PERKINS LIBRARY - Key Persons
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- Education Coordinator
- Education Coordinator in the State of Sonora
Ana Paola is our education coordinator in the state of Sonora and in Mexico City. Ana Paola is an educator with a specialty in the area of intellectual disability. She has experience working with NGOs as well as in the public sector. She is a Perkins Educational Leadership Program graduate from the class of 2015, and has been working as a tutor for Perkins International Academy courses since 2017. She joined as a coordinator in October, 2022, and is currently the director of a special education service organization that provides support to a school in Mexico City.
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Member of the Corporation
Andrea is an educational psychologist from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and an alumna of the Perkins Educational Leadership Program (ELP). She has worked with people with disabilities in Mexico for 16 years. She is a tutor for Perkins International Academy courses. Andrea was part of the team that developed the first online course about care for people with multiple disabilities in Mexico. She was a National Advisor for Educational Inclusion in the Federal Ministry of Public Education, participating in the development of strategies for the academic strengthening of the different special education services. Andrea collaborated with the National Assessment Center for Higher Education (CENEVAL) in the preparation of teaching career tests for personnel that work with students with disabilities in Mexico. Since 2022, Andrea has worked as a consultant for Perkins to help implement our 10-year strategy in the country (Project Pixan) in the states of Aguascalientes and Quintana Roo.
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Chief Financial & Administrative Officer
Astrid D. Vermeer, MBA is the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer (CFAO) of Perkins School for the Blind. Ms. Vermeer brings over 20 years of operational leadership experience in international development. Reporting to the CEO, she is responsible for the organization, direction, and management of all administrative and business services. On a day-to-day basis, her responsibilities include oversight of Finance, Accounting, Investments, Audit, Board Relations, Facilities & Security, Food Services, Information Technology, and Legal. With a team of six direct reports, she has responsibility for a team of over 100 professionals.
Prior to joining Perkins, Ms. Vermeer served as Chief Financial Officer for World Education Services (WES), an EdTech social enterprise based in NY where she was responsible for global accounting operations (USA and CA), FP&A, M&A, Legal, Risk Management, Treasury, and Investments. Prior to that she served for three and a half years as Chief Financial Officer with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) where she was responsible for Finance, Accounting, Payroll, Contracts and Grants, and Information Technology. From 2015 to 2017, Ms. Vermeer served as the Chief Financial Officer for the American Red Cross' International line of business. Prior to the American Red Cross, Ms. Vermeer served for ten years with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in numerous financial and operational roles in her native Suriname, Switzerland, USA and Belgium. In Belgium, Ms. Vermeer served as the Chief Operating Officer for WWF's flagship program, the Global Climate & Energy Initiative (GCEI). Ms. Vermeer also served with Abt Associates Inc. for three years, one of which was in Angola where she led the financial operations for the Angola Indoor Residual Spraying project (Angola IRS) in 2012.
Ms. Vermeer earned her doctorandus (drs.) degree in Business Economics from the Anton de Kom University in Suriname and a Master of Business Administration in Finance and General Management from Louvain School of Management in Belgium. A citizen of Suriname, Ms. Vermeer is fluent in English and Dutch.
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Honorary Trustee
- Honorary Trustee, Member of the Corporation
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Chief People Officer
- Perkins As Its First Chief People Officer
Brenna Child joined Perkins as its first Chief People Officer in 2020. Child's key areas of focus include supporting and enhancing Perkins' organizational culture, promoting the strength and capability of our entire workforce, and ensuring Perkins remains a sought-after organization for both employees and volunteers.
Child came to Perkins from The Washington Post, where she was Head of Talent Management & Branding, leading team success in acquisition, marketing, culture, internal communications, diversity & inclusion, and organizational development. Her career began in B2B software sales & marketing, where she began to see the critical link between progressive human capital strategy and business success. She has over 18 years' experience in the HR space developing advanced talent strategies to further an organization's growth and impact. Brenna holds an MBA from Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland and a BA in Psychology/Organizational Behavior from Clark University.
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- Chief Operating Officer
- Executive Vice President
- Trustee
Bret is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at athenahealth, a cloud-based healthcare technology and services platform that has previously partnered with Perkins' career readiness program. Prior to joining athenahealth in 2017, he served in executive leadership roles at VMware, Inc. and McKinsey & Company. In addition to serving as a Perkins Corporator since 2020, he has also been a longstanding volunteer for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. He received his B.A. in economics from the University of Chicago and his MBA in Finance and Entrepreneurship from Harvard Business School.
