UA-28241119-2
top of page

Our Board

WE CAN has an active Board of Directors, consisting of 16 individuals whose diverse talents, connections, and enthusiasm complement each other and bring depth to the organization. Ours is a highly responsible, committed Board of Directors that provides strategic direction, long-term planning and high-level decision-making for WE CAN. The directors are enhanced by a small group of Special Advisors who volunteer their own unique skills to support WE CAN.

Susan.Lloyd_.2019.square.jpg

Susan
Lloyd

President

Susan spent her 40 year career in the medical device industry in sales, marketing, business development and, ultimately, general management. After graduating from Boston University, Susan joined Becton Dickinson & Company as one of their first women sales representatives selling to Boston area teaching hospitals. She was later promoted to the company’s central offices in New Jersey taking on roles in sales administration and marketing. After developing a unique intravascular therapy device product line while part of a newly formed new business development organization, Susan moved to lead the business as a part of the Bard Parker division. She later became Director of Marketing for AcuteCare, the company’s operating room products division. Susan left Becton Dickinson in the early 90’s when she started her family and joined HealthScan Products. She remained with this business over the next twenty years, leading its dramatic growth and management through a series of acquisitions by HealthDyne Technologies, Respironics and ultimately, Philips Medical, all multi-national medical device leaders. During Susan’s tenure she led strategic initiatives to acquire two European inhalation drug/device companies and integrated these organizations into her division. Susan retired from Philips Medical as V.P. /General Manager of the Philips Respiratory Drug Delivery Division with over 300 employees in New Jersey, the UK, Italy and China. As one of a small number of women in line positions throughout her career, Susan was actively involved in mentoring other women employees. She expanded this rewarding experience after retirement by mentoring three women in WE CAN’s Pathmaker program while performing other WE CAN volunteer activities including the WE CAN ShowHouse, Annual Meeting Committee, Valentines’ Day luncheon, and the Andi Genser Strategic Opportunities Fund Committee. Additional volunteer efforts on Cape Cod include fundraising for the Hydrangea Society’s “Hydrangea University”. More recently, Susan has become a volunteer consultant with SOAR Management Consulting Group providing pro bono consulting services to greater Boston nonprofit organizations. Susan lives in Centerville and is still actively involved with parenting her 29 and 31 year old children but loves her free time to travel, garden, entertain, and pursue her volunteer activities.

WEB MGH headshot color 6_edited.jpg

Michaela
Herlihy

Vice President

Michaela’s career in financial planning began in 2005. With her interest in helping people meet their financial goals piqued, Michaela earned her certificate in Financial Planning at Boston University in 2008 and completed her CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional (CFP®) designation the same year. Today Michaela is the President of Beacon Financial Planning of Cape Cod, Inc. She and her team offer fee-only planning services to over 350 households, monitoring more than $275,000,000 of assets. Michaela is passionate about coaching the Beacon team to help firm clients evaluate their needs and establish sound financial solutions to help them realize their dreams. “There’s a great sense of satisfaction when clients share their confidence in the plan we have developed together, noting with their financial house in order they can focus on that which brings them most joy – their business, family, golf, or whatever it may be.” Equally important to Michaela is connection with her community. Since 2013 she has been involved with different non-profits such as Calmer Choice and WE CAN.  Michaela has long been a supporter of WECAN’s mission to empower women and is excited to strengthen her commitment as a Board Member.  As the President of Beacon, she leads with passion and encourages each team member to be involved with nonprofits with which they feel a personal connection.  In 2014 Michaela was recognized by Cape and Plymouth Magazine as one of the Top 40 Professionals under the age of 40.  When she is not working with clients and engaging in volunteer activities, Michaela enjoys pickleball, cooking for friends and family, cycling, and exploring the Cape’s gorgeous beaches and trails.

