Kori Redepenning
Director

Kori has been a member of the Massachusetts Promise Fellowship family for over six years. She came to the Fellowship in April of 2003 as a second year AmeriCorps member and served as the sole Senior Fellow. After that year of service, Kori was hired on as the Director of Training and Evaluation for the Fellowship. In March of 2006, Kori took over as Director of the Massachusetts Promise Fellowship, a role which she is honored to continue to hold today. Prior to her service and work with the Fellowship, Kori completed a year of service as the *VISTA Service Coordinator with Peace Games in Boston, where she coordinated the volunteer program and created an internship program.

Born and raised in Minnesota, Kori studied in Thailand, England and Ghana and graduated from the University of St. Thomas with a BA in Entrepreneurship. Kori also holds an MBA from Northeastern University, with a concentration in marketing and entrepreneurship. Continuing her own commitment to service and civic engagement, Kori serves as a board member of Families for Depression Awareness- a non profit organization that strives to help families recognize and cope with depressive disorders, encourage and facilitate treatment, and prevent suicides. She also serves as an elected board member of Boston Connects, Inc, representing her community of South Boston.
Kori is a huge Minnesota Vikings fan and is anxiously awaiting the day when they win the Superbowl!

Colleen Holohan
Member Development Manager

Colleen came to Massachusetts Promise Fellowship in July 2006. Colleen is from Bethpage, New York and graduated from Providence College with a BA in Social Science and Public and Community Service Studies.

Following graduation, Colleen served as an AmeriCorps*VISTA member with the Massachusetts Campus Compact (MACC). Based at Emerson College, in downtown Boston, she worked on strengthening partnerships between the college and local community organizations.

She also spent two years with MACC as the AmeriCorps*VISTA leader, training and supporting her fellow VISTA members serving on campuses across the state.

Colleen is pursuing an MS in Leadership with a focus in Non-Profit Management in the College of Professional Studies at Northeastern.

Colleen is also a board member of Oil Heat Cares, a non-profit foundation that assists needy persons and organizations with the replacement of their oil heating appliances.

Tim Smith
Special Events & Alumni Relations Coordinator

Tim joined the Massachusetts Promise Fellowship first as a Fellow in 2007, then as a staff member in Augst of 2009. During his year in the Fellowship, Tim served at The City School in Dorchester. Here, he created and ran their youth media program, training high school youth how to use video and the web as tools to express themselves. In addition to this, Tim co-led the Grad Leaders United program (GLU), supporting youth leaders to organize events and projects in their local communities.

In his year between Fellowship stints, Tim began work at a startup youth television network, Young Broadcasters of America, producing two weekly sports shows featuring youth ages 10-17 that stream live on the internet.

Tim is a graduate of Fordham University in New York City and a lifelong resident of Dorchester, MA. He is incredibly excited about returning to the Fellowship and the possibilities moving forward!

Heather Catherwood
Co-Chair

Heather Catherwood is serving as a Co-Chair for the Advisory Board. Heather served as the Massachusetts Promise Fellow at MY TURN, Inc. as a member of the VIII Fellow class after graduating from Brandeis University in 2006. She currently works as a Program Assistant at the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation but will be attending Northeastern University School of Law in the fall of 2009. She enjoys volunteering, reading, shopping and going to Starbucks. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to be reconnected with the Massachusetts Promise Fellowship!

Julie Balasalle
Co-Chair

Julie is pursuing an MSW at Tulane University . She served as a Class VII Fellow with SCI Dorchester. Julie was also a youth participant in a Fellow project out of Health Care for All when she was in high school. Julie graduated with a BA in political science and community and justice studies from Guilford College in North Carolina.

Walt Horner
Fundraising Chair

Walt Horner is serving as the Fundraising Chair for the Advisory Board.  In April 2000, Walt came to Northeastern as director of the Massachusetts Promise Fellowship after founding the Fellowship as a program officer with the Massachusetts Service Alliance and Massachusetts Promise.  In 2006, he accepted a position as executive director of the Colorado Outdoor Training Initiative (now the Outdoor Stewardship Institute) in Denver, CO.  Drawn back to Massachusetts because of his love of the Fellowship (and his wife, daughter and dog), Walt currently works at Regis College in Weston, MA as Director of Special Programs, helping to connect campus and community.
 
After graduating from the University of Rochester with degree in Environmental Studies, Walt served two years as a team leader with the AmeriCorps*National Civilian Community Corps in Colorado.  Walt earned an MBA from Northeastern University in 2003 and enjoys bodysurfing, empty trails and skiing with family and friends.

Angie Cagginelli
Youth Chair

Angie Cagginelli is serving as the Youth Chair for the Advisory Board. Angie served as Class VII Fellow and was the coordinator of the Dorchester Teen Violence Prevention Project, a program of The Medical Foundation. Angie has a B.A. in Health Care Administration from Stonehill College, and also has a Nonprofit Management Graduate Certificate from Northeastern University. Angie holds the position of Director of Programs at Pathways to Wellness, a nonprofit holistic wellness center in the South End. Her interests include public health, photography, French film, Bruce Springsteen, traveling, and running along the ocean and river. Angie is thrilled to be re-connected with the Fellowship in her new role on the advisory board; she firmly and enthusiastically believes in the mission of the Fellowship and the value of each Fellow’s year(s) of service.

