Board of Directors

Meet Our Team

Meet the dedicated advocates driving our mission forward.

Kimberly Meehan is a dedicated nonprofit owner and passionate advocate for individuals with intellectual disabilities. As the sibling of a woman with profound intellectual disability, she offers a deeply personal perspective to her work and the mission of the Alliance. Kimberly’s professional background is rooted in nonprofit leadership. She has successfully launched and managed community-focused organizations, demonstrating her entrepreneurial drive and commitment to creating meaningful change. As the co-founder of Patriots Field Hockey, Kim is recognized for her talent in building cohesive, resilient teams and fostering a spirit of collaboration and shared purpose. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Wrentham Developmental Center and the Coalition of Families and Advocates (COFAR).

Irene Tanzman is a seasoned advocate whose expertise has championed the rights of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. As the mother of an adult son with severe autism, intellectual disability, and Crohn’s disease, Irene brings both lived experience and incisive policy knowledge to her work.

A founding member of the Saving Wrentham and Hogan Alliance, Irene has played an instrumental role in organizing legislative outreach, public education, and coalition-building efforts to protect Massachusetts’ Intermediate Care Facilities (ICFs). Her leadership has spotlighted critical service gaps impacting those with complex medical and behavioral needs. Irene’s published work includes op-eds, policy reports, and the book Abie and Arlene’s Autism War. She champions a full continuum of care and challenges restrictive interpretations of federal regulations affecting people with disabilities.

Irene’s advocacy extends through her volunteer work with the Voice of Reason (VOR) and her administration of online communities supporting families navigating day habilitation and residential placement challenges. She is an active member of the Coalition of Families and Advocates (COFAR), the Voice of Reason (VOR,) and the National Council on Severe Autism (NCSA).

As a member of the Alliance Board of Directors, Irene will advocate for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and serious chronic illness, ensuring their unique needs are prioritized in the organization’s work.

Elaine M. Strug brings deep expertise in housing, land use, and municipal planning through her work with the Town of Norfolk’s Land Use Office. She has played a critical role in shaping housing solutions that reflect both policy requirements and community needs. As the mother of an adult son diagnosed with severe autism and intellectual disabilities, Elaine approaches advocacy with heartfelt insight and lived experience. The Wrentham campus has long held personal significance for her, and she has been a steadfast supporter of its mission and future potential. Her understanding of local government systems, combined with her commitment to inclusive development, makes her a strong asset to the Saving Wrentham and Hogan Alliance Board of Directors as it explores sustainable and equitable options for campus revitalization.

Shiri Ronen-Attia is a passionate disability advocate whose work centers on advancing the rights and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities and blindness. As the mother of an adult with severe autism and blindness, her advocacy is deeply rooted in personal experience and an unwavering commitment to supporting those with the most complex needs. With years of involvement in both local and statewide advocacy, Shiri has played a vital role in shaping conversations around accessibility and informed choice. She has served on the board of the Massachusetts Association of Parents of the Visually Impaired (MAPVI) and remains an active member of the Norwood Commission on Disability, where she has led initiatives to improve architectural access and raise awareness about the unique challenges faced by individuals with profound support requirements.

Shiri is also a dedicated champion of preserving a full spectrum of care options, including institutional settings, for individuals with profound developmental disabilities. As an advocate with the Saving Wrentham and Hogan Alliance, she has worked alongside families and professionals to urge policymakers to protect and maintain specialized care environments that honor family involvement and respect individual choice.

Shiri serves as a resource to the Alliance on issues affecting individuals with intellectual disability and blindness, offering her expertise to ensure their needs and perspectives remain central to the Alliance’s mission. Her unwavering commitment to equity, informed choice, and meaningful inclusion continues to guide her advocacy and inspire those working toward a more accessible and just world.

Jackie Kancir is a respected disability advocate and policy leader whose commitment is deeply informed by both personal experience and expert knowledge. As the mother of a young adult with profound autism and SynGAP1-related disorder. As a brain tumor survivor herself, Jackie approaches her advocacy with compassion, determination, and a nuanced understanding of the challenges families face navigating complex healthcare and disability support systems.

