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Our Team
The Metrowest Women's Fund is driven by a single goal: to make our community a place where women and girls are supported and get the services they need and deserve. Building a community of donors with a shared vision also drives this goal.
Board Members
Co-Founder & Co-Director
Rachel Sagan
Rachel is dedicated to public interest law and philanthropy. Her awards include: Middlesex Savings Charitable Foundation's John R. Heerwagen Award for Nonprofit Leadership, Middlesex West Chamber of Commerce's Outstanding Non-Profit Executive Director of the Year, and Commonwealth Heroine 2024. She holds a JD from Northeastern University School of Law and a BA from Harvard University.
Co-Founder & Co-Director
Rebecca Parkhill
Rebecca is an ordained Unitarian Universalist community minister who has worked in churches in the US and England and with nonprofits, schools and in town government social services. She holds a BA from Brown University and an MDiv from Yale University. Rebecca was recently recognized by the Massachusetts State Legislature and the Commission on the Status of Women as a Commonwealth Heroine 2024.
Board Member
Ann Gorson
Ann retired from corporate management to raise her two children who are now young adults. Large-scale project and database marketing management were her primary roles. She has volunteered throughout her adult life for nonprofits, mostly schools in development, and is currently Board Chair at the Cambridge School of Weston, a day and boarding high school.
Board Member
Sashell Thebaud
Sashell is a Human Resources professional. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Masters of Human Resources from Framingham State University, as well as her certification in Professional Human Resources from the Human Resource Standards Institute.
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Advisory Council
ChaeRan Y. Freeze
Chair, Department of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Professor, Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies
Faculty Associate of the Tauber Institute for the Study of European Jewry
Harleen Singh
Senior Associate Provost, Faculty & Global Affairs
Director, Women's Studies Research Center
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Jackie Jenkins-Scott
Linda Charmaramnan
Director/Principal Investigator, Senior Research Scientist
Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab
Wellesley Centers For Women
Wellesley College​
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Team Members
Administrative Assistant
Katie Coghlan
Senior Manager of Communications & Programs
Kristin O'Neil
Finance Manager
Meghan Blute-Nelson
Community Ambassadors
Metrowest Women’s Fund (MWF) Community Ambassadors are local volunteers who spread the word in their community about MWF and the needs of women and girls. Consider joining our team as a MWF Community Ambassador in your town.
Ann Musgrave
Ann Musgrave
Community Ambassador
Dover
"When I learned about the Metrowest Women’s Fund and their mission – to invest in the needs of women and girls in three focus areas: Education, Girls: Our Next Generation, and Safety from Violence – they immediately had my attention. The opportunity to serve on the MWF grant allocations committee has really opened my eyes to the tremendous need in our communities.
I grew up in Sudbury and I returned to the community to raise my children so I am honored to be an ambassador for the Metrowest Women's Fund. I stand by the work they are doing to make all of our cities and towns a better place for women and girls."
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— Diahanne Lucas
Diahanne Lucas
Community Ambassador
Sudbury
Kate's guiding motto, “Love is action,” fuels everything she does. She believes that true change happens when compassion meets action, which is why she’s so proud to serve as an ambassador for the Metrowest Women’s Fund. Supporting women and girls isn’t just a cause for Kate—it’s a calling. She’s dedicated to breaking down barriers, amplifying voices, and ensuring that every woman in Metrowest has the opportunity to thrive.
Kate Houston
Community Ambassador
Weston
"As someone who has seen firsthand how much a community can change when women and girls have the resources they need, the Metrowest Women's Fund felt like home from the moment I learned about it. The combination of local grantmaking, relationship-building and advocacy is exactly how lasting change happens — neighbor by neighbor, right here in our own backyard."
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— Rekha Sampath
Rekha Sampath
Community Ambassador
Wellesley
"Having served several terms on the Boston Women's Fund Board, I am quite familiar with the philanthropic funding gaps that exist for women and girl's programs. I am honored to be an Ambassador for the Metrowest Women's Fund.
