Golden Bridges 2023

Alison has responsibility for leading Tourism Ireland’s Marketing Strategy and Operations in the US, Canada & Australia. In June 2017, Alison also assumed responsibility for Tourism Ireland’s operations in Australia/New Zealand. She also serves as Chair of the European Travel Commission (ETC), USA Chapter since 2017. ETC is the non-profit organisation responsible for the promotion of Destination Europe as the worldwide number one tourist destination in third markets.

Drew O’Brien is a trusted communications advisor with deep experience counseling global corporate clients. Through decades of service in the public and private sectors, he has developed numerous specialties, including public affairs, crisis communications, strategic counsel, executive visibility and thought leadership.

Andrea Haughian is Executive Vice President and Head of Americas at Invest NI, Northern Ireland’s Economic Development Agency.

A recognized expert in Foreign Direct Investment, international trade, offshore development and global business expansion, Andrea Haughian has helped C-Level executives accelerate business growth, maximize profitability and facilitate recruitment, training and R&D.

Andrea’s experience spans a diverse range of sectors including creative and digital technology, financial services, legal and professional services, life and health sciences, green economy, manufacturing and global start-ups.

Andrea is proud to showcase the talents of home-grown companies and innovators and to enable entrepreneurs to make connections with advocates and influencers in challenging markets across the Americas.

Andrea is an advocate for the advancement of women and the promotion of diversity and inclusion in the workplace and is a long-time supporter of Young Enterprise. 

Andrea received the Global Recognition Award at the Digital DNA Awards 2019. The Global Recognition Award recognizes an individual who has made a significant impact on Northern Ireland’s digital and technology sector on a global scale. In 2021 Andrea received the Tom Moran Business to Arts Leadership Award for her success in building successful partnerships between the business sector and arts communities. Andrea is a past Irish Echo Top 40 Under 40 Awards honouree, has been named as one of Irish America’s Most Influential Women by the Irish Voice and is a proud recipient of the Belfast International Homecoming Ambassador medal.

Andrea is based in New York, is a graduate of Queen’s University, Belfast, has undertaken post-graduate programs in both San Francisco and Chicago and is a graduate of Cornell University’s Executive Leadership Programme.  

Andrew was appointed to his US Diplomatic Post in November 2019. He joined the Northern Ireland Civil Service in 1988 and the Senior Civil Service in 2000. His previous diplomatic post was as Head of the Office of the Northern Ireland Executive in Brussels from 2015 until November 2019, where a major priority related to the particular challenge of Brexit for the region of Northern Ireland.

From 2010 he was responsible for a programme of major reform to the delivery of EU Common Agricultural Policy grants and subsidies to farmers in the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Northern Ireland. As a result of this work, the exposure of the Department to financial correction by the European Commission was significantly reduced.

From 2005 until 2010, he was responsible for directing the development of population health policy in Northern Ireland, including the introduction of legislation to ban smoking in enclosed public spaces and the preparations for pandemic influenza.

From 2000 to 2004 he was Secretary to the Parades Commission with responsibility for providing senior advice to the Commission on the discharge of its duties and powers in relation to issues concerning human rights and the promotion of mediation and peacebuilding.

Brian Golden was born and raised in the Allston neighborhood of Boston. He graduated from The Boston Latin School, Harvard College, and the College of William and Mary School of Law. He received a graduate degree from the US Army War College.

After law school, Brian joined the US Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, where he served on active duty for more than three years. He returned to active duty multiple times after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He remained in the US Army Reserve, recently retiring after 30 years of service as a commissioned officer. Among his assignments, he represented disabled soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, participated in the NATO peace-keeping mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina, worked to reform detention operations in Iraq after the Abu Ghraib abuse scandal, and served as a legal advisor with the US Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority. At the Pentagon, he was an International and Operational Law Attorney in the Office of the Army Judge Advocate General, and he concluded his military career as Senior Legal Advisor to the Army General Counsel. 

In the administration of Mayor Martin J. Walsh, Brian served for more than eight years as Director of the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA), formerly known as the Boston Redevelopment Authority, and managed the largest building boom in Boston’s history. As the longest serving chief executive in the agency’s history, he focused on improving transparency, accountability, and community engagement, while increasing affordable housing, economic development, and climate resiliency across Boston’s neighborhoods. 

