Fall Alumni Breakfast with Current Academy Class
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Meet the Class Monday - Marianna Luciano
Marianna is a District and Legislative Aide for State Representative Jack Lewis. Before taking on this role, she spent over five years helping low-income families and students in the MetroWest area navigate the challenges of affording college and continuing their education. She’s deeply passionate about lifting people up, especially the youth and immigrants. Social work has always been both a passion and a priority for Marianna and she’s been actively involved in volunteering locally and internationally for years. Helping others feel heard and supported is something she truly values and she finds working in a role where she can make a positive impact and be a voice for others to be incredibly rewarding. “I’m paying forward the love and sacrifice my parents made when they left Brazil to start over here in the U.S. Their journey inspires me to serve others and contribute to the community. I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon—there’s always more work to be done!”
Interested in joining next year’s Leadership Academy? Apply here: https://forms.gle/1kmL2NeZy3xexfnw9
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Mark your calendars for the Leadership MetroWest Annual Celebration! We look forward to seeing you on June 12th. Stay tuned for registration details—coming soon!
Nominate a Leadership Metrowest Leader to receive an award at this year`s Annual Celebration on June 12th! Save the date; more details are coming soon. Grab this URL to cast your vote: https://bit.ly/2025LMWAwards
Introducing Leadership MetroWest’s runners for 2025 Team Framingham! We hope you’ll join us on Thursday, March 20th at Jack’s Abby to meet both runners.
Garret Fitzpatrick is an aerospace engineer living in Framingham with his wife, Megan, and three sons: Gavin (9), Dylan (7), and Cal (4). He works for the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory at Harvard, where he leads an engineering team to build radio telescopes all over the world to study black holes. Passionate about servant leadership, exploration, and innovation, Garret has devoted his career to bringing people and ideas together to tackle “impossible” challenges. This will be his 4th Boston Marathon and 8th marathon overall.
Anna Rouse lives in Framingham with her husband, 8 year old daughter, 4 year old son, 2 cats, and dog. Professionally, she is a social worker at Boston Children’s Hospital, and has been there for almost 7 years! Same as Garret, this year’s Boston Marathon will be her 4th Boston Marathon and 8th marathon overall. Running is her absolute favorite form of exercise and self-care. Anna shared that she is “honored to be running for Leadership MetroWest this year!”
The Spring Alumni Breakfast is just around the corner! Please join us on Friday, May 2nd from 8-10 AM, at Framingham State University`s McCarthy Center (93 State Street, Framingham).
Grab these URLs!!
Register here: https://bit.ly/LMWSpringBreakfast2025
Nominate a candidate here: https://bit.ly/2026LMWNominations
In addition to presenting an opportunity to begin meeting the candidates for the Class of 2026, our program will be headlined by a panel discussion with four amazing local leaders:
>> Phillip Gonzalez, President & CEO, MetroWest Health Foundation
>> Jay Kim, Executive Director, Community Foundation for MetroWest
>> Rebecca Reiner, Executive Director, Sincere Foundation
>> with Moderator, Kelly Grill, Executive Director, Hopkinton Center for the Arts
The panel`s focus will be on:
* How local foundations are navigating national and global change,
* What types of programs they are prioritizing and funding in this current climate, and
* What community protections they think will be important to protect moving forward.
Come meet the Class of 2025, connect with fellow alums, partake in our signature table discussions, and leave inspired.
We are also excited to offer an optional add-on tour of Framingham State University`s recently renovated Christa McAuliffe Center for Integrated Science Learning from 10-11 AM.
Lastly, if you are able, please consider being an Alumni Breakfast Sponsor! This additional donation of $50 helps Leadership MetroWest continue to offer meaningful and accessible programming to our full alumni community. Alumni Sponsors will be recognized in the event program and from the podium.
Meet the Class Monday – Momina Haidri
Momina Haidri is a District Liaison for the Office of Senate President Karen Spilka. In this role, Momina works to connect communities with the right people and resources to get them the help they need. Momina is proud to work in the government sector, a first in her Pakistani-American family. The best part of her job? Working for and in the community where she grew up. Momina shared, “I’ve been a part of policies that have improved people’s lives for the better and that is really rewarding.” Momina believes deeply in the importance of state and local government, which motivates her to strive to be a better leader every day.
