Staff & Board of Directors

Transforming lives for the better

Staff

Our dedicated staff devote time to helping families regain their footing through personalized services related to employment, sustainable housing and family well-being. Working together with hundreds of volunteers, the staff below constitutes a powerful force for change in ending homelessness.
Rachel Hand - Executive Director

Rachel Hand joined Family Promise North Shore Boston as the Executive Director in January of 2019. She spent the previous decade working in the field of homeless services. Her prior jobs include on-the-ground direct service with individuals experiencing homelessness, intake coordination and case management for recently housed individuals, and working to assess and place individuals and families into permanent supportive housing for the City of Cambridge.

Currently, she lives in Beverly, MA, with her husband, her new son, and two cats. She is grateful to be working in the North Shore community alongside her neighbors as they fight together to advocate for affordable housing and better wages while ultimately trying to end homelessness.

Katie Day - Assistant Director

Katie Day is the Assistant Director at Family Promise North Shore Boston. She came to Family Promise North Shore Boston in January 2020 with twelve years of professional experience at the intersection of nonprofit organizations and faith communities. Katie was drawn to FPNSB because of the organization’s commitment to embracing the dignity and strength of all families in its efforts to end homelessness, and brings a commitment to equipping people of faith and good will to engage in this important relational-centered, transformative work through a justice-centered lens. 

Gabriela Umana - Development Manager

Gabriela Umana joined Family Promise North Shore Boston as the Prevention and Diversion Case Manager in May of 2021. She started in her role with the development team in March, 2022. She came to Family Promise with years of administrative experience in nonprofit organizations as well as providing case management services within the North Shore community. Gaby was drawn to Family Promise because of its mission to serve each family that experiences homelessness in a manner that embraces the dignity and strength of the family, along with her personal commitment to serving her home community through this type of work. 

 

Gabrielle Tagliaferi - Shelter Case Manager

Gabby Tagliaferi began working with Family Promise in the Fall of 2021, during her senior year at Endicott College. She is originally from Cheshire, Connecticut. During her time at Endicott she majored in International Business and was a peer tutor. Gabby is to credit for creating and running our first ever Trunk or Treat event, which has quickly become an Annual event because of its initial success. She was hired as a full-time staff member soon after her graduation and joins us as the Shelter Case Manager.

Board of Directors

Meet our Board of Directors, who volunteer their time and put their skills to work, helping to end homelessness one family at a time.

Click the names to learn more about each board member and how to contact them!

Tucker Bixby - President

Tucker is from Deerfield, MA, and attended Washington & Lee University in Lexington, VA. A financial planner for 18 years, he is one of the founders and the Managing Partner for New England at Arete Wealth Management, a Chicago based firm. He is also a member of the Hamilton-Wenham Rotary Club.

Tucker joined the board of Family Promise North Shore Boston in 2016, and serves as the Treasurer.

Contact Tucker to learn more about Family Promise North Shore Boston and how you or your business can form a strategic partnership with this wonderful organization.

Veronica Miranda - Vice President

Veronica has been involved with Family Promise since January 2019. She joined FPNSB as 1 of 4 families in the program. After experiencing homelessness with her family of four, her and her partner were able to establish stable housing in Salem, Massachusetts. Veronica is a graduate of The University of Massachusetts Boston with a degree in Criminology. She is an EMT and is currently serving the community as a social activist in the unique town of Salem. Veronica brings a unique perspective to the board as someone who has experienced poverty and the effects it has on the black community. As a graduate of our program, her first hand experience is invaluable.

Veronica enjoys educating herself on public health topics such as systemic racism, women’s health, breastfeeding, and mental health. In her spare time, she’s drinking a mocha latte at her local coffee shop with a book in hand. Veronica hopes to raise awareness around homelessness in our communities and educate others on the disadvantages POC experience. “Family Promise provided us with a sense of community and love in a time where my family needed it most. I want to give back to FPNSB by contributing my time as well as spreading knowledge to address the issues surrounding social class and racial injustice in our nation.”

Contact Veronica to learn more about Family Promise North Shore Boston and how you can offer support!

Dale Miller-Bouton - Clerk

When Dale Miller-Bouton retired from teaching after more than 40 years, she knew that she wanted to spend her time helping children and families. Dale was on the Search Committee to pick the first program Director and Assistant Director, so she was there from the beginning of the Family Promise North Shore Boston journey. She is currently the Clerk on the Board of Directors and works on the Walk to End Homelessness and Taste the Promise fundraisers. She is also a member of the Congregational Relations committee.

Dale considers herself a “worker bee” willing to help out where needed. She loves meeting the families and being a dinner host as well as working with the Board to end homelessness, one family at a time.

Contact Dale to learn more about Family Promise North Shore Boston.