During his tenure, Brian guided more than 90 million square feet of development approvals through the BPDA’s permitting process, representing approximately $43 billion of investment, and supporting over 80,000 permanent jobs, over 90,000 construction jobs, and 46,000 additional induced (indirect) jobs.

Brian grew the BPDA’s planning capacity, overseeing completion of the first general city plan since 1965, Imagine Boston 2030, in addition to comprehensive neighborhood planning studies representing 30 percent of Boston’s land mass. As Director, Brian oversaw 20 million square feet of BPDA-owned property, including the Raymond L. Flynn Marine Park (RLFMP) and the Charlestown Navy Yard (CNY), prioritizing the use of public land for public good. 

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In July 2022, Brian traveled to Singapore to accept an international planning award on behalf of the City of Boston. The 2020 Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize honored Boston with a Special Mention based on the city’s holistic work on climate resilience, improving housing affordability and mobility options, and fostering civic participation. Boston was the only city in the United States honored in the 2020 prize cycle, and one of only four cities honored worldwide.

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Brian was elected four times to the Massachusetts House of Representatives, where he served the Allston-Brighton neighborhood of Boston. In the legislature, he focused on expansion of public charter schools as a response to under-performing traditional public school systems. He led a commission that worked to overhaul the mechanism by which the state funded public school buildings, and he played a leadership role in the defeat of a legislative attempt to restore the death penalty. 

Brian was the New England Regional Director at the US Department of Health and Human Services, Commissioner at the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Energy, and a Non-Executive Director at the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston. 

Brian and his wife, Kristin O’Connor Golden, are the parents of five children. They live in the Boston area.

Cathal Conlon is in his eighteenth season with the New England Revolution and his seventh in his current position as Vice President of Marketing and Community Engagement. Conlon oversees and directs all aspects of the Revolution’s marketing and community initiatives, including advertising, grassroots campaigns, promotional activities, fans’ in-stadium experience, charitable fundraising and the team’s overall branding efforts. He also serves as the primary point of contact for the team’s supporters groups, working with the organizations to increase membership and enhance the groups’ involvement with the club. 

Conlon joined the Revolution in 2006 and has served as an Account Executive on the ticketing staff, Customer Service/Inside Sales Manager and the Director of Marketing before being promoted to his current position. 

Conlon began his career in the golf industry, with positions at Brae Burn Country Club in Newton, Mass., Ring of Kerry Golf & Country Club in Kenmare, Ireland and Warwick Country Club in Warwick, Rhode Island. 

Conlon volunteers his time supporting the Irish community in Boston. He served as the Chairman of Irish Network Boston for 7 years and has been a member of the group since 2010. He also serves as member of the advisory board for the Rian Immigrant Center and the Marketing Advisory Board for the Sawyer School at Suffolk University. 

A native of Ardee, Ireland, Conlon attended Liverpool John Moores University and earned a degree in sports science in 1999.  He and his wife, Noreen, and their children Oliver and Lilly live in Boston. 

Gary Kerr is a Managing Director for Greystar Development Services in the Northeast region. Gary is responsible for managing new development projects and expanding the development pipeline for Greystar in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, as well as leading the new life sciences investment platform based in Boston. He leads the development of over 3,000 units of multifamily housing in the Boston and New York markets, as well as two million square feet of speculative life science and 400,000 square feet of speculative industrial opportunities in Boston. Previously, he served as a Managing Director of the Boston-based Cronin Development and a Senior Director at Tishman Speyer.

Gary has been active in the industry since 2005 and has managed multiple large-scale, ground-up developments of various asset classes including residential, office, and life science. He previously led the redevelopment of Boston’s iconic Pier 4 and worked on the master-planning entitlement of over one million square feet of commercial development in the Kendall Square submarket of Greater Boston.

Gary received a bachelor’s of arts in Business from Saint Anselm College as well as a bachelor’s of science in Mathematics from Queens University. He also earned a Master’s of Science in Construction and Real Estate from the University of Reading, and a Master’s of Business Administration from Boston College.

Eugene O’Flaherty was appointed to the role of Corporation Counsel for the City of Boston in January 2014. In his role as Corporation Counsel, Eugene was the chief legal officer for former Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, President Biden’s newly confirmed Secretary of Labor. Eugene served as a senior cabinet advisor to the Mayor of Boston and was responsible for providing high-quality and effective legal advice and representation on all legal matters involving the Mayor, Boston City Council, all City Departments and Boards & Commissions. In that role he managed an office of 60 Attorneys, paralegals and administrative staff. As a cabinet member, Eugene was also part of a mayoral administration whose work has resulted in the largest growth of development in Boston’s recent history.