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Honorary Trustee
- Honorary Trustee, Member of the Corporation
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Education Coordinator / Country / Mexico
Originally from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Carlos is an educator with graduate studies in intellectual disability. He has been a teacher, a school principal, and an advisor on education policies to different state governments and universities in Mexico. Carlos has participated in dozens of seminars, workshops, and congresses. He won the award Bécalos for his participation on an education panel organized by the Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain. He has taken classes on multiple disabilities and deafblindness at the Perkins International Academy. Carlos advised the Mexican Federal Ministry of Education (SEP) on the publication of four training guides for work for people with disabilities. He has worked as a consultant for Perkins since 2021 helping in the implementation of Project Pixan, our ten-year strategy in Mexico, in the Bajío region.
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- Corporator and International Envoy
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- Member of the Corporation
Cynthia served as the executive director of Sight Loss Services, Inc., an organization that provides peer support, training, and outreach to those who are struggling with visual impairments, from 2010 to 2017. She currently works as a project specialist for Catholic Social Services in Hyannis and is a Commissioner of the Dennis Housing Authority. She was the editorial and issues columnist for the Cape Cod Times from 2006 until 2022. In 2016, Cynthia was appointed to the Perkins Board of Trustees by Governor Charlie Baker.
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- Member of the Corporation
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- CEO
- President
- President and CEO of Perkins School for the Blind
Dave Power is President and CEO of Perkins School for the Blind, where Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan were both educated. What began as the first U.S. school for the blind nearly 200 years ago has become a diversified, international non-profit organization that is leading the way in serving children and young adults with multiple, complex disabilities including blindness.
Dave oversees the broad reach of Perkins' operations, including Perkins School for the Blind; Perkins International, which works to reach the most vulnerable children in some of the world's poorest places; Perkins Solutions, which produces and services braille machinery used around the world and helps organizations ensure their digital experiences are usable by all, the Perkins Library, and the Howe Innovation Center.
Throughout Dave's career, he has guided organizations as an operating executive, board member and advisor. His diverse background includes roles as CEO, general manager and marketing executive at Sun Microsystems, RSA Security and other successful growth companies. He also led investments in emerging technology companies at Fidelity Ventures.
Dave teaches Design Thinking at Harvard Extension School, receiving the Joanne Fussa Distinguished Teaching Award in 2014. He is also the author of "The Curve Ahead: Discovering the Path to Unlimited Growth."
The Perkins mission is deeply personal to Dave: his son David graduated from Perkins in 2009. Dave began his work with Perkins by serving on the Board of Trustees from 2003 to 2013.
Dave received a BS in Civil Engineering and MS in Environmental Engineering from Tufts University and an MBA from Stanford Business School, where he was an Arjay Miller Scholar.
David is a former founding partner of Avista Capital Partners, a middle-market private equity firm based in New York City. He previously worked as a partner at DLJ Merchant Banking Partners, and in investment banking at Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette after an early career in public accounting. David and his wife, Mardi, are the proud parents of a Perkins student and have been Perkins Corporators since 2015. As a family, they have generously supported a wide range of programs, initiatives, and events at Perkins. David is Chair of the Board of Trustees of Greens Farms Academy in Westport, Connecticut, and is Chairman of the Woodway Scholarship Fund. He graduated from Stanford University and holds an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
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- Treasurer of the Board
- Vice President and Investment Officer at Fiduciary Trust Company
Derek is a Vice President and Investment Officer at Fiduciary Trust Company, where he develops and executes wealth management strategies for high net worth individuals, families, executives, and entrepreneurs, as well as foundations and endowments. Prior to joining Fiduciary, Derek served in a similar role at J.P. Morgan Private Bank. Earlier in his career, he provided capital raising, mergers, and acquisitions services to corporations, as well as investment advisory services to municipalities and nonprofits. He has been a Perkins Corporator since 2020, serves as Treasurer for the Board, Chair of the Investment Committee, and as a member of the Finance Committee. Separately, Derek serves as the endowment investment manager for the Needham Historical Society. He graduated from New York University's Stern School of Business with an MBA and earned a B.A. in International Relations and French from Colgate University. He lives in Needham, Massachusetts with his wife and two daughters.
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Honorary Trustee
- Honorary Trustee, Member of the Corporation
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- Member of the Corporation
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- President of Educational Programs
Ed Bosso joined Perkins School for the Blind in March 2016. As president of Educational Programs and superintendent, he oversees all of Perkins' educational services, including educational programs on Perkins' Watertown campus and in public schools, as well as the operations of the Training & Educational Resources Program, encompassing teacher training and the Perkins Research Library and Archives. Bosso has more than 30 years of experience in special education, including leadership positions as principal of the Delaware School for the Deaf, director of Statewide Programs for Deaf and Deaf Blind Students, and assistant superintendent of human resources for the Christina School District in Wilmington, Delaware. Prior to Perkins, he served as vice president of Gallaudet's National Deaf Education Center. Bosso earned a master's degree in educational administration/supervision from California State University, Northridge and a Bachelor of Science in special education from Bloomsburg University.