Scott Myers - Treasurer

Scott Myers is actively involved in community service and has dedicated his efforts to ending homelessness through service to organizations engaged in providing solutions to those in need.  He has served in a number of roles, toward this end, including being a Treasurer of  North Star Family Services, Inc of Leominster, MA and Vice President of the North Central Massachusetts affiliate of Habitat for Humanity.  His community service includes serving on the Business Plan Competition Panel, Enterprise Center, Salem State University; and formerly as Finance Committee member, Sizer Charter School, Fitchburg, MA; and Treasurer, Milford Industrial Development Committee, Milford, NH. Scott joined Family Promise North Shore Boston in 2021.   

Scott is Vice President at The Savings Bank, Wakefield, MA where his responsibilities include business development, credit, and small business and commercial real estate lending. Scott was previously with North-Shore Bank, formerly Beverly Bank, of Beverly where he was Vice President, Commercial Lender, responsible for the management of a $60 million portfolio and generating more than $19 million in new loans in less than two years. Scott received his MBA from Rivier University of Nashua, NH, and his BA in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He has received certifications from The New England School of Financial Studies, Babson College, Wellesley, MA; American Bankers Association Lending School, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX; and Sandler Sales Training, Bedford, NH. He has also received certifications in Leadership NCM from the Chamber of Commerce, Fitchburg, MA; and Leadership Greater Nashua, Chamber of Commerce, Nashua, NH.

He has co-authored Improve the Terms of Your Loan in Business New Hampshire Magazine, and Energize Your Job!, a self-published booklet to help workers improve productivity and increase job fulfillment.

Scott is a father of five and a grandfather of one granddaughter.  He lives in Salem, MA, with his Life Partner, Michael.

Contact Scott to learn more about Family Promise North Shore Boston.

Dale Earl - President Emeritus

Dale Earl first got involved in Family Promise in 2012 when asked to help find and interview candidates for Executive Director. As a member of Second Congregational Church, one of the initial churches to sign up as a host church, Dale had been hearing updates about the progress.  Years earlier she had been part of Home at Last, a non-profit that created affordable permanent housing for families in response to the many families living in motels on Route 1. As the current Board President, she enjoys leading an amazing group of committed individuals who care deeply about homeless families. She has chaired the annual fund drive for a number of years.

A native of New Jersey, Dale and her husband Paul have two grown sons and have lived in Beverly for close to 40 years. She is a graduate of Bucknell University with a degree in Mathematics which has led to a variety of interesting jobs, where math often played a role. She describes herself as a jack of all trades and enjoys learning new things, currently working part-time for a biotech/cleantech business incubator at the Cummings Center. “Family Promise offers me a way to help people right in our communities. And I love the fact that there are now over 200 Family Promise affiliates across the country, and together with over 180,000 volunteers, we are making a real impact.”

Contact Dale to learn more about Family Promise North Shore Boston.

Cheri Marquart

Cheri Marquart attended a meeting about Family Promise that was held at her church and was immediately drawn to the concept.  At that time, she was teaching in a school that had quite a few children from homeless families who were being housed by the state in motels nearby.  These families had very little help or assistance in changing their situation, were not near public transportation, and seldom saw a Social Worker.  Often their children had been moved from one school to another and were struggling in school.  Here was a program that kept families together, helped parents change their situations, and allowed their children to stay in one school!  Cheri joined others who had attended the presentation and they continued to meet to explore the possibility of starting a Family Promise Network on Boston’s North Shore.  After a few years, that group had grown and was ready to form Family Promise North Shore Boston (FPNSB).

Cheri had joined the Board at this time and helped bring the idea to Beverly’s Second Congregational Church who became one of the first Host Congregations in our network.  By the time they started welcoming guests, Cheri was retired after, 35 years of teaching, and agreed to coordinate volunteers at Second Church and also to help organize the Volunteer Coordinators of the Host & Support Congregations in the Network.  She has continued in this role and also works on the “Taste the Promise”, “Walk to End Homelessness” fundraisers, and serves on the Congregational Relations Committee.

With FPNSB in it’s sixth year, Cheri has enjoyed volunteering, working alongside numerous dedicated volunteers, and watching many families get the help they need to move on to sustainable housing and the children become successful members of their school communities.

Cheri and her husband, Doug, have lived in Massachusetts for 29 years and have 3 grown sons.  She enjoys spending time with her granddaughters, traveling, reading & cooking.   

Contact Cheri to learn more about Family Promise North Shore Boston and how your or your congregation can help.

Duncan Ballantyne

Duncan (Dunc) joined FPNSB because he is dedicated to building the kind of community on the North Shore where people know their neighbors and support them unconditionally.

He has been on the FPNSB Board since 2012. Shortly after joining FPNSB, he was elected Vice President. He then served as Board President from 2013 to 2017. Dunc currently contributes in a variety of capacities, including the Board’s Executive Committee, leading the Fund Development Team, leading the Major Donor (Circle of Promise) Team and serving on the Board Development and Congregational Recruitment Teams.

Dunc is passionate about affordable housing. He notes, “We are living in a desirable place and are paying a premium for this. Living on the North Shore, our guests experience a huge disparity between housing costs and wages.” He welcomes your creative ideas (e.g., shared living arrangements) and help regarding ways our guest can secure well-paying jobs and housing within their means.