Katie_Hartley_Photo_1.jpg

Katie
Hartley

Treasurer

Katie Hartley is Vice President and Controller at The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod. Katie has been with the Bank for over 20 years, managing both the accounting and facilities teams and overseeing the financial statements, budgeting, accounts payable, insurance, tax, facilities and financial education for employees. Katie believes strongly in WE CAN’s mission to empower women on Cape Cod and has been able to utilize her years of experience by serving on WE CAN’s finance committee, which she stepped onto in 2017. Recognizing that empowered women build stronger families and communities, Katie is excited to serve as WE CAN’s Treasurer. Her past involvement includes serving as the Treasurer on the Board of Directors for Community Leadership Institute of Cape Cod. She’s also active in volunteering for various events through the bank and supports The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod Charitable Foundation Trust through managing its financial statements. Katie lives in Yarmouth and holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Accounting from Northeastern University. She enjoys practicing yoga at some of the local yoga studios and the beautiful beaches of Cape Cod.

WE-CAN-Anne-Ghory-Goodman-photo.square-c

Anne
Ghory-Goodman

Clerk

Anne Ghory-Goodman is a photographer and designer with graduate and undergraduate degrees from Yale University, who has taught and held leadership positions with academic, private sector, and non-profit groups. Anne’s commitment to WE CAN’s mission of empowering women is long-standing. Early in her career, Anne was awarded a Visual Artist’s Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts for her photographic portraits of women. She founded and chaired the Board of the U-Kids Day Care Cooperative at the University of Cincinnati. As a member of the Board of the Rochester Regional Coalition Against Human Trafficking, she created a “Yes. Here!” campaign to educate the public about the exploitation of men, women, and children for sex, labor, and domestic trafficking in upstate New York. Serving as Vice President for Social Action at Rochester’s Temple Sinai, she oversaw initiatives for inner city schools, refugee relocation, hurricane victim relief, LGBTQ support, and legislative advocacy. During Anne’s thirty-year career in higher education as a professor, department chair, and Professor Emerita, she mentored student teams who won international design competitions related to environmental issues and global water challenges. Anne lectured and exhibited her photographic and design work in the US and abroad—England, Japan, China, Peru, and France. In May 2019, her work was included in a group show of Cuban and American designers in Havana, Cuba. Her conference proposal for Innovating to Respond: Designing Solutions for Humanitarian Needs was awarded funding by the SAPPI Ideas That Matter competition in 2017. Anne’s professional design work has included branding, exhibit design, environmental graphics, web design, information design, and wayfinding. As Vice President and Director of Creative Development at Simon and Schuster / Silver Burdett Ginn, Anne led interdisciplinary teams for educational publishing projects. Anne’s husband, Ward Ghory, has led public and independent schools in Cincinnati OH, Cambridge MA, Milwaukee WI, and Rochester NY. In 2018, they retired to their family touchstone and home in Orleans, MA where Ward joined the newly created Affordable Housing Trust Board. The Cape is where their children made life-long memories and their grandchildren are now dipping their toes in the ocean and bay.

You can help.

jitka new_edited.jpg

Jitka

Borowick

Originally from the Czech Republic, Jitka Borowick arrived on Cape Cod in 2003. Since that time, she has launched and currently operates two businesses, Cleangreen (2008) and Nove Yoga (2020). Jitka has been passionate about dedicating her time and talents to several organizations and currently serves as a Corporator with Cape Cod 5; a Member of the Kelley Foundation; a Cape Cod Academy Trustee; a Second Summer Cycle Board Member; a Member of the Women and Girls Fund of The Cape Cod Foundation; and is a Co-founder of DEVO Cycling Cape Cod. As a female immigrant, Jitka deeply understands the challenges that many women face on Cape Cod. She is passionate about empowering other women to believe in themselves and achieve their personal and professional dreams.

Myra-Killeen-1024.png

Myra
Killeen

After 35 years in high-tech, Myra Killeen retired and began volunteering with WE CAN, combining her love for Cape Cod and a desire to give back. She is often a voice on the phone for many of WE CAN’s participants and has been a member of the Upper Cape Outreach Committee for three years, as well as a mentor in the Path Maker’s program. As an independent business consultant, Myra provided business analysis, project management and quality assurance oversight for the design and implementation of large eCommerce websites such as T.J.Maxx and El Corte Ingles, the largest retailer in Spain. Prior to becoming a consultant, Myra held the position of Vice President at Oracle’s ATG (eCommerce platform – software operations), IBM’s Lotus Development SmartSuite product line, and Reed Elsevier Inc.’s Internet Applications Group where she managed technical consulting and site development for business units Lexis Nexus and Elsevier Science. Combining her professional experience with a goal of giving back, Myra taught management and computer courses for adults completing their Associate degree. At Lotus, she was one of a small group of managers who initiated and implemented the first employee mentoring program that became the model for the entire corporation. ‘WE CAN has allowed me to support other women to achieve their goals, support their families and become contributing members of their communities. Nothing is more rewarding than helping expand WE CAN’s reach and breadth of services across Cape Cod.’