Prior to his appointment, Eugene served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives for seventeen years and has been practicing law since 1994. Elected to the Massachusetts Legislature in 1996, O’Flaherty served on the Education Committee and as Vice-Chairman of the Banks and Banking Committee before being appointed to serve as the Chair of the House Judiciary Committee in 2002.

During his twelve-year tenure at the helm of the Judiciary Committee, Eugene was responsible for the drafting, review and implementation of the largest number of legislative proposals before the Massachusetts Legislature. He was the chief architect of the overhaul of impaired driving statutes, court reorganization legislation, stronger sex offender statutes, tougher penalties for violent habitual offenders, CORI reform and human trafficking.  Eugene also repeatedly defeated attempts to reinstate the death penalty in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

In addition to his legislative duties, Eugene served as a member of the House Leadership Team for more than a decade and under three successive Speakers of the House and played a pivotal role in advising, advocating for and polling the 160-member House on a wide variety of legislative issues involving economic development, education, health care, gaming, and revenue.

Eugene oversaw the legislation and led the discussions required for the implementation of the Goodridge decision, which legalized gay marriage, making Massachusetts the first state in the United States of America to do so and served as the House of Representative’s lead negotiator on a number of complex and high-profile conference committee negotiations with the Senate and Executive Branch.

Eugene spearheaded the sister city agreement between Boston and Belfast, Northern Ireland which results in annual exchanges and visits by elected officials and members of the business community and organized the Friendship Four Hockey Tournament that annually brings four American university teams to compete in Belfast for the BelPot Trophy during the Thanksgiving holiday. The tournament has been acknowledged as crucial in continuing initiatives to support the peace process there.

Known affectionately in Massachusetts political circles simply as “Gene-O”, Eugene was honored for excellence in his efforts by the Massachusetts Bar Association, Boston Bar Association, Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys, Massachusetts Legal Assistance, Children’s Trust Fund, Massachusetts Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Animal Rescue League to name a few.

Eugene is the youngest of five boys and the only member of his immediate family born in the United States. Eugene lives in Boston with his wife Patricia and their large extended families. Eugene is most proud of being a loving Uncle to his many nieces and nephews.

John is an attorney and the Boston chair of the Boston Belfast Sister City Initiative. Since 2014 he has helped to develop relationships between the many cultural, educational, community, and business sectors of both cities. A native of Chelsea, MA, John is a graduate of The College of the Holy Cross and Suffolk University Law School. 

Searching for a lawyer for immigration in Boston? Our principal attorney, John Philip Foley, is the grandson of an Irish immigrant who arrived on American shores in 1903 with 25 cents in her pocket. Like all immigrants, she overcame enormous challenges so her children and grandchildren could have a brighter future. At Foley Law Offices, we help people attain legal resident status or become citizens through the naturalization process.

As the grandson of immigrants, John takes great pleasure in assisting new immigrants to reunite with family members and assisting them in becoming US citizens. John understands the apprehension and fears some individuals feel when dealing with US immigration authorities so he, or an attorney from his staff, personally goes on all adjustment of status and citizenship interviews. John’s goal is to provide a level of personal hands-on legal service that cannot be surpassed.

Attorney John Phillip Foley in his office As a dual citizen of Ireland, John holds a European Community passport. He also lived in London, England for four (4) years where he was the editor of a weekly newspaper for lawyers.

Living in a foreign capital, John met and represented a number of clients who wanted to relocate to the US or just wanted to enter for a visit. When he returned to the US, John founded Foley Law Offices.

John has experience in dealing with all types of immigration visas and issues and has a track record of success. He offers hands-on, personal, and professional legal service.

Born and raised in Watertown, State Representative John Lawn graduated from Merrimack College in 1991. He has represented the 10th Middlesex District—which includes parts of Watertown, Waltham, and Newton—since 2011.

Lawn, whose parents came to Boston in the early 1960s — his mother from Sligo, and his father from Donegal — proudly carries on the traditions of his heritage as the Chair of the American Irish State Legislative Caucus. This year, under Rep. Lawn’s leadership, the Massachusetts delegation sent a group of more than 50 participants to Ireland to join legislators from every state to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

Additionally, Rep. Lawn serves as the House Chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. He lives in Watertown with his wife Shannon and five children. 

