Board of Directors

 

  • Ivy Alphonse-Crean, Director of DEI at DCD
  • Max Bardeen
  • Curt Burmeister, Treasurer
  • Ben Cavallo
  • John Connors
  • Melissa Crowe
  • Seneca Francione Board Vice-President
  • Michelle Freniere
  • Gita Iyer
  • Alyson Kelley-Hedgepeth
  • Morgan Lackenbauer, Clerk
  • Keith McCown
  • Katie McDonnell
  • Lisa Mims, Board President
  • Nan Murphy
  • Caitlin Reisman
  • Lisette Santiago
  • Michael Sweeny
  • Lindsay Wands
  • Allison Webster, DCD Head of School

Ivy Alphonse-Crean

Ivy started teaching in a preschool classroom (which taught her how to put on 12 sets of mittens and snow pants efficiently!) before launching all the way into middle school (which taught her how important humor is, especially in the English classroom!) Ivy is excited to be a part of DCD, to continue researching, writing, and above all else, making sure everyone here is seen, heard and safe. DCD’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging inspires Ivy every day.

Member of the Horizons Board of Directors since 2022.

Max Bardeen

Max Bardeen is the Private Wealth Management (PWM) Market Head for the New England Region, and is responsible for facilitating and maintaining relationships with ultra-high net worth families and family offices within the area.

Max sits on the Board of Directors of the Big Sister Association of Boston, the Board of Directors of Horizons for Kids and the Board of Directors of the Francis Ward Paine Foundation. Max is also a Member of Corporation at the Perkins School for the Blind. He has served as Co-Chair of the Annual Fund for the Dedham Country Day School and for the Noble and Greenough School. Max and his wife, Beth, live in Dedham, MA and have two children.

Max is a graduate of the General Electric Experienced Management Development Course and completed the Darden School for Executive Education – Leadership and Management Program in 1998. He has been a member of the UBS Director’s Council, and was a 2002 recipient of UBS’s Ed Connolly Leadership award. Max is a graduate of Lafayette College in Easton, PA.

Member of the Horizons Board of Directors since 2014.

Curt Burmeister, Treasurer

Curt is the Chief Technology Officer at SS&C Algorithmics.  His team is responsible for the design and development of quantitative risk management solutions that are used by banks and other financial institutions to meet both regulatory and internal reporting requirements. He is also a Board member and Treasurer for Horizons Greater Boston.  Curt holds an MBA in Financial Engineering from MIT and a BA with a double major in Computer Science and Mathematics from Cornell University. 

Member of the Horizons Board of Directors since 2016.

Ben Cavallo 

Ben Cavallo is the owner and principal of C&S Insurance, an independent agency offering personal and commercial coverage to clients throughout New England. C&S maintains locations in Mansfield, Attleboro, and Dedham. Outside the office, Ben serves on the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents (MAIA), the Sturdy Memorial Foundation, the Utility Contractors Association of New England (UCANE) as well as Horizons at DCD.   He is a graduate of Emory University and received his MBA from Boston College's Carroll School of management.  Together with his wife Angela, children Ellie and Sam, Ben resides in Dedham. The Cavallos enjoy winter skiing in Loon and summer activities in Orleans, MA.  

Member of the Horizons Board of Directors since 2018.

John Connors

John Connors is the founder and president of Boathouse, a boutique agency based in Boston that works with some of the biggest brands  across the industries that drive our marketplace – financial services, health care, technology and education. John received a BA in English from the University of Pennsylvania after graduating from Belmont Hill School. 

John focuses his not-for-profit time and money in the education space – seeking to understand and invest in the drivers of effective education across all income levels and neighborhoods.  He currently serves on the boards of the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute, the Belmont Hill School, the St. Mary’s Center, KIPP Massachusetts (Charter School), Dedham Country Day School, and Horizons at DCD.  John lives in Westwood, Mass., with his wife Larisa, a physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and their three children Molly, Mary and Willy.  

Member of the Horizons Board of Directors since 2008.

Melissa Crowe

Melissa runs a marketing consulting business, and prior to this venture she held key marketing leadership roles at Boston-based startups Vistaprint and Upromise and technology companies in the MetroWest area. She currently serves on the board at Dedham Country Day School. Melissa has an undergraduate degree from the University of Rhode Island. She, her husband Joe, and son reside in Needham.

Member of Board of Directors since 2020.