9.jpg

David
Oppenheim

David Oppenheim has been investing in real estate in Chatham since the 1970s. Most notably, Mr. Oppenheim has owned the Chatham Yacht Basin since 1987 and The Wayside Inn and Wild Goose Tavern since 1993. Known locally for his long-standing commitment to philanthropy and strong support of several local organizations, including WE CAN, Mr. Oppenheim is also a lifetime member of the Chatham Conservation Foundation and a former Director of United Way of Cape Cod.  He and his wife have called Chatham home since 1972. Mr. Oppenheim commented, WE CAN’s work here on Cape Cod is extraordinary. “I joined the WE CAN board because I want to help the organization grow in order to reach more women on Cape Cod who need these important services.”

David-Troutman-Headshot.resized.jpg

David
Troutman

David Troutman has worked in the restaurant industry for over 45 years; the last 32 of which were spent as co-owner of Scargo Cafe. A 1976 graduate of Barnstable High, he received his bachelors degree from Suffolk University in 2006 and is a graduate of the class of 2015 Community Leadership Institute. David is a founding member and immediate past Chair of Calmer Choice and as such was the United Way recipient of the Ron Reed Award for Dedication to a Board.  David is also an active member of the YMCA Teen Achievers steering committee, the current Clerk Trustee of the Cape Cod Chamber, a Mentor for SCORE as well as EForAll and most recently joined the board of Leadership Cape Cod. As a philosophy, David embraces the concept of a “hand up” rather than a hand out.  “While we absolutely need to feed the hungry and offer shelter to the homeless, I support those efforts that empower, educate and mentor those that want to help themselves.’ “I admire WE CAN for that and am proud to join their ranks.” David lives in West Barnstable with his beautiful wife Pam, and his lovely daughter Kate.

Lynn-Comandich-1024.png

Lynn
Comandich

Lynn enjoyed a career in retail for 36 years as owner of the Beth Bishop Shop in Orleans, MA, a women’s clothing store. As a hands-on small, business entrepreneur, she engaged in all aspects of retail operations, including customer relations, marketing, personnel management, and financial management through budgeting and inventory control. She and her team created an environment supportive of women, enhancing their self esteem and confidence. The store produced many fund-raising events, frequently for Cape Cod Healthcare and WE CAN. After retiring, Lynn joined WE CAN to continue her desire to support women and their evolving needs. She has volunteered on multiple committees for fund-raising (Annual Meeting, Fashion Show, Girls’ Night, co-chair of Words, Wit and Wisdom) as well as the celebratory Community Breakfast. Joining the board is an extension of her belief that empowering women helps their families, their children, and ultimately their community. Lynn is honored to have this opportunity to support WE CAN and the women it serves.

Sarah-Manning-1024.png

Sarah
Manning

Sarah H. Manning is a Probate and Family Court attorney practicing at Nutter McClennen & Fish, LLP for almost 30 years. Since 1991, Sarah’s primary focus has been on Massachusetts family law, divorce and post-divorce litigation, including issues related to spousal and child support, property division, custody, and abuse/harassment prevention orders. Sarah assesses each person’s individual needs and zealously advocates on their behalf to arrive at the best result for them. Sarah is also a certified mediator who can assist clients in navigating toward a successful agreement that’s fair and reasonable to both parties. Sarah has represented parties in both high asset divorce cases as well as those of more moderate means. In addition to serving on the WE CAN board, Sarah provides legal consults to WE CAN participants, Sarah is also a current board member of Community Action Committee of Cape Cod and Islands (CACCI), and was the Past President of Barnstable County Bar Association, as well as a past board member of South Coastal Counties Legal Services.