Kathryn Ellis is the Director for the UMass Innovation Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst .

UMass Amherst is the flagship of the five- campus system in Massachusetts.  With over 30,000 students in over 190 academic programs the University is a R1 University and ranked number 3 in Massachusetts for Research.

The Innovation Institute that Kathryn manages is the UMASS Industrial partnership office which harnesses the relationship between companies seeking innovation challenges and matching with our expert researchers to solve them. Part of her role is managing and promoting innovation space on campus for spin out companies both from the university and start-ups in the New England area and beyond.

Prior to joining UMASs Kathryn was Economic Development Director for the city of Newton where she managed large scaled commercial developments in the city and assisted over 4000 businesses. Prior to that Kathryn along with a business partner formed an economic development consultancy practice called EDAgency. Contracts included promoting the cities of Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, Bristol and Basel, Switzerland.

Kathryn is original from Belfast Northern Ireland and has lived in Boston for 30 years. Her career span has been involved in economic development and for 20 years of her career she was Vice President US East Coast for the SouthWest of England Regional Development Agency and was responsible for attracting large Northern American companies into the Region.  Kathryn holds a Bachelor Degree in Management and a MBA from Curry College, MA, she is currently completing her PhD in Educational Leadership at the University of Massachusetts. 

Kathryn is on the Board of the Boston Irish Business Association and past Board member of the British American Business Association.  She has helped organize multiple trade missions to Northern Ireland and Belfast is always a key city included in these programs.   Most recently in November 2022 Belfast welcomed two UMass Hockey teams (UMass Amherst and UMass Lowell)  as part of the Friendship Four Championships this visit also aligned with a visit by the Governor, Charlie Baker.  Kathryn also recently joined as US board member for the Friends of Young Enterprise Northern Ireland and is a keen advocate for helping career paths for the youth in Northern Ireland, she has welcomed multiple visits by Young Enterprise members at the UMass Boston Campus.    Kathryn’s proudest claim to fame is her Grandfather started Lavery’s in Shaftsbury Square and is now an iconic bar in the city.

Kevin has had a long and distinguished career in both the public and private sectors, serving with distinction in both appointed and elected offices at the local and state level. As the youngest person in the nation to be elected Mayor at that time, Kevin brought an entrepreneurial spirit to his role as the Mayor of the City of Lawrence, Massachusetts, emphasizing the importance of economic development and small business in the creation of good paying jobs. 

As a small business owner and the son of a celebrated local woman-owned business owner, Kevin understands that businesses flourish when employees are engaged and informed about how to create value and use all of their skills and talents to contribute to the organizational mission. This background informs Kevin’s work at Babson, where in his role as Vice President, Strategic Corporate Relations and Engagement and Off-Campus Operations, Kevin leads a team that introduces Babson’s unique approach to the academic discipline of Entrepreneurial Leadership to local and international government, corporate, health care, finance, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Kevin works closely with Babson faculty to bring certificate programs to lifelong learners everywhere has proven to be a game changer for all of the organizations benefitting from these programs, who see immediate and measurable improvements in employee morale, retention and organizational understanding.

Kevin has also served in high ranking corporate financial services roles, having been an Executive Director at JP Morgan Chase Bank and as Senior Vice President at Banco Santander, creating strategic business opportunities and significantly increasing market share and revenues.  Prior to his work in financial services, Kevin served in three Massachusetts gubernatorial administrations and held two state cabinet seats, Secretary of Administration and Finance and Secretary of Transportation and Construction.  Kevin served as the Mayor of Lawrence, MA from 1986 to 1993.

Kevin and his family are renowned for their philanthropy throughout the Merrimack Valley of Massachusetts, and Kevin has served on several boards and has received many awards for his work in community organizations, including Lawrence General Hospital, the Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence, and the Boy Scouts of America. A proud father of two and new grandfather, Kevin resides in Merrimac, Massachusetts. 

Boston Globe Bestselling author, Kyle Darcy was born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland, but relocated to Boston, Massachusetts, soon after graduating from Ulster University. Darcy’s novels, UNDER CURRENT CONDITIONS and UNDER THE IMPRESSION, draw strongly on his unique Trans-Atlantic perspective and colorful real-life experiences. 