With decades of experience in government affairs, public health policy, and special education, Jackie has championed reforms to improve emergency response, long-term care, and behavioral crisis support for those with the most significant needs. Her testimony at legislative and administrative hearings is recognized for its practical and solutions-focused approach, always centering the lived realities of individuals with severe disabilities and their families.

Jacqueline’s leadership extends beyond NCSA. She serves on the Tennessee DDA Statewide Planning and Policy Council, acts as Patient Advocacy Director for the SynGAP Research Fund, and is a graduate of Partners in Policymaking through the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities. Her advocacy emphasizes research equity, comprehensive care models, and a steadfast commitment to preserving dignity and choice for individuals with profound disabilities.

As liaison between the Alliance and the National Council on Severe Autism (NCSA), Jacqueline will elevate the voices of families and individuals too often left behind, shaping the national conversation around autism, rare diseases, and the future of support systems.

Hugo Dwyer is the Executive Director of VOR – A Voice of Reason, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to defending high-quality residential options for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Hugo’s leadership is deeply personal: alongside his sister, he served as co-guardian to his late brother Tom, whose complex medical and behavioral needs – including autism, bipolar disorder, Parkinson’s disease, and profound developmental disabilities – were met for over forty years at the Southbury Training School in Connecticut. This experience shaped Hugo’s steadfast belief in the critical importance of Intermediate Care Facilities (ICFs) within the continuum of care.

As the head of VOR, Hugo has broadened the organization’s advocacy to challenge one-size-fits-all policies and promote informed choice, dignity, and individualized care. He is recognized for his vocal opposition to federal and state efforts that threaten the existence of ICFs, urging lawmakers and stakeholders to prioritize the needs of those requiring intensive support over ideology and administrative convenience. Through strategic legislative outreach, public education campaigns, and coalition-building initiatives, Hugo has empowered families nationwide to advocate for their loved ones and resist forced transitions into insufficient community-based settings.

Hugo’s unique blend of personal insight, policy expertise, and unwavering commitment continues to inspire families, professionals, and lawmakers alike. His advocacy champions the full spectrum of residential care options and elevates the voices of those most vulnerable, ensuring their dignity, choice, and quality of life remain at the forefront of policy discussions.

David Schildmeier is the Director of Public Communications for the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), the largest union of registered nurses in Massachusetts. With more than thirty years of experience in media relations, legislative advocacy, and strategic communications, David has played a pivotal role in elevating the voices of frontline nurses and advancing public health across the Commonwealth.

Throughout his career, David has led high-profile campaigns focused on patient safety, workplace equity, and protecting essential healthcare services. His efforts have included managing media and messaging during landmark events such as the nurses’ strike at St. Vincent Hospital and the campaign to preserve Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children. David is recognized for his ability to translate complex healthcare and labor issues into compelling narratives that resonate with policymakers, union members, and the broader public.

Jim Durkin is the Legislative Director for AFSCME Council 93, where he champions the rights of public sector workers throughout Massachusetts, including caregivers and direct support professionals serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Jim brings decades of experience in labor relations, legislative strategy, and disability policy, grounded in a steadfast commitment to protecting high-quality, publicly operated services.

Jim’s advocacy is informed by both professional dedication and personal conviction. He has been a vocal supporter of Massachusetts’ Intermediate Care Facilities (ICFs) such as Wrentham and Hogan, arguing for their essential role in delivering medical oversight, structure, and dignity to individuals with complex needs. As part of the Alliance’s delegation to the Massachusetts State House, Jim has played a pivotal role in elevating the voices of families and frontline workers, consistently challenging policies that restrict access to institutional care or diminish choice for the most vulnerable.

Hon. Mitchell J. Sikora, Jr. is a retired Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court, bringing decades of expertise in constitutional and administrative law, public service, and legal education. His distinguished career includes service on the Superior Court, as Chief of the Administrative Law Division in the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, and as a partner at a leading civil litigation firm. Mitchell is a graduate of Harvard College, Boston College Law School, and Harvard Law School (LL.M.), underscoring his commitment to legal excellence.

Mitchell’s advocacy is deeply personal as well as professional. He is the brother of a man with intellectual disabilities who resides at the Wrentham Developmental Center. This connection has shaped his dedication to preserving specialized care settings for individuals with complex needs and ensuring the dignity and choice of those most vulnerable.