Kplazakphoto400.jpg

Kathy
Plazak

Supporting the success of non-profit organizations has been at the center of Kathy’s professional and volunteer work.  As Vice President of Government and Community Relations at New England Life, she directed the company’s charitable giving and employee volunteer efforts and worked closely with the greater Boston nonprofit and philanthropic community.   In 2001 she left the corporate world and established Plazak Associates, a consulting practice providing management services to a wide variety of organizations, primarily non-profits, with a focus on organizing major projects and initiatives, advising on governance issues, and interim leadership for organizations going through management transitions.  She has also led nonprofit clients through the process of formation, merging, and closing. A resident of Boston and Woods Hole, Kathy is now spending most of her time on the Cape, and is excited to have the opportunity to work with the incredible staff, board, and volunteers of WE CAN in making a real difference in the lives of local women.

Pallavi Verma Headshot.png

Pallavi
Verma

With over 30 years of consulting experience, Pallavi Verma is the Quality & Risk Lead for Accenture in North America. In this role she is responsible for working with clients and client teams to solve business problems and innovate for clients by driving quality programs across all businesses and industries, while also monitoring and managing the risk profile of the overall business. In addition, she serves as the Boston Office Managing Director, leading a 1500 employee office and generating revenue growth for all of Accenture's business offerings. She represents the Accenture brand in the Boston community and helps Accenture engage with innovators, business leaders, and academia throughout the region. As the Executive Sponsor for Accenture’s Apprentice program, she is passionate about providing equal opportunities for a broader based set of talent, including those that do not have four-year college degrees. At Accenture, we have now scaled apprentice hiring to be a core part of our recruiting practices. ​ Pallavi serves on the board of the Accenture Foundation and the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. She is also a trustee of the Rush University Medical Center and a trustee of the Illinois Institute of Technology. Recently Pallavi was recognized by the Commonwealth Institute as one of the 2021 Top 100 Women Leaders in Massachusetts. Pallavi was named Crain's Chicago Business's Most Powerful Women in Business (2019) and also named on their Tech 50 list (2018). In 2019, she was awarded Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business by the Asian American Business Roundtable. In December 2016, she was named by the Chicago Tribune as one of their "10 Businesspeople to Watch in 2017.“ Based in Boston, MA, Pallavi enjoys creating new recipes with ingredients from her refrigerator, exploring new towns in Massachusetts - particularly on Cape Cod, and reading.

Mary.Beth_.Daniel-DSC_2106.jpg

Mary Beth
Daniel

Mary Beth Daniel has been engaged in many not for profit entities through her entire career.  She is a Sustaining member of the New York Junior League, was the Board Chair of the Food and Hunger Hotline in NYC, served as a board member of the Turtle Bay Music School in NYC and volunteered at her children’s schools through the last 2 decades. Mary Beth graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 1982.  She began her career at the Chase Manhattan Bank in New York completing their credit training program, following which she focused on commercial real estate lending.  She went on to build her own commercial mortgage brokerage business, which she ran for five years before joining Heller Macauley Equities as CFO and project manager for the acquisition and redevelopment of 1049 Fifth Avenue in New York, a $100m luxury residential apartment building.  After the completion of the 1049 project Mary Beth joined Stribling & Associates, a residential real-estate firm in the city as a broker.  She maintains her broker’s license in New York and in Massachusetts. Mary Beth served on the Board of Mount Holyoke for ten years, where she chaired the Development Committee of the Board for five years (during which time the college was engaged in a $300m capital campaign), and served on the Finance, Education and Student Affairs Committees.  She also served on the board of the Village Commons, a multi-use commercial and residential investment in South Hadley owned by Mount Holyoke. In 2015, after 33 years in Manhattan, Mary Beth and her husband Stephen moved to Chatham as full-time residents.  Mary Beth was introduced to WE CAN in 2016 and has been involved in a number of its fundraising activities.  As a new board member, Mary Beth is looking forward to working with WE CAN to develop new initiatives in the region that will continue its mission of Empowering Women Through Cape Area Networking.