As a speaker and presenter, Larry O’Toole creatively draws upon his experience leading the award winning Gentle Giant Moving Company for more than 30 years, as well as stories from his upbringing in Ireland, and competitive rowing career. With a rich personal style he creates engaging events and inspiring moments for audiences of all sizes and various backgrounds. He has a multitude of experiences addressing a variety of groups, from high school students interested in entrepreneurship, to employees seeking direction and vision,

to business owners and leaders looking to improve and enhance their own organizations. Each engagement highlights his unique ability as a spokesperson and leader.

A native of Ireland and 1973 engineering graduate of Northeastern University,
O’Toole was a rising executive when he quit his job to “escape corporate slavery.”
On a quest for start-up cash for a business of his own, the 6 foot 6 inch O’Toole
– the original Gentle Giant – was urged by his friends to add moving to his list of
odd jobs. In 1980, O’Toole founded Gentle Giant with a friend’s borrowed truck
and a $17 investment: a one-time ad in the Boston Phoenix. Gentle Giant Moving
Company has thrived in the 40 years since then, winning dozens of awards for
quality of service and its workplace practices and employing hundreds of workers who are proud to be called “Giants.”

O’Toole’s leadership has earned him recognition by The United States Small Business Administration as its Massachusetts Small Business Person of the Year and other accolades and recognition by business and civic organizations. He is competitive, disciplined, and persistent, priding himself on solving challenging situations with enthusiasm. O’Toole regularly leads new crew members in the famous Gentle Giant tradition of “running the stadium,” which involves scaling 37 seating sections at Harvard University’s roman-style coliseum.

Originally from Cork City, Ireland and now residing in Boston, Laura is the CEO of North America at HealthBeacon, a medication adherence technology company. HealthBeacon develops smart tools for managing medication. Previously, Laura was Executive Vice President, US Operations at RxCelerate, an outsourced drug development company. Prior to that, Laura was the Director of Business Development at MassBio (Massachusetts Biotechnology Council), onboarding almost 700 new companies in 4 years. Additionally, Laura is the President of the Boston Irish Business Association (BIBA). In 2018, Laura received the Irish Echo 40 Under 40 Award, as well as their Business Innovator Award. In support of early-stage innovation, Laura is a Mentor and Judge at MassChallenge within their Bridge to MassChallenge program, advising foreign companies on aspects of market entry and market intelligence as well as Sales, Marketing and Business Development strategy. Laura has been a BIBA Board Member for several years and was awarded the Boston Irish Business Young Leader Award in 2015. Laura is a proud member of the American Heart Association Boston Metro Board of Directors and is affiliated with many worthwhile organizations such as the Quincy Chamber of Commerce & the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate – 1787 Society. Laura is a three-time graduate of Northeastern University, holding a BSBA in Finance, a Master’s Degree in Innovation and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA). Laura is passionate about business, disruptive technology, economic development, international trade and investment, and innovation. She takes great pride in facilitating introductions and making connections across her vast, global business network.

Martina is the Founder of CHC Home Care, a boutique style home care agency that allowed people to remain safely in their homes while receiving nursing care. She grew the business organically to a multimillion dollar company until it was acquired by a publicly traded corporation in October 2020. Martina serves as Board Chairperson of the Irish Cultural Centre of Greater Boston and is the first female to hold this position.She’s an active member of the New England Council, Irish Network Boston, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and Co-founder of Mná Mheiriceá.

In 2019 she was an honoree at the Irish Echo Small Business Impact Awards honoring Irish American entrepreneurs and business leaders receiving the Care Ambassador Award. Martinahas a deep fondness for her beloved Co. Clare where she was born and raised. She is and avid outdoors person and has completed three Boston Marathons. She is currently an EMBA Candidate at Suffolk University’s Sawyer Business School. Martina resides in the Back Bay with her husband Craig. 

Her motto to live by is, “Goals are achieved through hard work, high standards and surrounding yourself with good people.”

Maureen Bennett represents life sciences and health care clients conducting global clinical trials and research collaborations. For more than 20 years, Maureen has advised life sciences companies, CROs (contract research organizations), academic medical centers, health care systems, patient focused organizations, and digital health companies on the contractual, regulatory, and ethical issues associated with clinical research.

