Meet the Team
Ruth Zakarin
Executive Director
Ruth spent over 20 years working with youth and adults impacted by domestic and sexual violence before becoming the inaugural Executive Director of the Coalition in May of 2019. Ruth has her MSW from the University of Pennsylvania and is also trained as a community organizer. She is particularly interested in creating models of trauma informed advocacy and policy making. Outside of her Coalition work, Ruth is very involved in local interfaith organizing, is an avid knitter and foodie, and is the proud mom of two incredible young adults.
Caitlin Delehanty
Communications
Specialist
Caitlin is a communications writer and strategist with 10 years of experience in the nonprofit space. She brings expertise in gender-based violence and a passion for exploring how the arts can facilitate healing. Caitlin holds a BA in politics from Mount Holyoke College and an MPhil in International Peace Studies from Trinity College, Dublin. In her free time, you can find her hiking by the shore, playing her cello, or baking with her very talkative cat.
Jovanna Rodriguez
Community Organizer
Jovanna is a Chicana, born and raised in Houston, Texas, who grew up surrounded by powerful immigrant and Latinx communities. She moved to Massachusetts to become the first in her family to obtain a college degree. Upon her journey in a new space, she joined various organizations that centered on building and empowering youth, families, and communities in Worcester, MA. She is passionate about joining, supporting, and uplifting communities’ work for equitable change and opportunities. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, writing poetry, and being in the company of loved ones.
Alejandra Rivera
Policy Manager
Alejandra is a public health professional with over seven years of nonprofit and program management experience. Originally from California, she came to Massachusetts to pursue an MPH with focuses on health policy and mental health and substance use from Boston University School of Public Health. After graduating, she joined the Coalition in December 2024, bringing her passion for health equity and social justice for our most at-risk community members. Outside of work, Alejandra enjoys hiking, hot yoga, and exploring new coffee shops.
Board of Directors
Board of Directors
President: Mark Scott
Boston Public Health Commission
President Emerita: Janet Goldenberg
Temple Beth Elohim GVP Coalition
Treasurer: Bruce Baron
Clerk: Kevan Barton
YouthConnect
Briana Butterworth
New England Aquarium
Ben Conery
WilmerHale
Faustina Cuevas
City of Lynn
Abrigal Forrester
Teen Empowerment
Mike Gildesgame
Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action
Molly Malloy
Community Activist
Jack McDevitt
Northeastern University
Ellie Miller
First Church Boston
Edward Notis-McConarty
Episcopal Diocese of MA
Aminah Pilgrim
UMass Boston
Cindy Rowe
Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action
Nichelle Sadler
UTEC
Stephanie Shapiro-Berkson
The University of Illinois at Chicago
Rob Stegman
Emerson College
Community Council
Chair: Tania Mireles
Tisch College of Civic Life, Tufts University
Juanita Batchelor
Darrell Lee Jenkins Jr. Resource Center
Toy Burton
DeeDee’s Cry, Light Up Boston Against Violence, Roxbury Unity Parade
Tina Cardoso
Cape Verdean Women United, Boston Medical Center
Shondell Davis
Roxbury Presbyterian Social Impact Center
Lavell Fulks
Boston Medical Center
Masika Gadson
Boston Public Schools
Nan Garrett-Logan
Grandmothers Against Gun Violence, Falmouth Gun Safety Coalition
Ann Haaser
UU Church of Newburyport, Moms Demand Action
Jenny Herzog
Chaos Theory
Bobby Iacoviello
Transformational Prison Project
Tamia Jordan
Emerson College
Thomas Koonce
Center for Teen Empowerment
Jarix Santiago
New North Citizens’ Council
Jillie Santos
Citizens for Juvenile Justice
Lawrence Stevenson
Boston College