LDM_Headshot_2019.square-1024x1024.jpg

Laurie
Maul

Laurie Maul has enjoyed a long career in human resources, supporting industries including healthcare, higher education, marketing and banking. She is currently serving as First Vice President and Human Resources Officer at The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod.   A native of New York, Laurie earned her Bachelor’s Degree from St. Lawrence University. She has lived on Cape Cod since 2004, and resides with her family in East Sandwich.   Laurie joined WE CAN because she has long admired the organization’s ability to provide women with dignity and support as they develop the necessary skills to turn their unique challenges into opportunities for growth and empowerment. She is excited and honored to be part of WE CAN’s established success and future initiatives.

Julie-Moore_headshot.square.jpg

Julie
Moore

​ Julie A. Moore, Esquire, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, is president and founder of Employment Practices Group in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Julie has also had a residence in Chatham since 1998, and she has plans to make it her full-time home in the coming years. Julie is a former litigator who is licensed to practice law in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. She focuses her practice on conducting internal investigations into discrimination, harassment, retaliation and other workplace misconduct; being an expert witness on employment issues; training employers on harassment prevention and other workplace topics; drafting policies and handbooks; and providing advice and counsel. Julie is a fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Attorneys, Vice Chair of the Town of Wellesley Human Resources Board, a former Board member of the Association of Workplace Investigators, past Chair of the NH Bar Association’s Labor & Employment Law Section, and Board member and program chair for GMVHRA, a local SHRM chapter. She is extensively published and a frequent speaker (locally and nationally) on EEO matters, investigations and other workplace issues. She was recently quoted in the The Washington Post and Yahoo! News and has written several op eds for Fortune. Julie has dedicated her professional life to identifying, addressing, training on, and working to eradicate discrimination and harassment based on gender and other protected categories in the workplace and remediating unequal treatment. Julie’s volunteerism has included raising tens of thousands of dollars as a participant in the Pan Mass Challenge, Boston Marathon, Falmouth Road Race, and other running events, as she has been an avid runner and marathoner for over 30 years.  She is a member of the Cape Cod Athletic Club and has been doing road races and half and full marathons on the Cape for years. She is excited to give back and serve on WE CAN’s board, as it is a natural fit for her philanthropic spirit and ties in with her legal background about providing opportunities for women.

WC0196dave.2019.square-1024x1024.jpg

David
Willard

David Willard has indelibly put his skills in business, leadership, and relationship building to good use for the benefit of countless people from the canal to Provincetown, all supported by the Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank where he has worked for over 40 years. In this position, he has been able to devote an enormous amount of time and energy to help a wide range of nonprofit organizations. A sampling of David’s philanthropic endeavors, including his active service on the boards of no less than 20 organizations, would consist of an exceptionally long list of nonprofit organizations on Cape Cod. For these, and especially those in the areas of affordable housing, health care, child abuse, visual and performing arts, and economic issues, David has often been instrumental in bringing about necessary and positive change. Arriving on Cape Cod as a toddler, David has always been passionate about his near-birthplace, and has always been one of the most sensitive and friendly people anyone could ever meet – demonstrating his wit, charm and genuine interest in whomever is with him at the time.

Geffken Daniel Head Shot.jpg

Daniel
Geffken

Daniel has enjoyed a career in life sciences for over 30 years. For the past 11 years, he has been a Co-founder and Managing Director of Danforth Advisors, a financial, operations and communications consulting firm serving the life science industry. He specializes in strategy and fundraising for emerging growth companies, whereby raising capital is fundamental to developing ground breaking therapeutics. His clients are mostly start ups with limited cash resources.  ​ From Connecticut, he currently splits his time between Cambridge, MA, Delray Beach, FL and Chatham. He loves how Cape Cod calls to him. He has one adult daughter. ​ Daniel has a B.S. in Economics from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and a MBA from Harvard Business School.    With retirement beckoning in the near term, he is thrilled to be part of the WE CAN board.