Alan Ratliff
Community Outreach Co-Chair

Alan Ratliff has served as a Class IX Fellow and Class X Senior Fellow at the Asian Community Development Corporation in Boston’s Chinatown. Prior to his time with the Fellowship, Alan earned his BA in Political Science and Asian American Studies from The Ohio State University and worked at the Ohio Democratic Party as the LGBT Outreach Coordinator. Alan holds a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Northeastern University and is currently pursuing his Masters of Public Policy at Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management. He enjoys playing Volleyball, spending time with his pug Bibingka and is very excited to serve the Massachusetts Promise Fellowship as an Advisory Board member.

Rich Bielecki
Community Outreach Co-Chair

Rich Bielecki is serving as the Government Relations/Outreach Chair for the Advisory Board. Rich is not a Fellow alumnus but is a retired 25 year employee of the Gillette Company.  He comes to us via our partnership with the Taproot Foundation.  Rich served as the account director for our Taproot Foundation grant.  This grant produced our current web site.  While working on the grant,Rich was impressed by  the great work being done by the Fellowship.  He hopes to bring a different perspective to the Massachusetts Promise Board.

Jenny Thomas
Senior Fellow

Originally from Virginia, Jenny moved to Boston to join the Massachusetts Promise Fellowship last August. During Jenny's first year she served in the Joint Committee for Children's Health Care in Everett working to ensure access to adequate, affordable healthcare, developing a community wellness initiative, and facilitating a teen health community service group. Currently, Jenny is serving as the Outreach Fellow for Families for Depression Awareness where she will be spearheading two teen initiatives seeking to support youth who are navigating mental health issues and to give youth opportunities to raise awareness of mental health issues among their peers. As a senior Fellow, Jenny serves as the Opportunity to Serve Fellow Liaison-- connecting Fellows, youth, and Fellowship staff during the planning and implementation of the Massachusetts Promise Fellowship’s second-annual, statewide day of service. Jenny graduated from the University of Virginia with a BA in Religious Studies and plans to pursue a MD/MPH degree.

Eli Pimentel
Senior Fellow

A Boston native, Eli is serving her second year of the Fellowship with the Youth Advocacy Project. Eli is the Community Outreach Coordinator at YAP where she coordinates trainings for young people, helps them locate jobs and community service opportunities, works on collaborations with community agencies, and attends community meetings. As a Senior Fellow, she will act as the Capacity Building Coordinator and her main responsibilities will be to serve on the Fellowship Advisory Board and coordinate the Fellow legacy project. Eli served as an Americorps VISTA for the Children’s Law Center of MA prior to the Fellowship and so this will be her third year of service with Americorps!

Eli graduated from St. Lawrence University in 2007 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Government, African Studies, and Spanish. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Global Studies and International Affairs at Northeastern University.

Carolyn Spivak
Senior Fellow

Carolyn is serving her second year at ACCESS Inc. coordinating the Center for College Affordability.  At ACCESS, she manages the organization's off-school site for financial aid advising.  This includes planning programming, scheduling events, and one-on-one adivising.  She spent her first year with the Fellowship serving as the Community Service Learning Coordinator at MY TURN Inc. in Brockton.  As a Senior Fellow, Carolyn is serving as the Community Outreach Coordinator by working closely with the Program Director to represent the Massachusetts Promise Fellowship in the community and at major youth development events in the state. 

She is currently pursuing her Masters in Non-Profit Management with a concentration in Global Studies.  Carolyn is originally from Mentor, Ohio and attended The University of Akron where she earned her BA in Interdisciplinary Anthropology, French, and Racial Conflicts.  She looks forward to pursing a career in the Non-Profit sector. 

Jenni Rokke
Senior Fellow

Jenni is serving in her second year with Girls’ LEAP (Lifetime Empowerment and Awareness Program) which is a safety and self-defense organization for girls in Boston.  She serves as the organization’s Community Education Coordinator and teaches Girls’ LEAP programs all over Boston, as well as working on outreach for the organization. In her Senior Fellow role, Jenni serves as the Community Building Coordinator, planning events and social opportunities for Fellows. She is originally from Minnesota, but went to college in California and has lived in Boston for over two years. 

Cecelia Auditore
Senior Fellow

Cecelia Auditore joined AFC during her second year of service with the
Mass Promise Fellowship. She attended Emmanuel College where she
majored in History and minored in Political Science. She comes to AFC
after having served as the Research and Programs Associate at Mass
Mentoring Partnership. As a Senior Fellow, Cecelia will help design
the civic engagement & social captial training curriculum. Currently,
Cecelia is working towards her Masters in Global Studies and
International Affairs at Northeastern University.