Board Members

Margot Lansing has had a varied career in higher education as a faculty member, administrator, and consultant. She holds a BA from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a PhD in French Literature from the University of California at Berkeley and taught at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Harvard, and Brandeis. She worked in college admissions for several years and then moved into the field of executive academic and not-for-profit search, founding her own consulting firm, Lansing & Whitfield. She served on the Board of Wellesley Friendly Aid for many years and with Sharon Kiernan founded and co-directed Wellesley Connects to assist first-generation Wellesley high school juniors with the college admissions process.

Rose has a long history with Wellesley Friendly Aid.  She worked with Sally Miller on housing outreach before her move from Wellesley to Winchester and helped in the office as needed.  She was employed as a legal secretary in California for many years before returning to Massachusetts and taking on wait staff jobs at several country clubs in the area. 

Peter has been involved with Friendly Aid since the mid-1970s, first serving as legal counsel while a partner at Sullivan & Worcester LLP, based in Boston, MA.  Since retirement, Peter has held several positions at Friendly Aid, including President from 2011 to 2017, and he currently serves as Vice-President.   Peter is also a Trustee of the Iroquois Indian Museum in Howes Cave, New York.   He is a graduate of Williams College and Harvard Law School.

Cheryl serves on three Wellesley Friendly Aid committees: Financial Aid, Marketing, and Connects to College. She retired as Superintendent of Schools in the neighboring town of Weston in 2015 but continues to mentor administrators in several districts, serve as a consultant, and take on the occasional role of acting principal. She earned a B.A. from Mount Holyoke College and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Boston College. Her volunteer work includes mentoring students, serving on other nonprofit boards, and supporting Mount Holyoke in a variety of roles. 

Regina serves as chairperson for WFA's "Connect to College” program, which supports high school seniors navigating the college application process.  She has been a lifelong educator in three MA public school districts where she held a variety of roles including teacher, school psychologist, principal, and assistant superintendent.  Regina earned her B.A. at Iona College, and a M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. She and her husband have lived in Wellesley for over 26 years and raised their two grown children here.  

Alison has been a dedicated member of the Wellesley Friendly Aid board for over 14 years and currently serves as Treasurer and a member of the Financial Aid Committee. A graduate of Mount Holyoke College, she has over 20 years of experience in global clinical research, focusing on health equity. Prior to joining Friendly Aid, Alison served on the board of the Wellesley Community Children's Center. She and her husband have lived in Wellesley for more than 26 years, where they raised their two grown children.

Deb has been the President of Friendly Aid since 2017 and served in various capacities before then. She worked for the federal government for forty years in human resources, including as a training officer, HR manager and an employee and labor relations officer.  After retiring, Deb volunteered with Jewish Family Services of Metrowest before joining the Friendly Aid board. A Harvard graduate, Deb is also a member of the Wellesley Club and Wellesley Neighbors.

Sally chairs Friendly Aid’s Public Housing Outreach Committee, which focuses on providing regular social activities for the residents of Wellesley’s three public housing sites for seniors and the disabled. In this role, Sally collaborates with local residents and area service organizations to engage the community in this volunteer experience.  Many of these residents live in isolation or have limited opportunities for socialization.  Sally also serves on the Nominating Committee and has been a volunteer for many school and community organizations including the Schofield PTO, Wellesley Service League and National Charity League, Inc., Sally now works as the volunteer coordinator for Wellesley’s Council on Aging. A graduate of the University of Rhode Island, Sally was previously employed in financial services. 

Katalin joined the board in 2020 shortly after retiring from a career as a tax professional – most recently as a senior manager at Ernst & Young, LLP.   Katalin serves as House Chair with responsibilities for the care and maintenance of the WFA House, Annex and related property. Katalin previously served as a board member and Treasurer of the Wellesley Community Children’s Center and volunteered for several years with EY’s College MAP program mentoring juniors and seniors at the Boston English High School in Jamaica Plain.  Since 2021, she has served as an AARP Tax-Aide volunteer preparing income tax returns for seniors at the COA in Wayland and for a broader range of taxpayers at Framingham’s SMOC (Southern Middlesex Opportunity Council).  She is a graduate of Boston College, Suffolk University Law School and Boston University Law School’s LLM Tax Program.