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Emelia is a professional in the area of special education, with more than 40 years of experience working with students, parents, and teachers in training at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. She co-authored the Operations Manual of the School Service of Special Education of the State of Yucatan and collaborated in the "Volume 1: Multiple Disability, of the Together We Work for Inclusion" collection, and the scientific articles: "Educational Practice in Multiple Disabilities and/or Deafblindness". Emelia has worked in multiple private and public universities in Mexico. She is a Perkins International Academy alumna. Since 2021, Emelia has worked as a consultant for Perkins to help implement our 10-year strategy in the country (Project Pixan) in the states of Yucatan and Campeche.
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- Director of Programs
- Director of Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean
Gloria Rodríguez-Gil is the Director of programs for Latin America and the Caribbean, at Perkins International. Originally from Costa Rica, she has lived and studied in Spain and the United States. She currently leads Perkins International programs in Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and Chile, as well as a professional network of educators across the region. A leader in the field of Special Education, Gloria has more than thirty years of experience with a special focus on visual impairments, deafblindness and multiple disabilities.
Gloria started her career as an innovative teacher, then went on to found and develop the First Educational Program for children who are deafblind in Central America, at the Centro Nacional de Educación Especial "Fernando Centeno Güell" in Costa Rica. Gloria is also the co-creator of the First Master's Program on Multiple Disabilities and Deafblindness in the prestigious University of Costa Rica, supported by the Hilton-Perkins Program. In 1991 and 1992, Gloria was recognized for her accomplishments with several scholarships, and an internship at Gallaudet University and Perkins School from the Blind. These experiences led her to publish one of the first books on deafblindness in Spanish in 1997.
Gloria holds an undergraduate degree in Special Education in Visual Impairments and a graduate degree on Special Education in Multiple Disabilities from Universidad de Costa Rica, and a Master's Degree in Special Education from Boston College in Low Incidence Disabilities With Emphasis on Deafblindness, under the mentoring of program Director Dr. Barbara Mcletchie. Gloria is the author of a number of articles and a dedicated advocate and speaker for accessible education at national, regional and global level.
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Program Analyst, Latin America and the Caribbean
Isabela is a working professional with a background in international development. She has experience working with a variety of communities in academic and non-profit settings. Her past work has focused on fostering and maintaining community partnerships, advocacy, community outreach, and providing assistance to a diverse range of projects. Isabela holds a bachelor's degree in International/Global and Intercultural Studies with a concentration on Latin American Studies (Miami University) and a Master's of Arts in International Development, with a concentration in sustainable development and a certificate in global environmental change and adaptation (University of Denver).
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Honorary Trustee
- Honorary Trustee, Member of the Corporation
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Trustee
- Chief Investment Officer and Lead Portfolio Manager at Anchor Capital Advisors
Jennifer is the Chief Investment Officer and lead portfolio manager at Anchor Capital Advisors, a Boston-based investment management firm that currently manages $10 billion in assets. She has over 25 years of experience in the financial services sector, previously holding roles at Fiduciary Trust Company, Batterymarch Financial Management and Fleet Bank. She has been a loyal supporter of Perkins, serving as a Corporator since 2018 and as a member of several volunteer committees. In her role as an investment professional, Jennifer has directed a number of major gifts to Perkins as a Trustee of the Constance O. Putnam Foundation. She is a member of the Investment Committee for Perkins, the CFA Society Boston board, and the Newton Country Day School board. She volunteers as a mentor for the MIT Sandbox, the Boston Economic Club, and the Boston Club. She received her B.S. from Carnegie Mellon and MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management.
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- Member of the Corporation
Jessica is the newest addition to our team as of January 2023. Passionate about helping others and the field of education, Jessica received a degree from the National Pedagogic University in Mexico. She has ten years of experience in the education sector, having worked for a variety of institutions like the Secretary of Public Education (SEP), the College of Mexico A.C., the Iberoamericana University A.C., and in TierraEd A.C. where she was an entrepreneur. At these institutions, Jessica held several positions, such as: academic and research assistant, junior researcher, project manager, tutor, trainer, analyst, and educational project strategist. She has collaborated in a variety of publications like "Ruta Escuela para la educación socioemocional" and "Visión STEM para México". In her free time, Jessica enjoys reading, going to museums, traveling, meditating, looking up at the sky, making friends, and spending time with herself and her family.
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Trustee
- Managing Director and Banker in the Boston Office of J.P. Morgan Private Bank
Katharine is a Managing Director and Banker in the Boston office of J.P. Morgan Private Bank, where she advises senior executives, entrepreneurs, and large family offices on a range of wealth management topics including investments, banking, credit, family governance, planning, and philanthropy. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan in 2007, she worked in business development and marketing for American Express and the New York Mets Baseball Club. Katharine has served as a Perkins Corporator since 2017 and regularly attends Perkins events, including the golf tournament, Shark Tank, and the Taste of Perkins. She also served on the board of Match Charter Public School in Boston, and actively coaches her three daughters in youth sports. She received an MBA from Columbia Business School and a B.A. from Harvard University, where she played varsity field hockey and lacrosse.
