New Members Appointed to the Make-A-Wish® Massachusetts and Rhode Island Board of Directors
February 28, 2022 – Make-A-Wish® Massachusetts and Rhode Island recently welcomed new members and appointed new leadership. Seven new members round out the Board and bring valuable experience that will help further the organization’s mission of creating life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Under guidance of the Board, Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island granted 264 wishes in 2021. A three-year strategic plan outlines goals of granting 330, 390, and 440 wishes in fiscal years 2022, 2023, and 2024, respectively.
Joining the Board are Amanda Eisel, Linda Dorcena Forry, Dr. Philip Glynn, Ty Howton, Robert Lewis, Jr., Siobhan Mee, and Dr. Salvatore Viscomi.
“We couldn’t be happier with the quality of experience and diversity of background our new members bring to the Board,” said Sean Holleran, CEO of Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island. “The leadership and support of these individuals will be key to our success in the year to come, and we can’t wait to continue this important work.”
Amanda Eisel is CEO of Zelis, a leading payments company in healthcare that guides, prices, explains, and pays for care on behalf of insurers and their members. Previously an Operating Partner at Bain Capital, Amanda joined the Board in May 2021, bringing 20 years of valuable insight into the healthcare and technology industries. She serves on the Development committee.
Linda Dorcena Forry is a businesswoman and former Democratic member of the Massachusetts Senate and House of Representatives. She was newly named the Vice President of External Affairs at Suffolk Construction. Prior to that role, Linda spearheaded the establishment of the company’s first Diversity and Inclusion department and developed the ongoing strategy and programming with a focus on embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion across all aspects of the business. Linda joined the Board in October 2021. She brings legislative expertise and intimate knowledge of our local community, as well as experience in the construction industry, an important partner industry in granting many types of wishes.
Dr. Philip T. Glynn is the Medical Director of Oncology at Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Massachusetts. Phil served on the Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island Board of Directors from 2009-2015 and returned for his second term in June 2021. He is Chair of the Western & Central Massachusetts Advisory Council, a member of the Governance committee, and has served as Chair of the annual Swish Night event since 2010.
Ty Howton is the COO and General Counsel of AavantiBio, where he focuses on scaling the company’s operations to bring gene therapies to patients who need them most. Ty brings over two decades of biopharmaceutical experience to the Board, including through past roles with Sarepta, Vertex, and Genentech. Ty joined the Board in February 2021 and serves on the Audit committee.
Robert Lewis, Jr. was recently named the new Nicholas President and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston (BGCB). He will become the 16th leader of the organization in its 129-year history of youth development. Robert is a nationally recognized thought leader, public speaker, and social innovator. In 2013, he launched The BASE, a nonprofit that aims to shift the national mindset on how to help urban youth succeed. Robert joined the Board in October 2021. He has served with City Year, the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ), The Boston Foundation, and Boston Centers for Youth and Families (BCYF).
Siobhan Mee is a Partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, where she leads the labor and employment practice for the Boston office. Siobhan represents companies and individuals in employment litigation, counsels employers on a range of employment issues, and advises companies in connection with internal and government investigations. Siobhan joined at the beginning of Fiscal Year 2021 and serves as Chair of the Governance committee.
Salvatore Viscomi leads GoodCell’s product line of genetic and biomarker testing as Chief Medical Officer. He is a practicing physician, instructor, and an entrepreneur. He spent 14 years as a member of Harvard Medical School’s faculty and concurrently as a clinician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Salvatore brings significant knowledge of the medical and biotech fields. Since joining the Board in February 2021, he has served on the Mission Delivery committee.
Assuming new leadership positions are Alfred Rose, a Board member since 2016, and Timothy Grady, a Board member since 2019.
Al Rose has taken over as Board Chair and will continue his role on the Audit and Development committees. Al was a partner at Ropes & Gray until 2020 and has since been the firm’s Senior Counsel. He has extensive experience on leveraged buyouts, mergers, and acquisitions.
“I’ve seen firsthand the impact a wish can have, and I believe strongly in the mission of Make-A-Wish. I’m honored to serve as Chair and excited to work with my fellow Board members to bring hope and joy to more local children,” said Rose.
Tim Grady assumed the role of Vice Chair and will chair the Audit committee and will continue to serve on the Executive committee. Tim is the Managing Partner of PwC's Trust Solutions segment (one of PwC's two business segments), which comprises PwC's legacy assurance and tax compliance and reporting businesses. In this role he is responsible for directing the strategy and operations for the firm’s Trust Solutions segment across all markets of the United States and Mexico.
“Al and Tim are extremely passionate about our mission and I’m confident that they’ll guide us toward achieving our goal of reaching every eligible child in Massachusetts and Rhode Island,” Holleran said. “The dedication Al, Tim and the rest of our Board have to our organization is an inspiration to us all.”
To learn more about Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island and find out how you can get involved, visit massri.wish.org.
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About Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island
Make-A-Wish® Massachusetts and Rhode Island creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. A wish can be a spark that helps a child believe anything is possible. In the face of life-threatening medical conditions, wishes enable children to experience profound joy, renewed strength and resiliency, and lasting hope to keep striving and dreaming for the future. Together with generous supporters and 300+ volunteers, the organization has granted the wishes of more than 8,500 children in Massachusetts and Rhode Island since its founding over 30 years ago, and its vision is to grant the wish of every medically eligible child. For more information and ways to get involved, visit www.massri.wish.org and follow Make-A-Wish Massachusetts Rhode Island at www.facebook.com/massriwish on Facebook, @MakeAWishMARI on Instagram, and @MakeAWishMassRI on Twitter.