The newest member of the board, Christine has worked in academic administration in the STEM field for over 20 years at Harvard University, Smithsonian Institution, and Wellesley College.  Her outreach efforts have resulted in research training initiatives with the Cambridge Mayor's Office, University of Massachusetts, and the Fisk-Vanderbilt Masters-to-Phd Program. She has also raised awareness about STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) careers as a member of the Wellesley Public Schools Superintendent's Advisory Committee on STEAM.  She currently serves as the Head Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Coach at MassBay Community College.

Denise serves on the Financial Aid and Marketing Committees. She earned her BA and MBA degrees at Stanford University and retired from a career in the health care industry, having worked for companies ranging from Hewlett-Packard to most recently Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. Her prior volunteer experience in Wellesley includes participation on the town’s Trails Committee and a variety of roles at the Fiske School.

Karen co-chairs Friendship Circle, our social program for senior women. She is a long-time supporter of community organizations in Wellesley including PTOs, the Wellesley Cultural Council and the Wellesley Gardener's Guild.  She serves on the board of the Friends of the Wellesley Free Libraries.  A graduate of Vassar College, Karen spent years working at Boston University in the Development and Alumni Offices.

Kim serves on the Camp Committee.  She is currently a volunteer floral designer at the Museum of Fine Arts. Kim previously served as President of the Wellesley Service League and volunteered for several years at her daughters' schools.  Kim is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, Canada and worked as a litigator both in private practice and at the Canadian Department of Justice.

Duncan is the head of the Finance Practice Group at Sullivan & Worcester, LLP and provides legal advice to Friendly Aid.  Duncan also serves as the Friendly Aid Secretary and is on the Executive and the Governance and Nominating Committees. Prior to joining the Friendly Aid board, Duncan served on the Board of Trustees for the Boston Latin School Association and as co-head of their Audit Committee.  Duncan is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School.

Betsy co-chairs the Housing Outreach Committee with Sally Miller. She also co-chairs the Friendship Circle Committee with Karen Griswold.  Betsy was involved with the Wellesley Council on Aging for many years, first as a volunteer and most recently as a department/program assistant. She also served on the board of the Friends of the Wellesley Council on Aging.  Betsy has a B.A. in special education from Furman University and an M.Ed. in Special Education/Counseling from Boston College. Betsy worked as Education Coordinator/Director at the former Charles River Hospital in Wellesley. She is currently an SESP (Special Education Surrogate Parent) through the Federation for Children with Special Needs. 

Wendy is the Vice President of Wellesley Service League (WSL) and as such serves on the Friendly Aid Board. WSL partners with Friendly Aid on several programs and initiatives, including Friendship Circle, and makes a significant contribution to the Friendly Aid Camp Fund. Wendy has over 25 years of experience in education administration, having worked in the Wellesley College Office of Admission and Dana Hall Offices of Admission, Financial Aid and College Counseling. She earned her B.A. at Lake Forest College and her M.A. at Columbia University, Teachers College. She is a member and past president of the Wellesley Gardeners’ Guild and former board member of the Wellesley Historical Society.

Renee is a member of the Housing Outreach Committee.  She attended Framingham State University and worked for many years as an activity assistant for a local nursing home.  Renee serves as a Wellesley Housing Authority Commissioner and is on the Board of Trustees of the Mass Law Reform Institute. She is also a member of the Governors Housing Advisory Council and a member of The Wellesley League of Woman Voters.

Karen Mondell - Program Administrator
Karen has been the Program Administrator at Friendly Aid since 2010, and in that capacity is involved in all of the organization’s programs, services and operations.  She is knowledgeable about community resources in Wellesley and works closely with local social workers to assist our clients and provide referrals. Before joining Friendly Aid, Karen spent most of her professional career at Boston law firms doing legal recruitment and professional development.  A graduate of Goucher College, Karen lives in Newton and is a long-time volunteer at the Newton Food Pantry.