Gita Iyer

Gita Iyer is a Leadership and Executive coach with a focus on individuals in the nonprofit sector.  Prior to this, she was in Information Technology Consulting with Accenture, for over 25 years.  Gita received a Masters in Informations Systems from Boston Univeristy and an MBA from Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. She was cochair of the Diversity Committee while on the Board of Trustees at Dedham Country Day School from 2005-2011 and is one of the founding members of the Horizons at DCD Board of Directors.  Gita and her husband Vijay Vishwanath live in Westwood and are the parents of Arjun, Anisha (class of 2005) and Anjali (class of 2011).  

Member of the Board of Directors since 2008.

Seneca Francione - Board Vice-Chair

Seneca Francione is a graduate of Skidmore College with a B.A. in English and a Studio Art minor. For many years, Seneca was Senior Editor of Where Boston magazine, and she has contributed to several other publications. In 2005, Seneca founded Three Bean Press, a boutique publishing company with a focus on children’s books, art books, and cookbooks; she also authored three of her own children’s books. Seneca gave up her partnership in Three Bean Press to be a full-time mom. These days, Seneca is pursuing her passion as a home renovator, successfully redesigning and fixing up a number of old homes in the Boston area with her husband, Chris. Most importantly, Seneca is Mom to daughters Iyla and Lena, both of whom attend DCD.
 
Member of the Board of Directors since 2021.

Michelle Freniere 

A graduate of Bowdoin College and Boston College's Lynch School of Education, Michelle worked in corporate human resources prior to taking time off to raise her children. Now a stay-at-home-mom, Michelle stays busy volunteering, coaching soccer, playing tennis, and shuttling around her active children, one of whom is at DCD and one who graduated from DCD and is now at The Rivers School. Michelle, her husband Rick, and their two children live in Needham, MA.  

Member of the Board of Directors since 2023.

Alyson Kelly-Hedgepeth

Alyson Kelley-Hedgepeth, M.D. graduated from Boston University Medical School in 2003. She trained in Internal Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and completed a Fellowship in Cardiology at Tufts Medical Center. Dr. Kelley-Hedgepeth is Board Certified in Cardiovascular Disease and Nuclear Cardiology. She is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and Board Eligible in Echocardiography. 

Dr. Kelley-Hedgepeth has extensive experience in managing coronary artery disease, heart failure and arrhythmias. Prior to joining the Lown Cardiovascular Group, Dr. Kelley-Hedgepeth worked for almost a decade as a non-invasive cardiologist at a multispecialty medical center. There she developed cardiac disease management programs, including heart failure treatment pathways and a post-hospitalization specialized clinic. 

Dr. Kelley-Hedgepeth is committed to providing personalized cardiovascular care with an emphasis on early disease detection and prevention. She specializes in cardiac lifestyle assessment, and women’s cardiovascular disease. Her passion is preventative cardiovascular health and identifying how simple lifestyle changes promote healing and wellness.

Member of Board of Directors since 2020.

Morgan Lackenbauer

Originally from Montréal, Canada, Morgan “Mo” Lackenbauer began his career in investment banking before moving to Boston in 2005. He then spent 8 years as a research analyst at Fidelity Investments. Mo earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree (First Class Honours) from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario in 2003 and was awarded the CFA charter in 2005. He and his wife, Morgen Peck, live in Dedham with their two boys, Lucas and Austin (DCD ‘29).
Member of the Board of Directors since 2023.

Keith McCown

Keith McCown is a partner at the Boston law firm of Morgan, Brown & Joy, LLP, which specializes in labor and employment law on behalf of businesses and management. He is a frequent litigator, speaker, and trainer on topics related to employment law. Keith is a long-time member of the Board of Trustees at Dedham Country Day School and is one of the founding members of the Horizons at DCD Board of Directors. Keith and his wife, Sandra Einsel, live in Dedham and are the parents of Aaron and Eva, both graduates of DCD.  

Member of the Board of Directors since 2008.