JMojo.jpg

Jean
Mojo

Jean has over 30 years of experience in marketing. Armed with a dual degree in journalism and sociology from Syracuse University, she started her career in Washington DC as a member of the communications team for the Cabinet Committee on Opportunities for Spanish Speaking People. Following three years in that role, she went on to earn an MBA from Boston University. ​ On to New York where she spent two years in product management and then nine years in advertising with Saatchi & Saatchi before taking the plunge with six partners to build a marketing services agency.  The company prospered, developing award-winning programs for a wide range of Fortune 500 clients including IBM, Johnson & Johnson, AT&T and CBS, and was acquired by WPP Group plc in 1987. Jean went on to run the company for over 20 years.  In retirement, Jean's mission is to share her knowledge of marketing and leadership. Her first opportunity came through teaching at 4Cs and Boston College's Carroll School of Management, helping students not only learn marketing but also understand the career opportunities. She has been an active business mentor for SCORE Cape Cod & the Islands since 2011 and started volunteering at WE CAN in 2015. Jean is a work support volunteer and a facilitator for the GROW program. In 2020, she was one of two women recognized as WE CAN's Distinguished Volunteer of the Year. She is thrilled to serve on the board to help WE CAN grow, assisting even more women overcome the challenges in the way of their success.    Jean has two adult children and lives in Cotuit with her husband, Steve.

CeciPhoto.JPG

Cecilia
Phelan Stiles 

Cecilia Phelan Stiles is the Senior Manager of HR Communication Systems for Cape Cod Healthcare. Cecilia was born and raised in Latin America, and has lived in Mexico, Dominican Republic, and Venezuela. She entered the Medical Interpreter field at its infancy. She has been leading the implementation of language access solutions for the system and the Cape Cod community during the last 22 years. Beyond the daily direction of department operations and financial planning, Cecilia initiated educational seminars on diversity training for Cape Cod Healthcare, school system, and paramedics. She has designed and implemented solutions to reduce cultural and linguistic barriers across two community hospitals and seven other entities at Cape Cod Healthcare. She serves as the LEP/CLAS Coordinator overseeing adherence to system-wide LEP/CLAS (Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Standards of Care) programs and identifying improvements in language access and equity services system-wide. Cecilia is a board member of the Forum of the Coordination of Interpreter Services, a nationwide organization, WE CAN, and Children’ Cove. She has her Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations and her Master of Arts in Intercultural Relations from Lesley University. She is a volunteer for Make A Wish Foundation (New England Chapter). She has also been a member for Women International for the last 15 years. Her passion for education and to educate has translated into her workplace success.  ​ Ceci is honored to be part of WE CAN’s board. She personally used the services for her mom and other Hispanic members of the community and saw firsthand the amazing work this organization does. She strongly believes in their mission to empower and help women grow and succeed in any stage of their lives.

Special Advisors

19.jpg

Carroll

Beegan Follas

Carroll is a graduate of Regis College and Tufts University. Her professional life has included being a teacher, guidance counselor, college administrator and healthcare fundraiser. CBF Plus Associates, her consulting firm, first established in the ‘80s and reorganized since her retirement from Cape Cod Hospital in 2006, is her concentration today. Carroll’s belief in WE CAN began in Jackie Scarbrough’s living room in 2000 when dreams were being born. Carroll served on the initial Board of Directors with Dick Sullivan and David Willard, later being joined by Judy Cornwell. “Those 6 years were miracle years. It is now hard to imagine Cape Cod without WE CAN. It is a privilege to continue my involvement as WE CAN moves into its second decade”.

1937296_10208765632558354_8542147700389553080_n.jpg

Sharon K. Hawkins

Sharon K. Hawkins is the owner of South Street Beautification Trust, a private real estate company. She is the retired Senior Vice President of Dowling and O’Neil Insurance Agency, Hyannis and former co-owner of The Optimist Café in Yarmouthport. A graduate of McGill University and resident of Cape Cod since 1977, Sharon has been very active in community service on the Cape and is currently a Board Member of Bluecoats of Barnstable. Past volunteer service includes Board Chair of Cape & Islands Chapter; Board Chair of the Massachusetts/Rhode Island Council of Red Cross Chapters; Board Chair of the Greater Hyannis Chamber of Commerce; President of the Hyannis Rotary Club; and Board Member of Cape and Islands United Way.  She is a recipient of Hyannis Chamber of Commerce’s John F. Kennedy, Jr. Community Service Award and Cape Cod Business and Professional Women’s Woman of the Year. ​ Sharon’s community involvement also incorporates hands-on activism, embodied by her participation in Hyannis West Elementary School’s Reading Buddy Program and as a volunteer member of the Supervisory Committee overseeing Operations of the First Citizens Federal Credit Union. She has always had a profound understanding of what matters to women: family safety and survival, job training, getting a job, and financial management. That understanding has driven her strong commitment to and support of WE CAN and its mission of empowering women to create lasting positive change for themselves and their families.

