LIFT-Boston is proud to introduce its founding Regional Board members — Carolyn Casey, Molly Day, Paul Francisco, Steve Kenney, Kristine Laping, Elliot Lobel, Lenore Lobel, Charlie Rose, and Monalisa Smith — who will serve as a team of advisors to guide LIFT-Boston’s operations in Cambridge, Somerville and Roxbury. We are very excited about the diverse skills and backgrounds each member brings to the team, and grateful for their dedication to our mission and the expansion of our impact in the communities we serve.
LIFT-Boston’s Regional Board Members have careers in a wide-range of professional fields including law, healthcare, finance, community and non-profit development, and politics. With the U.S. Department of State, Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, Haiti construction projects, Harvard School of Public Health, City Year, and Citizens Bank just representing some of their collective career and volunteer affiliations, these accomplished members of LIFT-Boston’s Regional Board are dedicated to lifting individuals and families out of poverty and creating brighter futures and opportunities for all people in the Boston area.
Carolyn M. Casey provides strategy on non-profit management and corporate citizenship to organizations passionate about transforming community. Previously, Carolyn spent eight years as Senior Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at Timberland. For seven years, she was Director of National Affairs for City Year, an international youth leadership organization targeted at transforming education. Most recently, Carolyn directed Project 351, Governor Deval Patrick’s statewide youth service and leadership development initiative.
Molly Day is a Senior Portfolio Analyst at New Profit, Inc., a Boston-based venture philanthropy fund helping social entrepreneurs and their organizations bring a transformative impact on critical social problems. Molly has worked for the U.S. Department of State and co-founded campusCATALYST, a nonprofit that engages college students in high-impact consulting projects with other nonprofits.
Paul Francisco is Managing Director and co-founder of Foster & Francisco LLC, a Boston-based executive search firm. Paul is a recently elected member of a National Task Force to develop Diversity Standards. In 2008, Paul was awarded Volunteer of the Year by American Training Centers, and more recently was recognized by Governor Deval Patrick with a Certificate of Achievement for his work with the Massachusetts’ Hispanic community.
Steve Kenney, the LIFT-Boston Regional Board Chair, is a co-founder and Managing Director of SCS Financial Services, LLC and a Senior Client Investment Advisor. Formerly, he was an Executive Vice President and Board Member of Atlantic Trust Company, N.A. Earlier in his career he managed investment portfolios at E.F. Hutton and Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A. He also spent several years in private law practice. Steve serves as a mentor with Year Up, is a VITA tax volunteer with LIFT-Boston, and has served on the boards of a variety of nonprofit organizations in the Boston area.
Kristine Laping is the Senior Vice President of Development at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Over her six year tenure, that organization’s fund raising revenue grew by almost 400%. Kristine served as the Vice President of Development for Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, and is a former President of Women in Development of Greater Boston.
Elliot D. Lobel is Senior Litigator and co-founder of Prince Lobel, a Boston-based law firm practicing both civil and criminal litigation. Elliot has been recognized in Woodward/White Inc.’s The Best Lawyers in America. In addition to his legal work, Elliot has a passion for education. He has taught courses at the National Institute for Trial Advocacy, Tufts University, Suffolk University, and other law schools.
Lenore Z. Lobel is currently involved in ongoing Haiti construction projects, as well as the Building Goodness Foundation, a community-building non-profit organization based out of Charlottesville, VA. Lenore has served as Chair of the Weston Hurricane Katrina Committee, where she was involved in the construction of a community center in Missouri. She is a former member of Weston Community Preservation Committee, and past President of the Weston League of Women Voters.
Charlie Rose is Senior Vice President, Dean and co-founder of City Year, Inc., a nationally recognized youth community service organization. His dedication to the city’s youth led him to co-found Boston’s nationally recognized violence and gang prevention “Streetworker Program” and found the Youth Outreach Program among several other Youth organizations. He serves on the Board of Directors of Urban Edge, a community development corporation in Jamaica Plain.
Monalisa Smith is Director of Community Investment for Citizens Bank, Massachusetts. Monalisa has been recognized for her efforts on Citizens’ behalf with a number of awards, including the City of Boston Award for Community Leadership. She serves on the governing boards of the Black Ministerial Alliance and Roxbury Community College Foundation. Monalisa founded a non-profit organization, Mothers for Justice and Equality, whose mission is to bring families and community together to eliminate the root causes of youth violence in Boston neighborhoods.