Jackie Coogan, MA PTA Health Chair Welcomes All to Health Summit

Welcome to our photo gallery from our first Health Summit! We are so pleased to be sharing these images of our presenters, sponsors, vendors, speakers and attendees.

Please share with us any health, safety and wellness initiatives that you may be involved with. If you have any inquiries or want additional information contact Jackie Coogan, MA PTA Health Chair.

Sponsors and Exhibitors

Our partners and sponsors play a vital role in supporting the work MA PTA does for children. The entities listed below have pledged significant commitments to MA PTA.

Our highest level of corporate commitment, our Sponsors make an annual investment in MA PTA which helps power key programs and services. We are especially grateful for their support and invite you to learn more about each of them.

Diamond Level Sponsor

Gold Level Sponsor

Bronze Level Sponsor

Hallmark Health-North Suburban Child & Family Resource Network

Mass Chapter AAP Immunization Initiative

East Boston Neighborhood Health Center

Gem Level Sponsor

The New Balance Foundation Billion Mile Race

Rejjee, Inc.

Speakers – 2016 Health Summit

Morning Keynote Speakers

Mary Ann Gapinski, MSN, RN, NCSN

Mary Ann is the Director of School Health Services for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.  In this role, she is  responsible for the overall delivery of health services provided by school nurses and other school health personnel, in both the Commonwealth’s private and public schools.  She currently serve on numerous statewide committees to address school health services in Massachusetts, including the Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative Advisory Council, the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics Mental Health Task Force and the School Health Committee.  She has served as President of the National Board of Certification for School Nurses and  been the lead presenter for the National Association of School Nurses in school health services at national conferences. She has authored several publications related to school nursing practice. She has been working in the area of school health for over 20 years. She is the mother of three grown daughters and grandmother of a charming 15 month old grandson. 

Ayanna Pressley

Ayanna Pressley’s career has been marked by history-making campaigns and a relentless determination to advance a policy agenda focused on girls and women, breaking cycles of poverty and all forms of violence, and reducing trauma in our communities. Pressley was first elected to the Boston City Council on November 3, 2009, becoming the first woman of color ever to do so. In 2011, she became the first woman in 30 years and the first person of color ever to top the ticket. On the trail and in the office, Pressley doesn’t shy away from sharing her story as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and sexual assault as a college student. Pressley founded and Chairs the City Council’s Committee on Healthy, Women, Families, and Communities and has built broad and diverse coalitions to advance lasting, meaningful reforms to complex social issues like teen  pregnancy and trauma. Pressley is an Aspen-Rodel Fellow in Public Leadership (2012) and a Truman National Security Project Partner (2012).

Erin Wholey

Erin Wholey is a registered dietitian at the New England Dairy & Food Council (NEDFC).  She started her career at Boston Children’s Hospital, and has been working at NEDFC for 6 years.  She has a degree in Dietetics from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and completed her dietetic internship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.  Erin works with schools across Massachusetts through Fuel Up to Play 60, the nation’s largest in-school wellness program.  A partnership with National Dairy Council and the National Football League, in collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture, Fuel Up to Play 60 empowers students to lead healthy changes in their schools that increase access to healthy eating and physical activity.  Grants are available through Fuel Up to Play 60 to help schools make healthy changes. Erin loves seeing the increased  confidence in students when they gain leadership experience through Fuel Up to Play 60 and start making healthier choices for themselves and their schools!

Luncheon Keynote Speakers

Massachusetts Senator Sal DiDomenico

Senator Sal DiDomenico has proudly served the communities of Everett, Chelsea, Charlestown, as well as parts of Allston-Brighton, Cambridge, and the West End of Boston as State Senator for the Middlesex and Suffolk District of Massachusetts since May of 2010.  Since his election to the State Senate, Senator DiDomenico has been a vocal advocate of ensuring high quality and accessible early education for children in the Commonwealth, improving economic opportunity for working families, and providing world-class healthcare for all children and their families in Massachusetts. The Senator currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.  Through his Vice Chairmanship, Senator  DiDomenico holds a position in Senate President Stan Rosenberg’s leadership team. During his tenure in the State Senate, Senator DiDomenico has filed several major pieces of legislation that have been signed into law focusing on issues of community development, education, children’s health, election laws, human services, and public safety.  Senator DiDomenico is a graduate of Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School and earned his B.A. in Business Administration from Boston College. Sal and his wife Tricia, a special education teacher, reside in Everett with their two sons, Matthew and Sal.

Session Presenters:

Devin Armstrong (Session 1 Moderator)

Devin Armstrong is a graduate of Bridgewater State University, with a degree in political science/public administration concentration. In July of 2014, Devin became the country’s first LGBTQ Chair to sit on a state PTA Board of Directors. He also serves as MA PTA’s representative on the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education AIDS Advisory Panel.

