Dr. Catherine Steiner
Adair, Clinical Instructor in the Department
of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, has
written and spoken extensively on the prevention
of eating disorders in girls and other issues
related to girl's development. She is the former
Director of Education, Prevention, and Outreach
at the Harvard Eating Disorders Center.
Martha Coakley,
Middlesex County District Attorney, represents
one-quarter of the state’s population,
including the Boston metropolitan area. She is
a strong advocate of prevention and school safety
programs and has instituted many innovative initiatives
to help kids before they get in trouble. Martha
has taken leadership on issues of child abuse
and domestic violence. Her office has instituted
special education programs and community roundtables
on domestic violence and is committed to swift,
fair investigation of family violence cases.
Throughout her career, Martha has focused on
protecting women and girls from dangers and giving
them the tools they need to make healthy decisions.
Jeanne Kuespert,
President of the Junior League of Boston, has
spent thousands of volunteer hours enhancing
the development of adolescent girls. She has
been a tutor in the Boston Public Schools, volunteered
at a teen shelter, mentored and taught life skills
to young mothers, and co-developed “The
Leader Within,” an experiential and academic
program for adolescent girls to promote their
natural strengths, leadership skills, and self-esteem.
Nancy L. Leaming,
President and CEO of Tufts Health Plan, is committed
to helping girls and women and supporting the
community. Leading a company recognized for work-life
balance where more than 40% of top management
is female, she sponsored the Volunteer Time benefit
that gives all employees eight paid week-day
hours a year to do community service, including
school volunteering. She created the company’s
Community Partnerships program that provides
grants to groups supporting teen mental health,
low-income at-risk women and infants, and elders.
Dr. Patricia Hardiman
Long, advocate, teacher, lawyer, and mediator,
has spent her professional career working to
improve the lives of at-risk and special needs
children and teens. Starting as a speech therapist
and learning disability/special needs teacher,
Dr. Long directed an adult literacy program for
parents and teens, volunteered at Brighton High
School, and was the founder of The Henry Buckner
School, an early childhood development school
in Cambridge. In addition, she has taught and
directed programs on the university level. Dr.
Long currently works as an independent mediator,
helping clients resolve disputes through non-litigious
methods.
Judy McCarthy,
Manager for Commonworks in the Metro Region,
has almost 40 years experience serving children
in the child welfare system. She is a well-known
advocate, trainer and consultant, and serves
as a leading voice for children in residential
treatment.
Shiela Moore,
Executive Director of Casa Myrna Vasquez, has
a 16-year career addressing the health needs
of women, children, and underserved populations,
especially battered women and their children.
Casa Myrna is New England's largest organization
dedicated to ending domestic violence through
intervention and prevention.
Marylou Sudders,
Executive Director of Massachusetts Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, has a
long career in mental health beginning as a mental
health coordinator for the Beaverbrook and Concord
areas where she planned and monitored the area
mental health systems. She was Commissioner of
Mental Health in Massachusetts for seven years.
In this role, she oversaw the public mental health
system in the state, providing services to more
than 24,000 adults with serious mental illness
and children with serious emotional disturbances.
At MSPCC, the largest non-profit in the state,
Marylou oversees a variety of services, including
child abuse and intervention programs, mental
health treatment; and adoption.
Martella Wilson-Taylor,
President and CEO of YWCA Boston, has expanded
the YWCA Boston’s long- standing tradition
of delivering programs and services that promote
gender equity and racial justice for women and
their families. The YWCA offers programs and
services that focus on safe and affordable housing,
health and wellness, and youth leadership and
development, reaching over 10,000 women and their
families each year. Under Marti’s leadership,
the YWCA Boston is in the forefront of efforts
to ensure that all women and girls have the opportunity
to lead healthy, creative lives.