Interested in joining next year’s Leadership Academy? The application link is in our bio!
Leadership MetroWest is excited to be able to offer branded jackets and water bottles to our alumni community. Jackets are available for $75 and water bottles are available for $30. For the jackets, we are offering both a men’s and women’s cut.
Purchased items will be ordered in mid-February with an in-hand date of early March. We hope you will place an order and “rep” Leadership MetroWest in the community! Link in our bio!
What a great day for Encore’s MCI Framingham visit last week! It was a snowy one but we had an inspiring tour followed by a lunch and panel discussion: New Approaches to Policing, Jail Diversion, and Reentry—and How They Affect our Communities.
Thank you to our panelists Framingham Deputy Police Chief Sean Riley (2025), 1854 Cycling Company Founder Brandale Randolph. Director, Jail Diversion Program for Advocates, Opal Stone. Ashland Police Chief Cara Rossi. (2013)
Thank you to MCI Framingham for hosting us and Susan Nicholl (2005) for facilitating the day and organizing the tour.
Thank you to all of YOU alums who attended this impactful day.
And thank you to MWRTA for hosting us and @frescafe for the delicious lunch.
Stay tuned for announcements about our next Encore day!
Meet the Class Monday – Linda Wollschlager
Linda Wollschlager is a Member of the Natick Select Board, which she was elected to in 2024. Previously, she was the chair of the Natick Finance Committee from 2000-2024, as well as a longtime Natick Town Meeting Member and serial volunteer. Professionally, Linda is the Vice President for Operations and Co-Founder of WebReply, a high-tech marketing company based in Natick. She holds an MBA in Finance and International Business from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Linda is married with two adult sons and a 2-year-old Swiss Shepherd, Luna.
Interested in joining next year’s Leadership Academy? The application link is in our bio!
Meet the Class Monday - Stephan Lockney
Stephan Lockney is a 30-year YMCA camping professional working in both the residential and day camp fields with a master’s in Community Social Psychology. He developed an inclusive day camp model in the 90s that was recognized and funded by the state of Massachusetts. Stephan furthered that work coming out of COVID by getting a National YMCA grant to build all-gender housing at Camp Frank A. Day in East Brookfield, MA. He is an American Camp Association board member, L.E.A.D.-certified in “Summer Camp Mental Health,” and a trainer for TQAMP’s “LGBTQIA2s+ Inclusion at Summer Camp” program. Stephan loves leading camp programming because he believes it is one of the best social emotional learning centers for children and young adults.
Interested in joining next year’s Leadership Academy? The application link is in our bio!
Meet the Class Monday – Crystal Dixon
Born in Houston, TX, Crystal Dixon earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from MIT and an M.S. in Education Administration from Boston College. She currently serves as Associate Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at The Salvation Army’s Massachusetts headquarters and as Board Chair of @hospitalitycommon, a nonprofit supporting immigrant and refugee families in MetroWest. A passionate educator, Crystal and her husband led Parkside Christian/Cross Factor Academy for 11 years, growing it from 50 to nearly 200 students and earning recognition as one of Massachusetts’ Top 100 Schools by Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. She has served in executive leadership roles at Emmanuel Gospel Center (EGC), where she focused on fundraising, strategic planning, program development, and strengthening nonprofit capacity. She now continues her commitment as a member of EGC’s Board of Directors. Music is another lifelong passion. Crystal has directed choirs, performed internationally as a flautist, and continues her commitment to young people as director of the Brooks School Gospel Choir in North Andover, where she lives with her husband and their six sons, ages 14 to 26. An ordained minister and worship leader at Life Church Boston, Crystal strives to balance faith, family, and service with dedication and humility.
Interested in joining next year’s Leadership Academy? The application link is in our bio!
Meet the Class Monday – Andrea Sarvela
Andrea Sarvela is the Operations Manager at Access Framingham TV. She joined the organization in October 2023 and brings a diverse skill set to the team, with expertise in office administration, marketing, and project coordination. Andrea is passionate about possibilities, versatile in approach, and shaped by rich experiences. Despite having recently relocated from Framingham to her hometown of Littleton, Andrea is excited to continue contributing to the vibrant Framingham community by empowering residents and organizations to share their stories through media. Andrea is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
Interested in joining next year’s Leadership Academy? The application link is in our bio!