As a member of the Board of Directors of the Coalition of Families and Advocates (COFAR), Mitchell provides invaluable legal insight and principled leadership in efforts to protect Massachusetts’ Intermediate Care Facilities (ICFs). His voice amplifies the Alliance’s mission to safeguard high-quality institutional options and promote the rights of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the Commonwealth.

Colleen M. Lutkevich is a lifelong champion for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, widely respected for her decades of advocacy, leadership, and service in Massachusetts.

Her dedication is deeply personal. Colleen tirelessly advocates for her autistic and intellectually disabled sister, Jean, who resides at the Wrentham Developmental Center. This commitment was shaped by her family’s legacy of activism: she is the daughter of John and Glady Sullivan, founding members of the Wrentham Parents Association and plaintiffs in the landmark Ricci v. Okin federal case, which secured historic legal protections and improved conditions for state-run developmental centers, as well as providing state and federal funding to develop the statewide community system of group homes and day programs that still exists today. Growing up, Colleen attended advocacy meetings with her parents, witnessing firsthand the challenges and victories of the disability rights movement.

Professionally, Colleen served more than 17 years as a School Counselor at Oliver Ames High School in North Easton, following three years as a School Counselor at Foxborough High School. Her career was paralleled by more than three decades of leadership within COFAR (the Massachusetts Coalition of Families and Advocates), where she served as unpaid Executive Director for over 20 years. Her leadership shaped legislative and public debates on the rights, care models, and funding for people with severe and profound disabilities

Colleen was an opponent of Massachusetts’ closure of four state developmental centers. She argued that Intermediate Care Facility (ICF) settings like Wrentham provide critical continuity of care and community for residents with complex needs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Colleen advocated for staff testing in group homes, underscoring the vulnerability of residents and the necessity for robust safeguards.

Her advocacy is also reflected in her public commentary, with op-eds and interviews appearing in various news outlets, where she defended the need for choice and options for individuals with intellectual disabilities.  Colleen’s legacy is one of principled, persistent advocacy. Her work continues to inspire families and professionals, shaping policy and practice for generations to come

As liaison between the Wrentham Family Association and the Saving Wrentham and Hogan Alliance, Colleen’s insight, leadership, and lived experience remain invaluable to the movement for dignity and choice for people with disabilities.

Marsha Hunt is, above all, the devoted mother of an adult son with severe autism and intellectual disability – a role that has profoundly shaped her life’s work and unwavering advocacy. Her personal journey as a parent navigating the complexities of disability care informs every aspect of her professional and volunteer commitments.

A retired school psychologist, Marsha dedicated more than three decades to Boston Public Schools, where she became known for her compassionate guidance, rigorous student assessments, and steadfast commitment to the education of all students.

After retiring, Marsha channeled her passion into legislative advocacy, volunteering with the Voice of Reason (VOR), a national organization devoted to the rights of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Her lived experience as a parent and her professional credentials make her a respected and authentic presence in policy discussions at both state and federal levels. Marsha’s advocacy is grounded in person-centered practices, informed choice, and the unshakeable conviction that families must have a voice in every aspect of their loved ones’ care.

As a mentor and thought partner to fellow advocates, Marsha is dedicated to shaping legislative strategies that prioritize dignity, access, and equity. Her life’s work, both personal and professional, exemplifies her unwavering belief that communities thrive when every individual is valued, protected, and given the opportunity to flourish

Mina Murray is a dynamic and fiercely committed Direct Support Professional (DSP) at Advocates, Inc., where she empowers one individual with autism to live a fuller, more engaged life within his community. Notably, Mina made the deliberate and courageous decision to leave behind a lucrative career in software development, choosing instead to dedicate herself to direct care and advocacy, a testament to her passion and conviction. She is recognized for her innovative thinking and her ability to approach challenges from fresh perspectives, always seeking creative solutions that prioritize the well-being and inclusion of those she serves.

As the mother of three – including an adult with profound autism – Mina’s advocacy is deeply personal and unwavering. Her lived experience fuels her tireless pursuit of higher standards, innovative approaches, and genuine inclusion for people with autism. Mina has made it her life’s mission to transform the landscape of care, striving to ensure that every individual has access to meaningful opportunities and the dignity they deserve. Her vision and resolve continue to inspire those around her, making her an indispensable force in the movement for quality, person-centered support.