Board of Trustees

Frank is the president of PioneerLegal, LLC, a not-for-profit, public interest law firm affiliated with Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research. Previously, he was a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Massachusetts from 2009 to 2022. Frank received his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University, School of Foreign Service, and his JD from Suffolk University School of Law.

Karen was a member of the Board of Directors of Proctor Academy in Andover, NH, between 2003 and 2012 and remains an active member of the Proctor community. Prior to that, she worked as a money manager at Tucker Anthony Management for wealthy individuals and institutions. There, she was honored to be the first woman elected as an officer of the corporation. Karen holds a BA in English and History from Bowling Green University.

Beth has been executive vice president and chief people officer of Nuance Communications since 2018 and responsible for the full scope of human capital disciplines for the worldwide workforce. Previously, she was with CA Technologies and Key Bank. Beth holds a B.A. in English from Siena College and is an alumna of Harvard Business School.

Nereyda is the Head of Compliance for Rare Disease and Blood Disorders at Sanofi. Previously, she was with Alnylam Pharamceuticals, Biogen, PerkinsElmer, Haemonetics Corporation, and Sherin and Lodgen. Nereyda has a BA in History from Brown University and a JD from Northeastern School of Law.

Penny worked in the banking industry for 30 years before retiring from Santander. She is also a trustee of Jewish Vocational Services.

Jeantilus Gedeus has teaching at The Immigrant Learning Center since 2011, focusing on students with low literacy. Prior to that, he worked with homeless boys at the Pierre Toussaint Project in his native Haiti.  He has a diploma in Montessori Education from the Centre Montessori d’Haiti and an associate’s degree in accounting from INUQUA in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Warren Heilbronner has been an attorney at the Boston office of Sullivan & Worcester since 1985, focusing on real estate transactions. While obtaining his bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and his law degree from Boston University, he was a cameraman for NBC-affiliated TV stations in Detroit and Boston.

Mahmud has grown Dover Rug & Home from a storefront in 1989 to a 36,000 square-foot showroom with two additional locations in Greater Boston. He is also the founder of Dover Squash and Fitness in Natick and co-founder of the Islamic Masumeen Center of New England in Hopkinton. Mahmud has an MBA from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA).

Prior to her current position with Medford Public Schools, Esther served as referrals coordinator for immigrants and refugees at the Refugee Immigration Ministry (RIM) in Malden and as a RIM case manager and coordinator of the African Women’s Program.

Gerard is director of North Atlantic Medical Services, Inc. He is the owner and treasurer of North Atlantic Regional Home Care and is the former chairman and CEO of Greenery Rehabilitation.

Lise previously practiced corporate and tax law with the firm of Testa, Hurwitz and Thibeault. She has a degree in Economics from Carleton College and a JD from Boston College Law School. In addition to The Immigrant Learning Center, she currently serves on the Board of Carleton College and has been a past Board member of the Weston Community Children’s Association.

Saritin incorporates community organizing and building partnerships to benefit low-income and emerging populations to her role as the vice president of emerging market and community relations at Metro Credit Union. She has worked in a variety of settings that reflect her passion and commitment to improving the lives of others: as a teen health educator, an advocate for the disabled, in support of AIDS advocacy and combating domestic violence.

Jessica joined The Immigrant Learning Center in 2012 and manages enrollment for all The ILC classes, develops curricula, oversees professional development for teaching staff and spearheads program improvement projects. She started as a volunteer at The ILC and has worked in many positions in the English program. Jessica has a BA in Sociology from University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Diane, an inductee in The Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame, anchored news at WBZ NewsRadio from 1983 until retirement in 2016. She is a tutor at The Immigrant Learning Center and emcees events for charitable groups including The Arthritis Foundation and the Preeclampsia Foundation. Diane received a bachelor’s degree from Boston University and studied at Schiller College in Heidelberg, Germany.

Anne has been teaching at Winthrop Elementary School since 2014. Previously, she was with Triton Regional Middle School, Newburyport Adult Education and One with One, Brighton. Anne has also served as an assistant teacher and substitute teacher at The ILC. She has a BA in English and Journalism from Stonehill College, an MS in Business and Intercultural Communication from New York University, and an ESOL Certificate from Salem State University.

Jane has been a partner at Ropes & Gray, LLP, since 2003. Previously, she was with Rope & Gray, LLP, as an associate. She graduated from Harvard Law School, magna cum laude, in 1994.