Maureen regularly advises clients on emerging issues in clinical research, such as strategies to meet clinical trial diversity and health equity objectives, the design and implementation of compliant decentralized clinical trials and telemedicine networks, the structuring of patient recruitment programs, and the development of complex outsourcing arrangements between sponsors, CROs, and site management organizations. She has assisted several clients regarding the conduct of global trials for therapeutics and vaccines to address COVID-19.

Maureen also negotiates clinical trial agreements, reviews informed consents, and assists with interactions with and inspections by regulatory agencies, including the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

She also represents clients in the assessment and mitigation of regulatory risks and the negotiation of liability allocation arrangements in M&A, licensing, and other commercial transactions.

Maureen formerly served as co-chair of the Boston Bar Association’s Health Care Section. She was honorary co-chair for the 8th Annual Boston-Northwest Ireland Golden Bridges Conference 2022 and is a regular speaker at health industry conferences.

Maureen is a member of the national Board of Directors for Lambda Legal and is co-chair of the Jones Day LGBTQ+ affinity group. She is a member of the Boston College Women’s Softball Advisory Board.

Mary Sugrue is the Chief Executive Officer of the Partnership. Ms. Sugrue has been with the Partnership for 33 years, serving in many capacities before assuming the role of CEO in 2016. In her tenure, the Partnership has raised over $56 million, benefiting more than 640 schools, universities, and community development initiatives. Originally from Cahersiveen, Co. Kerry, she graduated from National University of Ireland Carysfort College Dublin with a degree in education and spent three years teaching primary school in Ireland. As an Irish teacher by training, she possesses a valued perspective for furthering the Partnership’s mission through impactful grants to schools, educational programs, and community development initiatives. Active in Irish America across the US, she has been honored by the Boston Irish Reporter, the Belfast Ambassador, and Irish Echo. Mary also engages with community initiatives in her adopted hometown of Boston. She supports Rian, the Irish Cultural Centre, the Boston College Global Leadership Institute, the Irish Pastoral Center, Irish Network Boston, and Boston Irish for Pride. She is an active member of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and the New England Council, a founding member of the Boston Friends of the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) and provides direction and support to the Durant Fellowship for Refugee Medicine at MGH Global Health as well as several local schools.

Michael Patrick MacDonald is the author of the New York Times Bestseller, All Souls: A Family Story from Southie and the acclaimed Easter Rising: A Memoir of Roots and Rebellion. He has won the American Book Award, a New England Literary Lights Award, and an award from the Gustavus Myers Center for the Study of Bigotry and Human Rights in North America. 

After losing four siblings and seeing his generation decimated by poverty, crime, addiction, and incarceration. MacDonald became a leading Boston organizer, launching anti violence initiatives including gun-buyback programs and support networks for survivors. He continues to work in Boston, Belfast, and North Inner City Dublin with survivor families, educators, and youth workers, using his restorative justice coalition-building curriculum, The Rest of the Story.

In 2019 he received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to teach at Queens University, Belfast. He is Professor of the Practice in Northeastern University’s Honors Program and writes and speaks on topics ranging from Race and Class in America to Transforming Trauma to Voice, Agency, and Leadership. 

Nuala McGowan is the Senior Director of Research Finance and Compliance for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the largest school at Harvard University. Nuala supports faculty and administrators in the management of sponsored programs. Nuala has been in Research Administration and Compliance for over 18 years, beginning her higher education career at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), with their Internal Audit division, before moving to Harvard University in 2007.  Nuala was the recipient of the Harvard Dean’s Distinction Award in 2013. 

After completing her education in business and finance, at the North West Institute in Derry, Nuala received her Morrison Visa and traveled to Boston in 1995. She began her career as a financial analyst with Staples, Incorporated, and advanced to a Senior Business Analyst position on their Y2K team. Nuala continued her career in corporate retail with two fortune 100 companies as a Senior Internal Auditor.

Nuala played Gaelic football for Tir na Nog LGFC for many years and was the recipient of the Boston GAA “All-Star” award in 2009. Nuala also played for the Eire Og Camogie Club for seven years and served as chairperson of the club for four years.

Nuala was born in Donegal Town, the daughter of Mary McGowan, and the late Eddie McGowan. Nuala is one of nine and has a sister living close by in New York. The remainder of her siblings reside in Donegal Town, and several play a role in operating their family business, Daytona Heavy Haulage. Nuala currently lives in Arlington, MA with her wife, Erin and two kids, Rónán and Méabh. 

