Our Executive Officers are Janet Dellea, Brian Trainor, Kristen Lavoie, Mariah Dellea and Bill Dunn. They bring experience from across key professions in business, education, finance, marketing and supply chain.

Our Board of Director members are Judy Burke, Karen Devereaux Melillo, Darlene Judge, Eileen Ryan, and Elizabeth Trainor. These treasured members bring their talents and expertise from academia, nursing and healthcare professions. We are grateful beyond measure that we have their engagement to assist with our mission.

Together, we bring a network of colleagues, friends and communities across multiple industries who have family and friends of today’s nurses or nurses who have passed, giving this mission a heartfelt purpose.

Brian Trainor, Vice President

Brian is a 28-year, veteran educator at Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School where he teaches Design and Visual Communications (DVC). Brian earned a Bachelor's Degree in Art from UMass Lowell and an MBA from Babson College.

Brian’s expertise in industry and as an educator is broad having led the development of the statewide, DVC Curriculum Framework; partnered with MassArt; Montserrat College of Art; Fitchburg State College; Northern Essex Community College and, Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators (MAVA) on critical topics, as well as a consultant to DESE.

Prior to becoming a teacher, Brian was a designer, project/account manager serving clients in the Mass and NJ. He established Access Marketing and Creative Group which provided graphic design and marketing services to many Mass based companies as well as the National Park Services, most notably the UMass Lowell River Hawks brand/logo in1994, the Lowell Lock Monsters brand/logo in 1997 and the Lowell Folk Festival brands/logos from 1998-2006.

Kristen Lavoie, Vice President, Public Relations & Marketing

Kristen is an award winning marketer and leader. Currently working as a Vice President for Product Marketing for Citizens, Kristen is also pursuing her MBA from the D’Amore McKim School of Business at Northeastern University. The most important job Kristen has, however, is her role as “Mom” to her 3 year old daughter and 1 year old son.

Kristen is a cousin, niece, granddaughter, and friend to nurses, and considers them to be superheroes. She is passionate about ensuring their light is celebrated and honored, and contributes her time on this project in honor of her dear cousin Melissa and Memere, Rita.

Mariah Dellea, Treasurer

William Dunn, Secretary

Bill Dunn brings a special dedication to Flags for Nurses Project as he is the older brother of Melissa and the eldest grandchild of Rita, both nurses who have passed and for whom this project was founded for. 

Bill is a Supply Chain leader at Staples with over 25 years of experience. His background in supply chain, fulfillment and delivery operations provides a valuable contribution to the team. Bill is also a certified Master Black Belt. He trains leaders in the use of Lean Six Sigma principles to successfully reduce costs & maximize profits through operational improvements.  

In his spare time, he enjoys boating, golfing as well as following New England sports teams. Bill resides in Seabrook Beach, NH with his wife of 30 years, Kelly and their mini-Australian Shepard, Skye.  He is the proud dad to Kyle and his fiancé Courtney of Seabrook, NH and Ryan and his wife Brianna of Nashua, NH.

Mariah Dellea is an accomplished professional with extensive experience in supply chain management and leadership roles at Raytheon, GE and her current employer Thermo Fisher Scientific. The last 5 years of her career have been specifically focused on fulfillment in both the aviation and healthcare spaces. She holds a Masters in Supply Chain Management from Penn State University as well as a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Northeastern University.  In her spare time Mariah is a doting aunt to her niece and nephew and enjoys golf and travel.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Judy Burke, VP Middlesex Community College

Judy Burke is the Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Workforce Development at Middlesex Community College where she oversees College Advancement, Corporate and Community Education and Training (all noncredit offerings on and off campus) and the Adult Learning Center.

Prior to joining the college, Burke completed the Contract Management Development Program (CMDP) at Raytheon.  She worked as a Contract Administrator in the then Missile Systems Division, working specifically on the Patriot Missile Program with the United States Army. 

Judy is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell with an MA degree in Education Administration. She sits on the Board of Directors of the Middlesex 3 Coalition and the Greater Lowell Workforce Board.

Darlene Judge, BS Psychology

Darlene Judge spent her career in a variety of social services roles, all involving direct client advocacy and engagement for those in need of help and assistance.

After completing college she began her career as a residential program educator and counselor for children with emotional disabilities. While working in this field, she also took on various roles for the Rape Crisis Center of Lowell as an intervention advocate as well as a member of the Board of Directors. Additionally, she worked as a hospice volunteer, directly engaging with end of life clients and providing them comfort and friendship. Darlene recently retired and works part-time as an in-home companion for the homebound.

Eileen Ryan, RNC, IBCLC

Eileen attended State University of New York College of Technology @ Utica / Rome, Utica, New York and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in nursing, May 1980.  She has been employed at The Noreen Stonor Drexel Birthing Center at Newport Hospital in Newport, RI since November 1986.  Eileen is Certified by NCC in Inpatient Obstetrics, an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant; is an RTS Perinatal Bereavement Counselor; and, worked in the New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center Department of Pediatrics prior to joining Newport Hospital. 

Eileen’s responsibilities include care of mothers and newborns during the antenatal, labor, delivery, recovery, and postpartum periods.  Eileen ensures coordination of patient care with obstetric and pediatric providers from admission through discharge.  She is a preceptor to Registered Nurses new to the Birthing Center and Senior level Salve Regina University Registered Nurse students and is an EPIC subject Matter Expert and Birthing Center Representative for the implementation of EPIC, electronic medical record and continues as a resource for other staff members.  As a lactation consultant she is responsible for assisting mothers and newborns establish and maintain a successful breastfeeding experience.  She conducts audits and educates staff to adhere to Baby Friendly USA guidelines to maintain Baby Friendly USA designation, a multistep process that takes approximately one year to complete and is renewable every 5 years

Elizabeth Trainor, ADN, RN 

Elizabeth Trainor graduated from Rivier University in 1992. She has worked as a RN is various care settings including hospital, long term care, home care and schools. For the past 20 years she has worked in Dermatology both as a nurse and Practice Manager. 

She recently completed her certification as an End Of Life Doula and will be volunteering with a local hospice agency.