Janet.Taylor.2019.square-1024x1024.jpg

Janet
Taylor

Janet Taylor has had the good fortune to have a career in philanthropy with Associated Grant Makers, Raytheon’s corporate giving program, and now with a Boston law firm as a Philanthropic Advisor.  She currently serves as the Managing Trustee of the C. F. Adams Charitable Trust, which focuses on Downeast Maine and children’s mental health in Massachusetts.  Throughout her life, Orleans has been her retreat and she permanently moved there from Natick, MA with her late husband, Bruce, in 2000. Her philanthropic work has largely focused on women, children and families.  She launched the Committee to Strengthen Programs for Women and Girls in the 1970’s and served on the national board of Women and Foundations/Corporate Philanthropy.  She is delighted to be working on behalf of WE CAN, an organization dedicated to providing Cape Cod women with access to resources that build confidence and self-reliance.

Teri.Cavanagh.pixlr_.jpg

Teri
Cavanaugh

Teri Cavanagh has a deep understanding of what it takes for women to be successful. She grew up in Seneca Falls, New York, where women organized the first Convention for Women’s Rights in 1948, leading to the passage of the 19th Amendment and women’s right to vote. For the past 20 years, she has been at the forefront advocating for women’s economic empowerment. ​ In her position as SVP and Director of the Women’s Financial Connection at Fleet Bank, Ms. Cavanagh built The Connection from its inception and launched a $2 Billion business initiative over a 7-year period to assist women with capital, resources and information to grow their businesses. ​ Teri is a founding member in 2000 of The Global Banking Alliance for Women, an international consortium of financial institutions who aspire to be the bank of choice for women in their country or region. From 2010-2013 she served as the Executive Director. “I am very excited to be working with a very talented Board and staff on behalf of women across Cape Cod. WE CAN is a positive affirmation on what is truly possible to help women access a range of resources and networks.” She has served on the Board of Directors for Ms. Magazine, the Center Women & Enterprise, and is a member of the Women’s Leadership Board at the J.F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

WE-CAN-W3-2017-LR-18.Suz_.Karchmer.2019.

Susan

Karchmer

Susan (Suz) came to the Cape from the Washington Metro area, where she had a varied career: 13 years in Continuing Education at Gallaudet University; 25 years as a sign language interpreter, specializing in performing arts interpreting and a final 10-year career as an event floral designer. In 2008, at the behest of former Board member, Joan Anderson, she joined the WE CAN event committee for A Day of Words Wit and Wisdom and from there, the Board of Directors.  “Being part of the WE CAN team is a remarkable experience. Working with talented and dedicated people to enhance women’s lives.  It doesn’t get better than that.” Suz is a life-long gardener and continues that passion at home in Harwich. A more recent passion is photography, which she finds humbling, challenging and thrilling.  She is a member of the Cape Cod View Finders Camera Club, where she serves on the competition team. She is also a member of and serves on the Board of Nauset Newcomers.

WC0194.Deb_.Todd_.2019.jpg

Debbie

Todd

Debbie’s background is in finance and computer systems and worked at Fidelity Investments for 21 years. She holds a BS in Finance from Northeastern University and an MBA from the University of Dallas and lives in West Dennis with her husband and two cats. Debbie became involved with WE CAN because of her desire to live in a community where the potential for success exists for everyone.  WE CAN provides a woman with the tools and guidance to achieve self-sufficiency and to reach her goals. Debbie is happy and honored to be a positive contributor to that process.

