-emotional growth. She currently serves as a Learning Specialist at the Andover School of Montessori, where she designs and delivers individualized instruction and social-emotional learning programs.

In addition to her classroom experience, Courtney has served as Secretary on the Board of Village School in Boxford and as Treasurer for the Sargent School PTO in North Andover, gaining valuable experience in organization, collaboration, and community leadership. She holds master’s degrees in Elementary Education and Literacy and is passionate about fostering inclusive, supportive learning environments for every child.

Sponsorship Outreach
(she/her/hers)

Board member since 2024

Lala Cronin is an Assistant Vice President and Branch Manager at Wakefield Co-Operative Bank. With 12 years of solid financial industry experience, Lala excels at helping clients with their financial needs as well as building lasting relationships. Lala joined the ABC of Andover board in 2024 and looks to influence ABC Scholars’ attitude and emotional relationship with money so they feel confident to pursue their aspirations regarding financial stability with confidence.
Lala is active in the community, a volunteer reviewing foster care cases for the Commonwealth and as a banking liaison volunteer for Lawrence Community Works. Lala also serves on the Executive Leadership Committee for the Alzheimer's Association to spread awareness and support across Merrimack Valley and the North Shore.
Lala is an alumnus of Seattle University where she earned her bachelor’s in business management.

Software & Services Lead
(she/her/hers)

Board member since 2019

Katarina Curtin is from Haverhill, MA, and her varied experiences have created a deep-rooted connection to the A Better Chance program. She attended Brooks School in North Andover as an ABC National scholar. After graduating from Colby College, she served as a Resident Assistant for ABC Andover, where she lived in the dormitory and supported scholars’ academic and personal growth journeys. She has served as an ABC of Andover board member since 2019, and currently works for the Winchester Public Schools as a data manager.

Events Chair
(he/him/his)

Board Member since 2021

Rodney “RJ” works for a global experiential event agency as an Executive Director, Account Operations. He brings 25 years of event and marketing operations experience to the program leading many global event and a SF-based event that drew 140,000 attendees. He has the skills to envision large high-level marketing experiences and activations and lead large teams. RJ successfully executed the 2022 A Better Chance Gala and looks forward to using his experiences to help plan and execute additional events for the ABC organization. RJ and his husband live and work in Andover with their 11-year-old son.

Academic Co-Chair, DEI Committee
(she/her/hers)

Dr. Gloria Rosario Wallace is a Black Dominicana educator, scholar, and activist dedicated to advancing racially conscious, human-centered leadership in schools and organizations. A former teacher and principal, she co-founded a transfer high school in Brooklyn, NY, where she used Liberatory and Critical pedagogy to build an inclusive and affirming learning community.

A graduate of Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College, Bank Street College of Education, and Fordham University’s Urban School Leadership program, Gloria now serves as Executive Director on the SPACE (Strategic Partnerships for Advancing Collective Equity) Team within the NYC Department of Education. She is also founder of GRW Together, LLC, providing coaching and strategic consulting to help teams work more equitably and effectively, and a founding member of the BLESS Research Collective, focused on Black Multilingual Learners’ experiences in public schools.

Donor Engagement Lead
(she/her/hers)

Board Member since 2022

Delia is a marketing executive at software company, Boomi. She has over 25 years of experience in marketing and strategy, and she holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. Delia first joined A Better Chance Andover as a Host Family to Abby Shugert ('21) from 2017-2021 and then became an Academic Advisor to Janay Cox ('25) before joining the Board of ABC. She lives in Andover with her husband and two children.

Assistant Treasurer
(he/him/his)

Board Member since 2025

Sameer is a Senior Research Analyst at Fidelity Investments, where he focuses on fixed income strategy, asset allocation, and portfolio construction. With nearly two decades of experience in financial markets, he has helped manage multi-billion-dollar bond portfolios and develop investment models adopted firmwide.

A Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Sameer holds an MBA in Finance from the University at Buffalo and a Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science from YMCA Institute of Engineering in New Delhi. He brings his strong analytical expertise and strategic perspective to ABC Andover’s financial oversight and growth.

Academic Co-Chair
(she/her/hers)

Board Member since 2018, (Past Board President 2020-2024)

Bonnie has over 30 years of experience working in financial services, with 22 years at Fidelity Investments in leadership positions in systems development, operations, CRM, marketing operations & analytics, and segment management. Bonnie brings her passion for social justice and equity, strategic thinking, and organization to our board. Bonnie is active in the Andover community, served for five years on the Town of Andover Finance Committee, and has three children who graduated from AHS. goes here