Nuala was the recipient of the Golden Bridges Diaspora Ambassador Award in 2016. She served as an Honorary chair for the 2022 Annual Golden Bridges transatlantic conference and is a regular contributor to the conference.

Patrick Bench is the Founder of Benchmark Strategies. In this role, he provides public affairs and lobbying counsel to clients. Patrick specializes in economic development and procurement advisory services.

Patrick founded Benchmark Strategies in 2014 after years of leadership in executive government offices, specializing in economic development and international affairs.

Prior to launching Benchmark Strategies, Patrick served for five years as a Vice President of Public Affairs at Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications. Preceding Rasky Baerlein, Patrick served for five years in economic development roles in Governor Mitt Romney’s and Governor Deval Patrick’s Administrations, primarily as the Director of Business Development for the Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment (MOITI).

Patrick is a Bachelor of Political Science graduate from Providence College, with a Master of Public Administration from Suffolk University. He lives with his wife and daughters in Boston, Massachusetts.

Marty Meehan is the first undergraduate alumnus to lead the five-campus University of Massachusetts system. On July 1, 2015, he became the university’s 27th president after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and as chancellor of UMass Lowell.

President Meehan has an abiding belief in public higher education’s power to transform lives. At his presidential inauguration on Nov. 12, 2015, Meehan pledged to fight for UMass, which he called “the most important institution in Massachusetts in the critical areas of social mobility and economic growth.”

Born in Lowell, Meehan was one of seven children in a family where the importance of education was emphasized. After attending Lowell public schools, Meehan, a first-generation college student, graduated cum laude from UMass Lowell in 1978 with a degree in education and political science. He also earned a master’s degree in public administration from Suffolk University in 1981 and a juris doctor from Suffolk University Law School in 1986.

Meehan embraced a career in public service early in his life. He served as the deputy secretary of state for securities and corporations from 1986 to 1990. In 1991, he became first assistant district attorney for Middlesex County, managing a staff of more than 150, including 80 prosecutors, and establishing an innovative “priority prosecution” policy that targeted hardened criminals.

Seeing an opportunity to expand his public service commitment and to serve his nation, Meehan ran for U.S. Congress and was elected to represent the 5th Congressional District of Massachusetts in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992.

He served on the House Armed Services and Judiciary committees and established a national reputation for his legislative leadership, winning praise for his efforts to protect the public from the health risks of tobacco.

Meehan was a central figure in campaign finance reform efforts and a major sponsor of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, known as the McCain-Feingold Bill in the Senate and the Shays-Meehan Bill in the House.

After serving 14 years in Congress, Meehan was appointed chancellor of UMass Lowell in 2007. He made quality, diversity, access and affordability keystones of his vision to raise his alma mater’s reputation and impact. During his eight-year tenure, UMass Lowell’s enrollment grew by nearly 50 percent and the university climbed into the top tier of U.S. News & World Report’s best national universities rankings by improving its performance in every sphere of activity, including student success, fundraising and auxiliary revenue generation. His extraordinary achievements at UMass Lowell led to his appointment as president of the five-campus UMass system in 2015.

Rob McCarron serves as president and CEO of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts (AICU Mass). In this role, McCarron leads advocacy on behalf of the Commonwealth’s independent, non-profit colleges and universities on a host of issues affecting private, nonprofit higher education and the students they serve, including increased funding for need-based financial aid and efforts to foster greater collaboration between colleges and universities and the business community that employs hundreds of thousands of AICU Mass graduates. 

Prior to his appointment as CEO, McCarron served AICU Mass as its Senior Vice President and General Counsel, leading government relations and legal activities for AICU Mass. 

Prior to joining AICUM in 2006, McCarron served as Director of Legal Affairs for the Massachusetts House Committee on Ways and Means (2003-2006) and as Chief Legal Counsel for the Massachusetts House Joint Committee on the Judiciary. From 1999 to 2001, Mr. McCarron was counsel for MetLife Auto & Home Insurance Co., and from 1994 to 1999, he was an associate at Finneran, Byrne & Drechsler, L.L.P. 

McCarron received his Bachelor of Arts degree in business/management from Clark University and his Juris Doctor cum laude from Suffolk University Law School.  