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Executive Director, Perkins International
Katherine (Katie) Holland has worked on international programs for the rights, inclusion, and wellbeing of marginalized children for two decades. Today, Katie is Executive Director of International Programs at Perkins School for the Blind. Together with teachers, families, and governments in 97 countries, Perkins believes every child can learn, and has helped children with disabilities learn and belong for almost 200 years. Prior to Perkins, Katie held posts in UNICEF ranging from economic and social policy, to executive management, to health partnerships and strategy. She also served as Chief Operating Officer of Women Deliver and Executive Director of the Amani Children's Foundation. Katie is a UBS Global Visionary, a member of the Global Advisory Council for Praava Health in Bangladesh, and co-leads the Boston chapter of the Harvard Kennedy School Women's Network. She holds an MPA in International Development from Harvard University, a certificate in leadership from INSEAD, and is a proud alumna of Salem College, the first women's college in the USA, where she now serves as a Trustee.
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Member of the Corporation
Kim Charlson has been involved with Perkins Library since 1985, and has been director since 2001, overseeing the library's mission of providing accessible reading material to people who are blind, have low vision, or physical or reading disabilities. Charlson also oversees the FCC iCanConnect program, the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program providing free communication technology and training to eligible individuals. She is the co-chair of the Federal Communications Commission's Disability Advisory Committee, and she serves as the co-chair of the Coalition on Assistive Technology. A distinguished expert on library and information services for people with disabilities, Charlson serves on several committees for the Library of Congress' National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled and has contributed to numerous publications on braille and accessible library services. She was the first woman president of the American Council of the Blind (2013-2019) and a member of the Accessible Books Consortium to support the Marrakesh Treaty. Charlson is the president of the North America/Caribbean Region of the World Blind Union (WBU) and the chair of the WBU's World Braille Council. She has a master's degree in library science from the University of North Texas.
Lauren is a Perkins parent, as well as a mom to three typically developing children. She has a background in luxury marketing, strategy, and business development for consumer goods. Lauren took an extended break from the corporate world to focus on her family, including her son with neurological blindness, spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, and epilepsy. When her son's health stabilized, Lauren dedicated herself to "seeing for two" as an interior decorator, children's book author, and advocate for universal design and inclusion. She splits her time between the Boston area and Nantucket with her husband Don, four children, and Bernese mountain dog.
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Honorary Trustee
- Honorary Trustee, Member of the Corporation
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- Member of the Corporation
Lorena is our education coordinator in the states of Morelos, Jalisco, and in Mexico City. Lorena is an educator in the visual disability area and has a Master's degree in Multiple Disabilities from the Metropolitan University of Educational Sciences in Chile (UMCE). She has worked as a Perkins consultant and has been working as a coordinator since August 2022. Lorena has 35 years of experience working with students with multiple disabilities. She was a professional at an NGO for 27 years and then founded a new organization of which she is now the director. She is a tutor of the Perkins International Academy courses.
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Executive Director of Perkins Solutions
Luiza Aguiar joined Perkins Solutions in 2015 and has been executive director since 2017, overseeing the development and marketing of assistive technology products and accessibility consulting services. Aguiar has more than 20 years of experience in software and technology product management, marketing and business development, including positions at Sun Microsystems, Art Technology Group and FTP Software. She was previously employed as senior manager of product marketing at RSA, the security division of EMC. Aguiar holds an MBA from the D'Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University and a B.A. from the University of Connecticut.
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Maureen is the immediate past Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nursing Officer of the Spaulding Rehabilitation Network, including Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Boston. She also served as President of Spaulding Hospital Cambridge, Spaulding Hospital Cape Cod, and Spaulding Nursing and Therapy Center in Brighton. Throughout her career, she has held leadership roles in academic medical centers, home care and community hospitals, and faculty appointments in both graduate and undergraduate programs. Maureen is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and has been active throughout her career in professional organizations and boards, including as President of the Massachusetts Organization of Nurse Leaders and the American College of Healthcare Executives. She received her MBA and Advanced Certificate in Health Administration from Southern New Hampshire University as a Commonwealth Fellow, and received her Doctor of Nursing Practice from the MGH Institute for Health Professions. Her undergraduate degree is from Boston College, and she holds a master's degree from the University of Connecticut.
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- Honorary Trustee
- Honorary Trustee, Member of the Corporation
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- Chief Development and Marketing Officer
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- Executive Director, Howe Innovation Center
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- Chairman of the Board of Trustees
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- Chairman of the Corporation
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Honorary Trustee
- Honorary Trustee, Member of the Corporation
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- Member of the Corporation
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- Member of the Corporation