Ari Barbanell, Executive Director

Ari Barbanell is a storyteller, event producer, development professional, and former arts leader. Prior to joining the Circle of Hope team, she spent eight years focusing on awareness and fundraising around issues of homelessness in Greater Boston as co-founder and Executive Director of The Winter Walk. Her belief in the transformative power of storytelling, connection, and community led her to join the Circle of Hope team as Executive Director in August 2023.

Jody Barnet, Director of PArtnerships & distribution

Jody joined the Circle of Hope team in September 2017. Jody was a sociology major and has spent most of her career in customer service, account management and education. Most recently, she can be found supporting her kids on the sidelines of soccer games and cheer tournaments. Jody grew up in Needham and loves living here with her husband and two kids. She enjoys spin classes, reading, traveling and spending time with family and friends.

Carolyn Conley-Das, Communications Manager

Carolyn joined the Circle of Hope team in September 2016 as our Communications Manager. Carolyn has an MSW from the Simmons College Graduate School of Social Work and previously worked as an advocate at a domestic violence program and as a therapeutic mentor in Boston Public Schools. Outside of work, she can be found puttering in her garden, visiting family in her home state of Maine, or playground-hopping with her three young sons.

Victoria Connors, Office Manager

Victoria joined the Circle of Hope team in 2024 with extensive experience in managing offices, overseeing behavioral health centers and supporting volunteer run campaigns. Victoria thrives in a bit of chaos and is quick to come up with an answer for any question and solution for any problem. At any given moment, Victoria will be in the process of planning some kind of event, whether a baby shower, wedding or a fundraising event for one of the many nonprofits she has her hand in. When not at work, Victoria can be found  trying out some new local restaurants or checking a new travel destination off her visit list.

Kamryn Eller, Special Projects Manager

Kamryn joined our team in July 2025, bringing with her a strong background in nonprofit leadership, community engagement, and organizational development. Prior to joining the team, she founded a local nonprofit initiative in her hometown and held several campus leadership roles focused on equity, student success, and service. Kamryn recently graduated from High Point University with a B.S. in Psychology and is currently pursuing her Master’s in Nonprofit Management at Northeastern University, further deepening her commitment to driving sustainable impact in the sector. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, spending time by the lake, and all things creative—whether it's design, photography, or music.

Leslie Levenson, Grant Writer

Leslie Levenson joined Circle of Hope in 2023 bringing with her twenty years of experience in nonprofit management. In 2009, she founded the north shore organization, Community Giving Tree. Her career has included leadership on numerous boards, nonprofit consulting, and volunteer program development. Leslie enjoys traveling the world with her family, and relaxing in Maine. 

Jeilyn Ortega, Distribution Manager

Jeilyn joined the Circle of Hope team as Distribution Manager in July 2025. She is an ambitious and caring person with a strong background in customer service and management. With previous experience as a receiving manager for a small business, she has developed a keen eye for detail and an ability to work effectively in fast-paced environments. Her personal beliefs and personal experience are what highlight her dedication to community service and Circle of Hope's mission. Outside of work she values spending time with family, friends and dog and enjoys moments of relaxation to recharge.

Christine Ruddy, community engagement Manager

Christine joined Circle of Hope as our Development Associate in September 2017 and is now our Community Engagement Manager. Prior to joining our team, Christine spent many years practicing real estate law and raising her three children. She lives in Needham with her family and enjoys cooking, tennis and gathering around the dinner table with family and friends.

Caitlin Sawicki, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

Caitlin joined Circle of Hope as the Development Manager in December 2021 and was promoted to Director of Development in fall 2025. Caitlin was a communications major and focused a majority of her education on women’s studies. Prior to joining Circle of Hope she worked in a variety of industries, but found her passion for development while working at a domestic violence shelter in Alaska. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking and camping with her family and vows to have a successful vegetable garden someday.

Mariette Bien-Aime Ayala
Member

Ari Barbanell
Member

Franchesca Carrington
Secretary

Robert E. DeWitt
Member

Carolyn Lyons
Member

Karen Marryat
Member

Julie Rosen
Member

Philip Shapiro
Member

Michael Sullivan
Treasurer

Peter Donovan spent his career in commercial real estate finance. His most recent position was as Executive Managing Director for CBRE, the world’s largest global commercial real estate services company. He was responsible for both the multifamily investment sales and multifamily debt businesses nationally. Previously he was CEO of Berkshire Mortgage, a Boston based national multifamily lender which he sold to Deutsche Bank in 2004. He was previously chairman of the National Multifamily Housing Council and chairman of the Fannie Mae Multifamily advisory committee as well as a member of the Board of Fellows for Trinity College. He has a BA in history from Trinity College and a MBA from Northwestern University.

Michael Sullivan joined the Board of Directors in 2022 and has comprehensive experience in financial service organizations. Michael is a Senior Vice President at Middlesex Savings Bank, an institution know for its strong support of nonprofit organizations in the Metro West region. Michael received his B.A . in History from Providence College and M.S. degree in Financial Services from Rensselaer at Hartford. He is an avid sports fan who enjoys spending time with his family, attending athletic events, golfing and traveling.

Dr. Mariette Ayala is the Director of Curriculum and Instruction for Tech Goes Home. She previously served as the Director of the Urban and Off Campus Support Services at University of Massachusetts Boston from 2020 to 2023 and worked as a Research Consultant for the New York University Metro Center for Transformation in Urban schools from 2018-2022. During her undergraduate career at UMass Amherst, she studied at Shanghai University where she received a certificate in Advanced Chinese and Business. She completed her MA in Student Affairs and Higher Education at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2013 and her PhD in Urban Education, Leadership and Policy at the University of Massachusetts Boston in 2019.