20.jpg

Judith

Cornwell

Judith has been a hospice volunteer for the past 15 years and is also a past volunteer with the Samaritans. She is a former member of the WE CAN Board as well as Past President of the Friends of Monomoy Theatre. She resides with her husband Bernard in Chatham and South Carolina. When Judith first thought about a chance to “give back” on the Cape, she and her husband Bernard thought of EDUCATION. She already knew so many women, including mothers who were working two jobs, and often expressing the wish that they could go back to school and maybe find a better future for themselves and their children. Where to go, is there help? That is when WE CAN came into her radar. The organization encompassed not just young women who had fallen through the net, but older women, widows, and young women starting out…Perfect, well nearly, but it gave one message, there is a place of HOPE.

WE-CAN-W3-2017-LR-118.Pam_.2019.jpg

Pam

Kukla

Pam’s background is in marketing, communications, and investor relations, primarily in high tech, for large multinational corporations as well as start-ups. A graduate of Hunter College, C.U.N.Y., she holds an MA from Fordham University and a PhD from New York University. For decades, Pam has been an advocate for women’s rights, an aggressive proponent of women’s equality and development in the workplace, and actively engaged in every community in which she’s lived. She strongly believes that empowering women with the tools, education, and support to improve their lives benefits not only one woman and her family but ultimately the entire community. This is WE CAN’s mission, and she is honored to contribute her skills and experience to advancing that mission.

Jan.2019.square-1024x1024.jpg

Janet

Weatherbe

Janet Weatherbe retired from a 35 year career in Human Resources and Labor Relations. She worked in many countries in Western Europe and Asia. A native of Canada, she chose to retire to Cape Cod because of its natural environment. Janet is committed to supporting women and families. She is the former Board Chair of WE CAN (2010-2012), served as Chair of the WE CAN personnel committee, served as a Board Member, and continues to serve as a Special Adviser to the WE CAN Board.

Andi-Genser-1024.png

Andi

Genser

Andi was raised on Long Island, NY and graduated from Northwestern University in 1969. She received her Master’s in Early Childhood Leadership from Wheelock College in Boston. Over her career, Andi has held a range of management roles in the human services field, including: directing a child care program; serving as Executive Director of the Child Care Resource Center; and serving as Senior Associate at the School Age Child Care Project at the Wellesley Centers for Women. She was a proud co-founder of the Wheelock Family Theater and long-time board member. Andi directed the Wheelock College National Institute for Leadership and Career Initiatives; organized a statewide charity cycling event and also at AIDS Action, managed and helped to create BE SAFE—a collaborative youth initiative. From 2010-2018 she proudly served as the Executive Director of WE CAN, after relocating to the Cape in 2008. During Andi’s tenure WE CAN was able to grow significantly and also purchased its home in Harwich Port. She continues to lead the WE CAN/GASP bike team as a way to continue to support the organization. Andi has been a Senior Fellow with the Institute for Non-Profit Practice at Tufts University since 2018, serving as part of the teaching team for the Cape and Islands Core Certificate Leadership Program. She also serves as a consultant to Cape non-profits and is s founding member of the Cape Women’s Coalition. In all of her roles Andi brings her passion for social justice and a commitment to working in collaboration with others. She and her wife reside in Brewster and are parents of a daughter and a 13-year-old granddaughter.

WE-CAN-W3-2018-HR-51.Anne_.LeClaire.2019

Anne D.
LeClaire

A former actor, print and radio journalist, Anne LeClaire is the author of eight critically acclaimed best-selling novels published in twenty-four countries and the award winning memoir, Listening Below the Noise. She is a frequent speaker at colleges and universities, hospitals, libraries, corporate events, and literary festivals and conferences. She has been a keynote speaker for many organizations including The Massachusetts Women’s Bar Association, The Association for American University Women and the Cape Cod Writers Conference among others and is a Distinguished Fellow of the Ragdale Foundation. Anne teaches creative writing workshops in the United States and in a variety of international venues. She has been a visiting lecturer at Mt. Holyoke College, the University of Tennessee and Columbia College. Additionally she leads popular seminars and workshops exploring silence, creativity and deep listening, most recently at the Lincoln Center in NYC, the Chicago Botanic Gardens in Glencoe, IL, St Mark’s Cathedral in Seattle WA, The Sophia Institute in Charleston, SC, and at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Lenox, MA. A licensed pilot, Anne is the mother of two and lives on Cape Cod with her husband, Hillary. You can follow Anne on her web site www.anneleclaire.com.

bottom of page