Ilene Sharp (Session 1 Panelist)

Ilene has taught Health and Wellness for the last 23 years in the Wellesley Public Schools.   She is currently teaching Nutrition and Food Preparation, Substance Abuse Prevention and Sexuality Education classes to middle school students.  Ilene has recently worked with Greater Boston PFLAG to organize and design workshops about “Gender Identity and Expression” for the staff at Wellesley Middle School.

Dr. Erik Champy (Session 1 Panelist)

Dr. Champy has been an educator for more than 25 years in public education.  His experience spans from preschool through graduate school.  Erik has served as a teacher, guidance counselor, student teacher supervisor, and adjunct professor.  He has served as the President of the Massachusetts PTA, President of the Salem State University Alumni Association, and State Director for the National Education Association.  In May, Dr. Champy was elected Vice President of the Massachusetts Teachers Association.

Jeff Perrotti (Session 1 Panelist)

Jeff Perrotti is the Director of the Massachusetts Safe Schools Program for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQ) Students.  He is the co-author with Kim Westheimer of the book, When the Drama Club is Not Enough. Jeff also teaches and advises students at Harvard University, where he has received several awards for excellence in teaching.

Mary A. Haggerty (Session 2)

Mary Haggerty is part of a leadership team that works with WGBH’s television and interactive productions to develop new educational initiatives and engagement campaigns that leverage the power of media to promote learning for children, parents, and educators. Ms. Haggerty develops partnerships with national and international education organizations and state agencies.

Maria Melchionda (Session 3)

Maria Melchionda’s experience has included teaching in the public schools as an elementary and adapted physical educator; presently Chair of the National SHAPE America Society of Association Management. She is presently the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (MAHPERD).

Claudia Brown (Session 3)

Claudia holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master’s in Education, with administrative licensure.  She has been teaching physical education and health in the North Reading Public Schools for eighteen years, leading curriculum development in health and physical education for the last five. Claudia has served on the MAHPERD board for four years as Health Advocacy Vice President, Vice President of Health, and President-elect.

Sarah Sparrow Benes’ EdD, CHES , Ret AT (Session 3)

Sarah is a Senior Director and Lecturer in Graduate Health Sciences at Merrimack College. Sarah received her BS in Athletic Training from the University of Connecticut, a Master in Education and Doctorate in Curriculum and Teaching from Boston University and is currently working on an MPH.

Stephanie Guyotte (Session 4)

Stephanie Guyotte is the director of Programs and Outreach for Middlesex Partnerships for Youth in the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.  In this role, Stephanie develops prevention and intervention programs and resources for students, parents and educators on topics including internet safety, teen dating abuse, substance use, bullying and other areas, and regularly presents to varied audiences on these topics.  Stephanie has a Bachelor of Science degree from Emerson College.

Phil Fogelman (Session 5)

Phil Fogelman has been developing, advancing, and presenting education programs for more than 30 years.  Since 1998, he has been serving as Director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) New England’s A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE^® Institute, a national anti-bias and diversity training and education program.   In addition, Phil has served as a member of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Safe Schools Initiative and is a member of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association’s Educational Athletics Advisory Committee.

Laura Burati (Session 6)

Laura is the Program and Training Manager for an internationally known physical activity program that is getting kids moving all over the world!  When Laura is not traveling around the country leading trainings to educate about the importance before school physical activity (and BOKS), she teaches the program at her local Massachusetts elementary and middle schools.  Laura is a certified personal trainer as well as CrossFit Level 1 and CrossFit Kids Certified.

Linda Brown (Session 7)

Linda Brown, MBA, has been the Program Coordinator for the Head Injuries and Concussions in School Athletics Initiative at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health within the Division of Violence and Injury Prevention for the past five years and works on all implementation activities of the MDPH sports concussion regulations.

Kathleen Thornton (Session 7)

Kathy currently serves as an Athletic Trainer and the Team Leader for Injury Prevention / Ergonomics / Occupational Health at Southcoast Health System in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Prior to taking on this role, she spent 25 years as the Athletic Trainer at Bishop Stang High School.

Erin Wholey (Session 8)

Erin Wholey is a registered dietitian at the New England Dairy & Food Council (NEDFC).  Erin works with schools across Massachusetts through Fuel Up to Play 60, the nation’s largest in-school wellness program.  A partnership with National Dairy Council and the National Football League, in collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture, Fuel Up to Play 60 empowers students to lead healthy changes in their schools that increase access to healthy eating and physical activity.

Jeff Perrotti (Session 9)

Jeff Perrotti is the Director of the Massachusetts Safe Schools Program for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQ) Students.  He is the co-author with Kim Westheimer of the book, When the Drama Club is Not Enough. Jeff also teaches and advises students at Harvard University, where he has received several awards for excellence in teaching.

Rebecca Vanucci (Session 10)

Rebecca Vanucci is the Immunization Outreach Coordinator for the MDPH Immunization Program. In that role, Rebecca plans the strategic educational outreach to providers, patients, and the larger community about immunizations. Rebecca received her Master’s Degree in the History of Environment, Technology, Health and Medicine from Rutgers University/NJIT.