AICU Mass represents 59 independent colleges and universities throughout the Commonwealth, educating more than 285,000 students each year and employing nearly 100,000. Our members include large nationally renowned research universities, smaller, highly regarded liberal arts colleges, religiously affiliated institutions, and colleges with special missions focused on business or music or allied health services. AICU Mass plays a critical role in advocating for college affordability, including state and federal funding for need- based student financial aid, federal research support and addressing state and federal legislative and regulatory issues. 

Ryan is a Co-Founder & Partner of Prism Benefits – an Employee Benefits firm on a mission to bring financial security to the American workforce. Statistically speaking, most working Americans are ill prepared for life’s uncertainties. Prism believes that Employers possess the power to correct this through thoughtfully designed Employee Benefits programs combined with proactive Employee Education & Accountability – Prism offers both alongside it’s benefits administration and compliance services and can also support its clients internationally through strategic alliances. 

Ryan is the current President of the Dedham Square Circle. The organization is a Main Streets-like non-profit that’s committed to invigorating the Central Business District in the Town of Dedham – Dedham Square – through increasing its economic prosperity, promoting its rich history, arts and culture, and aesthetically enhancing the Square’s physical environment to benefit the entire community. The organization recently received a COVID Hero’s Among Us Award from the Neponset Regional Chamber of Commerce for its response to assisting and guiding local businesses through the pandemic.

Ryan is the immediate Past President and Chairman of the Boston Irish Business Association (BIBA) and remains on the organizations Board of Directors. In his work with BIBA, he’s had the opportunity to travel as a delegate to Ireland on trade missions with the goal of building and strengthening trade relationships and diplomacy between Massachusetts, Ireland and Northern Ireland. He was honored by the Irish Echo News Paper – the largest and most widely-read Irish-American weekly in the US – with a 40 Under 40 Award in 2012 and with a Small Business Big Impact Award in 2019.

Ryan resides in Dedham, MA with his wife Kara and their three children.

Civic Organizations

Dedham Square Circle, President

Boston Irish Business Association (BIBA), Past President, Board Member

Town of Dedham, Town Meeting, District 7 Representative (Elected)

Sean, a resident of Boston, currently serves as the Staff Director to the Joint Committee on Election Laws in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Chaired by State Representative Daniel J. Ryan, the committee is responsible for the legislative portfolio relative to elections and campaign finance, within the Commonwealth. 

Prior to his current position as Staff Director, Getchell served as Director of Government and Legislative Affairs for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, and Legislative Aide to former State Representative Eugene O’Flaherty, Chair of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary, Massachusetts House of Representatives. 

Sean is a graduate of Boston College and lives in the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston. 

Sean Moynihan is a 1992 cum laude graduate of Providence College and a 2001 cum laude graduate of Suffolk University Law School’s evening division program. He was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in January 2002. He spent over a decade working in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, including positions as Counsel to the House Ways and Means Committee and Counsel to the House Majority Leader.

As Counsel to the House Ways and Means Committee, Sean analyzed legislative and budgetary proposals to make proper recommendations regarding state constitutional law, annual appropriation bills, inner workings of state agencies, and deciphering legal implications of funding proposals and amendments.  Public policy matters that Sean tackled on a daily basis included transportation, energy and the environment, life sciences/biotech, education, and the administration of justice in the Commonwealth.

In 2007 Sean founded The Moynihan Group, LLC, a Boston based boutique law firm specializing in government relations and public policy, corporate law, and transatlantic ventures.

Core services of the firm include legislative counsel, regulatory advocacy, procurement, business development, and business incorporation and compliance. The firm provides a strategic management style plan that is uniquely tailored to clients’ objectives. The firm has a history of representing clients in heavily regulated industries in Massachusetts.

The firm’s clients have included financial brokers, trade associations, universities, private security and public works related companies, non-profits, international service providers, international governmental bodies, international venture capital firms focused on high tech/innovation, and micro-mobility companies.

Sean is past President of Irish Network Boston (IN Boston) and is currently Vice President of Irish Network USA (IN USA). He also serves on the Irish International Immigrant Center’s (IIIC) Internship Advisory Panel working to identify employers for J-1 visa holders.

In the past, he served as “Connector” with the former Boston World Partnerships (BWP), a non-profit organization created by former Boston Mayor Tom Menino, and as a Trustee of the Irish Pastoral Centre in Boston.

Sean lives in Hingham, MA with his wife Lynn and their two children Maeve and Declan.