She enjoys working as an advocate for underrepresented youth in her community and she hopes for her research to support them and their families. Dr. Ayala has published articles on Urban-Serving Institutions and Youth Activism. Her research focuses on technology, social justice art, the Haitian Diaspora, family engagement, and urban education policy.

Franchesca Carrington is a strategic Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion leader dedicated to using her strengths of connecting, listening and learning from people to facilitate and deliver partnerships, opportunities, and connections to underrepresented populations to empower, elevate and amplify unheard and overlooked voices. She is currently the Head of DEI, Philanthropy & Community Partnerships at SharkNinja.

Robert DeWitt spent his career in the apartment industry at GID Investment Advisors where he served as its President and CEO for nearly 25 years. He was on the Board of the National Multifamily Housing Council for over 20 years and served as its Chairman for two years; a member of and past Chairman of the Multifamily Gold Council of the Urban Land Institute and served on the Governmental Affairs Committee of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board. Bob has appeared in numerous national and regional publications, CNBC’s Squawk Box and was a contributor to “Multifamily Housing: The Essential Industry Text,” published in 2015. Capping off his 40-year career, he was the sixth inductee into the Multifamily Executive Hall of Fame in 2021.

Locally, Bob served on the vestry and on the Rector Search Committee of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in his hometown of Weston, MA, and on the Board at The Weston Golf Club as Golf Committee Chair. Bob holds an MBA from The Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College in 1982 and a BA cum laude from Middlebury College in 1978.

Carolyn Lyons has worked in philanthropic and non-profit social impact domestically and globally since 2002 after a career in global telecommunications and media. She has served in multiple leadership roles through which she has built multi-sectoral partnerships and movements centered in the authentic voices of children, families, educators, and caregivers. These have included serving as COO and CEO of Strategies for Children, Massachusetts' premiere early childhood advocacy and policy organization, and as Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, spearheading a national movement to ensure early school success among low-income children. As President of CL Strategies, Carolyn advises early childhood innovation and social impact initiatives, investment firms, and businesses/business associations in both the U.S. and the Global South. Current and clients include the Clinton Foundation, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the Global Business Coalition for Education, First Book, and the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Recent accomplishments include the creation of the Diverse Books for All Coalition, the country’s largest coalition of non-profits using market leverage to ensure young children have access to diverse books, and the elevation of the devastating impact of our changing climate on young children’s healthy development through the Clinton Global Initiative.  Carolyn earned her MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School and has an undergraduate degree in Finance from St. Joseph’s University.

Karen Marryat is a marketing professional with over 30 years of experience in brand strategy, product development,  customer acquisition, community relations and foundation management.  Her most recent position was as chief marketing officer of Needham Bank, a thriving community bank serving consumers and businesses throughout Metrowest, Greater Boston and Southern New Hampshire.   Karen’s prior volunteer service includes the Menino YMCA in Hyde Park, Charles River Y in Needham, Cambridge Housing Assistance Fund (CHAF), and Pilgrim Hall Museum.  She has a BS in business from the University of Rhode Island and an MBA from Simmons College.   

Julie Rosen (she/her) is the leader of WittKieffer’s Not-for-Profit Practice, bringing more than 30 years of experience working in healthcare and not-for-profit organizations and associations. Julie’s expertise in building effective boards and staff, developing and executing fundraising strategies, building organizations and brands through government, media, and community strategies, and developing business and programmatic solutions directly influences her dynamic approach to leadership engagement and recruitment. Her extensive knowledge of federal and state public health policy, issues, and players lends further credence to the expertise she brings to each engagement.

Most recently, Julie served as executive director of the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare in Boston, a national not-for-profit organization advocating for enhancing the patient-clinician relationship. Prior to the Schwartz Center, Julie was assistant vice president for public and community affairs at Tufts Health Plan and executive director of the Conference of Boston Teaching Hospitals. She also served in leadership roles with the Massachusetts Hospital Association, Massachusetts Medical Society, and American Dental Hygienists’ Association. Julie currently serves as chair of the Hebrew Rehabilitation Hospital and is a member of the American Hospital Association Regional Policy Board. She has previously held board positions with the Schwartz Center, Vinfen, the Fishing Partnership Health Plan, and the Heller School Alumni Committee.

Phil Shapiro is the Chief Investment Officer of the University of New England and Treasurer of the Town of Westwood. He has spent his career in the public sector (Assistant to Governor Longley in Maine, first employee and CFO of the Boston Harbor Clean Up, Selectperson Town of Westwood, Board Vice Chair MEFA) private sector (Managing Director at Standard & Poor's Ratings, Board member and Chair of ISO-NE) and non profit sector (CFO of Babson College, Board member of BIDMC Needham and interim CFO at Simmons, Trinity, Perkins School for the Blind, Emerson, Wheaton and UNE). He has been on the COH Board since 2018. He enjoys spending time with his wife Jeannie and daughters Alysson and Tracy Rose, skiing, kayaking, Maine, sports and reading. Phil has a BA degree from Amherst College, an M. Ed from UMaine and an MBA from Boston College.

Barbara Waterhouse founded Circle of Hope in 2008 and served as Executive Director for 15 years before retiring in 2023. She is President of Waterhouse Consulting, Inc. and has had an extensive career in public health. She has served on the Board of Directors of Horizons Collaborative, Inc., Episcopal City Mission’s Burgess Urban Fund Committee, and the University of Massachusetts Boston Alumni Board. Additionally, Barbara was a 2016 recipient of the Roy London Humanitarian Award. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, cross-country skiing, and spending time with her family.