Board Chair

Elizabeth Broderick is a Staff Attorney at the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) Children and Family Law Trial Office in Lowell, MA where she represents parents and children in Juvenile Court proceedings. Previously Liz was a CAFL Training Attorney in the CPCS Training Department. Prior to joining the Training Department Liz was a solo practitioner in Lowell for 12 years. Liz began her legal career as an immigration attorney at Catholic Charities and International Institute of New Hampshire. She is a graduate of Stonehill College (B.A. in International Studies) and Boston College Law School. Liz served on the Chelmsford Cultural Council for six years, including one term as Council Chair, and is a current board member of the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association in Lowell and an Advisory Council member of Catholic Charities of Merrimack Valley.

Board Vice Chair

My name is Lori Sousa. My formal education and chosen career was nursing. I graduated nursing school and chose to practice as a psychiatric RN. I worked in inpatient psychiatric hospitals until an injury forced me to retire. I have seen firsthand how lonely and isolating it is for people. Additionally I have served as co-chair of the Family Advisory Committee to DCF for many years. The duties in my nursing career and as chair of the FAC are very similar to the vice chair position; sharing the workload with the chair, building the board, scheduling and running board meetings, chairing committees, monitoring member trainings, acknowledging policies, and completing evaluations.

Secretary

Lynette Lavasco is Vice Chair for To The Moon and Back, a non-profit supporting substance-exposed newborns and their families. Her full bio is forthcoming.

Treasurer

Jennifer Rambridge has volunteered as her church’s Treasurer for two 3 year terms, ensuring the financial integrity of her church. She has also been the treasurer of the Family Advisory Committee to the Department of Children & Families for over 4 years. She has a degree in Computer Science and is well versed in Microsoft Excel among other software packages.

Members at large Heather Hogan is the Program Director of the Parent Information Network (PIN) at BAMSI in Massachusetts, where she supports families navigating complex mental health, education, and community systems. Through her work with parents and children during moments of crisis and uncertainty, Heather has seen firsthand how important compassion, understanding, and simple acts of comfort can be for young people facing mental health challenges. She is the proud mother of three young adults and an important adult in the lives of several young people she loves, experiences that continue to shape her deep commitment to supporting children and families. Heather has also served for seven years as a board member of New Bedford Community Health. She is honored to support The Comfort Project and hopes to bring both her professional experience and lived perspective as a parent and advocate to help expand its mission of bringing warmth, comfort, and dignity to children experiencing psychiatric emergencies and hospitalizations. Tara Kenavan is a small business owner who is committed to giving back to the community. She currently serves on the board of The Morgan Walsh Memorial Fund, a non-profit dedicated to heeding the call of those who have no voice. With experience managing a small business, Tara brings practical skills in organization, problem-solving, social media and community engagement. She is passionate about initiatives that bring comfort and connection to others, which is why she is excited to support the mission of The Holiday Comfort Project.