Katie McDonnell

Katie McDonnell earned her undergraduate degree in psycholgy from Harvard College and her M. Ed in Higher Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has had over a two decade career in philanthropy, working in higher education at Harvard and MIT and the NGO space at Partners In Health and UNICEF USA, where she most recently served as the Senior Vice President, Individual Philanthropy overseeing the major, principal, annual and planned giving functions.
At her alma mater, she serves as Co-Chair of the Happy Committee for the Obserrvance of Commencement, is an International Student Host Family, conducts alumni interviewing, served on the Alumni Association Board, and volunteers for the Harvard College Fund and  Harvard Reunion Committees. At Dedham Country Day, she has served as the Annual Fund Chair and as an Anti Racist Learning Group facilitator, as well as an admissions ambassador and room parent.
She lives with her husband Jake, Chief Partnership Officer at American Family Insurance, in  Needham MA with their three children who currently attend Milton, Winsor, and Dedham Country Day. Her  current focus has been leveraging her fundraising experience in volunteering for their  annual funds. In the past ran the Boston and NYC marathons to support Girls on the Run and Room to Grow organizations. 
Katie's oldest son Jack has served as a Horizons volunteer and looks forward to returning for continued service.
 
Member of the Horizons Board of Directors since 2024.

Lisa Mims, Board Chair

Lisa Mims is a community volunteer and currently in the certification process to become a professional and personal coach.  Lisa’s previous career was in strategy consulting.  Lisa and her husband, Andy, live in Dedham and are the parents of Addie and Walker, who both attend Dedham Country Day School. 

Member of the Board of Directors since 2015.

Nan Murphy 

Member of the Board of Directors since 2023.

Caitlin Reisman

Caitlin Reisman is a Nurse Practitioner, currently practicing as a clinician in college health, and as adjunct-faculty at Boston College. Her area of interest is Population Health, where she enjoys teaching undergraduate and graduate nursing students about the social and other determinants of health that affect health outcomes within communities, effective population-based prevention strategies to reduce health inequities, and the importance of advocacy for self and others.

Caitlin received her B.A. from Duke University and her M.S. in Nursing from Boston College. Caitlin lives in Needham, MA with her husband and three daughters. 

Member of the Horizons Board of Directors since 2024.

Lisette Santiago

Born and raised in Boston, Lisette has always been deeply connected to the city’s vibrant communities. As a teenager, she joined Teen Empowerment, a groundbreaking organization dedicated to empowering youth to lead social change through dialogue and community action. This early experience laid the foundation for her lifelong dedication to fostering equity, justice, and meaningful connections.

In her current role as a Family Engagement Facilitator with the Boston Public Schools, Lisette supports 13 schools citywide, helping to build strong family-school partnerships and ensure compliance. She is committed to fostering environments where respect, understanding, and learning thrive, both for students and the communities that support them.

As a parent, educator, and advocate, Lisette is motivated by the belief that every student deserves opportunities to succeed, regardless of their circumstances. Her work reflects a deep passion for building bridges between families, schools, and communities to ensure that Boston’s youth have the tools and support needed to reach their fullest potential.

Member of the Horizons Board of Directors since 2024.

Michael Sweeny

Michael Sweeny is Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of Matheys Lane Capital Management, a multi-family office based in Providence, RI. Michael and his wife, Kate, live in Dedham and are the parents of Macy and Walker.

Member of the Board of Directors since 2016.

Lindsay Wands 

Upon graduating from college, Lindsay Wands taught middle school math and English in the South Bronx with Teach For America. In 2003, Lindsay moved to Boston and worked in financial services with a primary focus on liquidity risk management.  She currently lives in Needham, MA with her husband and three young children.  Lindsay holds her BA in English from Davidson College and an MA in Teaching English from Columbia University’s Teachers College. 

Member of the Board of Directors since 2019.

Allison Webster - Head of School, DCD

Ms. Webster is currently Head of Dedham Country Day School. Allison has been the Assistant Head of School at Shady Hill School 2006. Shady Hill is a coed day school for 510 students in grades PK-8. She was the Secondary School Advisor at Shady Hill, 1999-2001, and at Shady Hill and Park, has taught 6th grade central subject on Africa, 6th grade English and 6thand 7th grade social studies. Allison is a graduate of Rollins College—B.A. in English, Honors, 1987. Graduate degrees include: J.D. from Tulane Law School, 1990 (member of Mass. Bar and Federal Bar): M.Ed. from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, Teaching & Curriculum, 1994; Master of Applied Positive Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, 2013. Allison’s husband, Andy Stromberg, is a child psychiatrist at McLean Hospital. They have 2 daughters, a sophomore at Belmont High School and a junior at Concord Academy. After practicing law in Boston for two years, Allison ran an afterschool program at Winsor for a year and became hooked on education. She taught at Shady Hill, 1994-2001, and then at The Park School, 2001-2006. She is now the Head of School at Dedham Country Day.  

Member of the Board of Directors since 2016.