In retirement, Dunc also dedicates his volunteer time to his church, community gardening and stimulating community conversations in Beverly). He is an avid skier, walker, cyclist, and long-distance swimmer.

Before retiring, Dunc was a public policy researcher in workers’ compensation. He holds Masters’ Degrees in Business Administration and Rehabilitation Administration.

Talk to Dunc if you have ideas about affordable housing and ways to make FPNSB financially self-sustaining so it can continue and expand its important work in helping families become and remain self-sufficient.

Eddie Attuquayefio


Eddie Attuquayefio is the Manager of Capital Delivery for all of New England at National Grid.

Originally from Ghana, Eddie migrated to the United States as a teenager.  He attended and received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Louisiana State University (LSU) and an MBA from Villanova University.
Being a strong advocate for education and having recognized the racial disparities in education during his freshman year in college, Eddie has volunteered at multiple schools helping to educate, mentor and helping international students navigate the complexities of being a student in a foreign country.

Eddie was introduced to Family Promise by a family friend and was instantly captivated by the Family Promise model as a whole and specifically the great work that the North Shore chapter was doing. He was eager to help in any way he could and was most grateful and honored to have been invited to join the board of trustees in November of 2020.

Eddie currently lives in Danvers with his wife, Alexis and two daughters Leia and Lily.

Rev. Derek van Gulden

Rev. Derek van Gulden is the Pastor of The First Congregational Church of Rockport, UCC. After a career has a Respiratory Therapist and retiring from the US Navy as a Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman, he followed his call to ordained ministry by attending Episcopal Divinity School, EDS, where he obtained a Master of Divinity in 2006.  While at EDS, Derek pursued his passion for international mission work traveling to South Africa, Cuba, and Kenya. He also obtained a certificate in International Mission and Ecumenism from the Boston Theological Institution in 2006. Derek has done medical mission work in Spain, Nicaragua, and El Salvador as well.  

Derek has served church’s in Vermont and Massachusetts. On a local level he spent five years working with the City of Brockton’s Police department helping them develop ‘Operation Divinity’, a ministry of presence both on the streets and in the homes of youth who had been victims or perpetrators of violence. His current interests are social justice, anti-racism, homelessness, food scarcity and mission work at the parish level.  

Derek grew up in Vermont in a large multi-racial family one of ten siblings some of whom are, Native American, Korean, Vietnamese, African American, and White. His extended family is composed of members form India, African, Asia, Latin America, and Haiti. He has three adult children and is married to the Rev. Sarah van Gulden an Episcopal priest serving Trinity Episcopal Church in Haverhill, MA.

Vera McLafferty

Vera was first introduced to Family Promise in 2019 at the First Church in Wenham, MA. She was very drawn to the community-mindedness and local impact the organization was making as well as the plans that were developing for Prevention & Diversion programs.  The large income gap and rapidly disappearing options for affordable housing in MA has created a crisis that COVID exacerbated.  During the pandemic she was inspired to learn more about the organization and became involved by joining the special event planning committee and subsequently the Board.  Vera has enjoyed being involved in planning fundraising events as well as attending the annual “Walk to end homelessness” and “See the Promise” and “Trunk or Treat” which garner financial support as well as educate the public about this growing crisis. 

Originally from New Hampshire, Vera received a Masters Degree in Corporate Communications and raised her family while working for years as a senior advertising & marketing manager for a software company in Upstate New York.  Vera also owned a cafe & market in the wine region on Cayuga Lake before moving back to New England in 2019.  Vera spends time with her 2 dogs and extended NH family, and especially enjoys time with her 3 children who have also been involved with events at Family Promise.

Dr. Jennie-Rebecca Falcetta

Dr. Jennie-Rebecca Falcetta first awakened to the reality of homelessness on the North Shore over 25 year ago when on assignment for a small local newspaper.  She interviewed a homeless family sheltered in a motel room, photographed the children in their asphalt “backyard,” and never forgot how wrong a situation she witnessed.  A member of Christ Church (Episcopal) of Hamilton + Wenham, Jennie-Rebecca has served as parish Co-Coordinator of Family Promise for the last six years, and is thrilled to be joining the Board.  She is Professor + Chair of the Liberal Arts Department at Massachusetts College of Art + Design and lives in Beverly with her artist husband, middle school-aged son, and grey lady cat.

Contact Jennie-Rebecca if you have any questions about her many years serving Family Promise!

Matt Plano

Matt was introduced to Family Promise by a colleague and friend and was impressed by the high impact that relatively few can make to their community and was honored to be invited and joined the board in 2022.

For over a quarter of a century, Matt has worked at a North Shore medical device company and run their global operations as they scaled from a “start-up” model to a large company.  He is excited to apply the same scale-up strategies he learned in business to support FPNSB’s mission to reach ever more clients.

Matt is an Aerospace Engineer from the University of Buffalo with an MBA from UMass.  He resides in Reading with his wife Kathy, has three adult sons, and is humbled to be given the opportunity to work with such caring people on such an important mission.