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The MWF was created to raise resources to invest in our women and girls. Several years ago, after much deliberation and conversation, Rachel Sagan and Rebecca Parkhill decided to turn thoughts about unmet needs into action. They 'believed they could, so they did.' Rachel and Rebecca share a passion for changing lives and improving communities. I am so pleased to be on this journey with them."
— Virginia Meany
Virginia Meany
Community Ambassador
Marlborough
"I am honored to serve as a Community Ambassador for the Metrowest Women’s Fund and to be part of a powerful network dedicated to listening to, learning from and supporting the women and girls in our community.
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Building strong, inclusive communities has always mattered, but in times like these it is even more critical. We must come together to lift each other up, center the needs of those our system leaves behind, and invest in a future where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
The Metrowest Women's Fund plays a vital role in allocating resources where they are needed most, and their commitment to investing in the education, safety, and well-being of women and girls is essential to our communities. I am deeply grateful to be able to support their mission in my own hometown."
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— Cassandra Priante
Cassandra Priante
Community Ambassador
Natick
"I'm excited and honored to serve as an ambassador for MWF. I'm so proud of the important work we do. From needs assessments to grants and financial assistance to raising awareness of local services, MWF's efforts make Metrowest a better place for women, girls, and everyone in the community."
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— Emily Mason
Emily Mason
Community Ambassador-at-Large
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"I have spent my career in the nonprofit sector expanding access to the arts and education, and I have learned that centering the voices and leadership of women is what moves the dial. That conviction is what drew me to the Metrowest Women's Fund. By pairing local grantmaking with catalytic community-building, the Fund turns shared values into vital resources for women and girls. As a mom, daughter, sister, friend, and Needham resident, I am proud to help carry that work across our region as an Ambassador."
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— Katie Mayshak
Katie Mayshak
Community Ambassador
Needham
"I am truly honored to join this impactful team of women as a Metrowest Women’s Fund Ambassador. I’ve worked in the financial industry for 20 plus years, dedicating the last
decade to help detect and prevent facilitators from exploiting victims, especially young women, for financial gain. I am inspired by MWF’s mission and commitment to the
women in our community and proud to be a part of it."
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— Renee E. Jaworeki
Renee E. Jaworek
Community Ambassador-at-Large
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"The Metrowest Women’s Fund has a special place in my heart. I've seen how this organization is making an impressive impact on women and girls, and the communities women serve. I'm inspired by their work and honored to take part in furthering their mission, which touches and benefits so many lives."
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— Christina Pavlinas
Christina Pavlina
Community Ambassador
Wellesley
"As a longtime Metrowest resident and a lifelong social entrepreneur and champion of women, I want to do my part to ensure that all women and girls – especially those in my ‘backyard’ – have access to resources and opportunities that will bring forth their full potential. I wholeheartedly believe in the mission of the Metrowest Women’s Fund and am honored to contribute to its potential to positively change lives."
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— Erin J. Cox
Erin J. Cox
Community Ambassador-at-Large
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"I am so proud to be an Ambassador for this grassroots effort to combat violence and increase opportunities for the women and girls of Metrowest. Despite the unique needs of women and girls, only 1.6% of all philanthropic funding goes to support women and girls. It’s time for new interventions that provide women and girls with a seat at the table. Our societies will be safer and our economies more competitive. Every institution, every sector and every company can take part in undoing gender inequality by considering - and addressing - the unique needs of women and girls in their organizations and communities. We must do this locally - as Metrowest Women's Fund does - and globally as does Value for Women, the consulting firm where I work. I am delighted to be joining this amazing group of women at the Metrowest Women's Fund who are shining a light on the specific needs of the women and girls of our community."
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— Mara Bolis
Mara Bolis
Community Ambassador
Needham
"There are so many ways to contribute both time and money. When I learned about the Metrowest Women’s Fund’s mission, I realized that the goal of supporting women and girls is very important to me, and I wasn’t surprised to hear how few resources are available. I am a second-generation citizen, born in the US to immigrant parents. I was very fortunate to have support from teachers to pursue math and science, scholarships to attend engineering school, and to make my way in a long career in software development. I am looking forward to giving back and helping girls and women pursue their dreams."
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— Shirley Hui
Shirley Hui
Community Ambassador
Natick