Board of Directors
Stephen Kerrigan, President
Stephen J. Kerrigan, Principal at Corner 4
Solutions, LLC, a public affairs and government
relations consulting firm in Boston,
Massachusetts, has held a number of key
positions in Massachusetts government for more
than a decade and a half. From local government
to the State House and the halls of Congress,
Steve has gained a wealth of experience and
knowledge working at the top levels of
government. Steve served as chief of staff for
President Barack Obama’s Presidential Inaugural
Committee 2009 and on the staff of Obama for
America. Prior to that Steve served as chief of
staff to Boston 2004, Inc., Boston's Host
Committee for the 2004 Democratic National
Convention, and as a senior member on the staffs
of both Massachusetts Attorney General Thomas F.
Reilly and United States Senator Edward M.
Kennedy.
Steve was a member of the Finance Committee and
elected member of the Boards of Selectmen in his
native Lancaster, Massachusetts. As well, he
was a member of the Massachusetts Municipal
Association; a community adviser for the Robert
F. Kennedy Children's Action Corps and currently
serves on the Board of Visitors for the New
England Baptist Hospital and as a board member
for the Massachusetts 9/11 Fund.
Matthew Anderson, Treasurer
Matt Anderson served for 7
years as an artillery officer in the US Marine Corps
from 1994 to 2001, and briefly with a reserve infantry
battalion in 2004. Since 2001 he has been in sales and
market development in the medical device arena bringing
new and innovative surgical technologies to market.
Matt has also volunteered as a Big Brother from 2003 to
2009. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland
Baltimore County with BA in history.
Christie Coombs, Member
Christie Coombs is a former public relations executive
and a journalist who freelances for the Boston Globe
South and The Patriot Ledger daily newspapers.
Originally from Arizona, Christie moved to the Boston
area in 1982 after graduating with a BS in journalism
from the University of Arizona where she met her
husband, Jeff. Christie has volunteered her writing and
PR expertise to help many local organizations including
the Parent Teacher Organizations in Abington and several
non-profit groups. Having lost her husband on Flight 11
on 9/11, Christie and her three children founded the
Jeffrey Coombs Memorial Foundation, an organization that
assists families experiencing hardship as a result of
death or illness, and provides scholarships to Abington
students. The Foundation also hosts a holiday gathering
at Gillette Stadium for military families of troops
serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and supports other
programs for military families.
She has been recognized for the Foundation’s work as a
recipient of the Girl Scout Council of Southeastern
Massachusetts Leading Women Award in 2004 and the Tuesday’s
Children Women of Strength Award in 2009. She was also
honored by the Ellen Degeneres Mother’s Day “Single
Moms” show in 2006. In addition to serving on the MMHF
Board, Christie is secretary of Board of Directors of
the American Red Cross Blood Services Division in
Massachusetts; and a member of the Commonwealth Security
Trust Fund, the Abington Education Foundation, the Mass
9/11 Fund Commemoration Planning Committee and Family
Advisory Committee.
Thomas Crohan, Member
Tom Crohan
is the Senior Director of Corporate Social
Responsibility at John Hancock Financial in Boston.
Previously, he served as a senior member on the
staff of Senator Edward M. Kennedy and more recently
worked as an advisor to U.S. Senator Paul G. Kirk
Jr. During his eight years with Senator Kennedy,
Tom worked closely with military families and was
instrumental in the creation of the Massachusetts
Military Heroes Fund. He received a distinguished
leadership award from the Massachusetts Victim and
Witness Assistance Board for his work on behalf of
the Massachusetts families impacted by September
11th
Tom
graduated from the University of New Hampshire in
2001 with a B.A. in Political Science and
Communication. He earned a J.D. from Suffolk
University Law School in 2010. He is originally
from Arlington, Massachusetts. He and his wife,
Pam, now reside in Weymouth.
Mary J. Kakas, Member
Ms. Kakas puts
her excellent organizational planning and public
relations skills to work as the co-owner of 93-95
Newbury Street, LLC, which leases commercial landmark
real estate to area businesses and hospitals.
Previously, Ms. Kakas was President and Director of
daily operations for a 142-year old retail business,
Edward F. Kakas & Sons, a furrier. The business closed
its doors in 2001, due to the decline in fur sales and
transitioned into commercial real estate property leased
through 93-95 Newbury, LLC.
Ms. Kakas is
actively involved in community organizations including
the Silent Spring Institute for Cancer, Rosie’s Place,
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Morgan Memorial
Goodwill. In addition to serving on the board of The
Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund, she also serves on
the boards of Volunteers of America, the Police
Activities League, Women’s Educational & Industrial
Union, Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, Kids Clothes Club,
Landmarks Orchestra Cambridge, Lyric Stage and the
Friends Group Massachusetts General Hospital.
Ms. Kakas is
also a proud member of the Union Club, Longwood Cricket
Club, Badminton & Tennis Club and the Algonquin Club.
Cindy McGinty,
Member
Cindy, a graduate of the University of Connecticut,
worked in the insurance industry in Human Resources and
Health Claims for over 15 years. She then left the work
world to raise her two sons and turned her skills to
volunteer work including the Christian Education
Committee/Leadership Development and Helping Hands
Ministry at Bethany Congregational Church. Most recently
she was the Secretary for the Hillside School Parent and
Family Association for two years and served on the Board
of Trustee for three years at the Foxborough Regional
Charter School. Cindy is the founder and President of
the McGinty Scholarship Foundation and was a member of
the Family Advisory Committee for the Mass 911 Fund.
Cindy lost her husband Michael on September 11, 2001.
Maura Yanosick, Member
Maura McGowan Yanosick is the Veterans' Communications
Coordinator at Homes for Our Troops. The founder of the
Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of Blue Star Mothers of
America, Maura is the Blue to Gold Liaison, working
closely with the Gold Star Families in Eastern
Massachusetts. The mother of three children, including a
son who is a veteran, Maura also supports veterans and
military families through her community service work. A
Reading Specialist and a Board Member with Operation
Military Kids, Maura is the former Child & Youth
Coordinator for the Massachusetts National Guard Family
Program. Keynote speaker at a Veterans Honoring Veterans
luncheon, Maura shared the following reason for her
extensive involvement and passion for assisting military
families, "Helping these brave service members and their
families in search for support and peace is my personal
mission. It is something I need to do...it is the least
I can do." |
