Our Board of Directors: Biographies

Officers

President: Kevin A. Kozak
Cutler Associates, Inc (www.cutlerassociatesinc.com)

Kevin works with Cutler Associates, Inc. of Worcester as a Design Project Manager. He has worked with the company for nine and a half years since his graduation from Virginia Tech. He volunteers significant amount of his expertise on community services design projects. Kevin works with not-for-profit organizations like Eagle Hill School and Rainbow Child Development Center. He has also volunteered with Worcester Shines, Dynamy Inc. and Children's Friends.

In 2006, Kevin won the "Forty under 40" award from the Worcester Business Journal for his potential and achievements as a business leader. Kevin believes that as business community leaders, volunteering is an important way to set a positive example for others to follow, and brings a fresh perspective to the Employment Options Board.

Vice President: Todd McDonald
Aisling Partners Insurance Brokerage, LLC (www.aisling-partners.com)

Todd has served on the Board of Options since 2002, most recently as President. Mr. McDonald is the President of Aisling Partners Insurance Brokerage, LLC, an independent resource in the health and welfare marketplace which specializes in the area of employee benefits.

Todd incorporates his passion for helping people and developing friendships into his every day practice. He remains very active in the Insurance and Financial Services industry as well as in his local community and will continue to sit on Boards of Directors on both local and state levels.

Treasurer: Matthew Hutt, CPA
Alexander, Aronson & Finning & Co., P.C. (www.aafcpa.com)

A Partner with the regional accounting firm of Alexander, Aronson, Finning & Co., P.C. headquartered in Westborough. Matt services nonprofit organizations in several industries, with a specialization in the health care and community development industries. Matt has been on Employment Options Board since 2002, and currently serves as its Treasurer.

Directors

John A. Haas, Ph.D.

Management Strategies Group (www.managementstrategiesgroup.com)

John is the principal at Management Strategies Group, a consulting firm he founded in 1987. He works with a wide variety of small and mid-sized nonprofit and for-profit organizations to develop and implement practical and creative initiatives to improve organizational effectiveness and shape organization culture. Employment Options first interacted with John to use his expertise to analyze the agency's organization structure.

His continued interest in the agency brought him to the Board in 2003. John heads the strategic planning committee on the board where he wishes to work closely with Options members, management and staff to develop and implement compelling organizational strategies, structure and processes to more effectively pursue the agency's vision and mission.

Leon Knapp
Retired Management Consultant

Leon Knapp, a retired management consultant, joined the Board in 2006. As a partner with a national consulting firm and, later, as founder and principal consultant with his own firm, Leon worked with corporations and non-profit organizations in business process improvement and information technology.

As a volunteer, Leon helped immigrant families to become assimilated into the community. He focused on assisting newcomers improve their language and job-hunting skills. Leon's experience helping immigrants is a great asset for the Employment Options board, as we diversify our services to serve the needs of low-income immigrants in the HealthCare field.

James Newkirk
Retired Businessman

Jim is a retired businessman with training and experience as a therapist.  He brings more than twenty-five years experience in leadership, organization and team building to the Board.  The position from which he retired was Chairman and CEO of a business-to-business software company, DNS Worldwide, Inc.  Jim has also had significant experience in the consulting industry developing strategic plans for large transportation companies.

After his retirement in 2000, Jim spent a year at the Harvard Medical School as a Clinical Fellow in the Zinberg Training Program in the Addictions.  He currently uses that training to work with recovering addicts and alcoholics.

William O’Brien, MSW
UMass Memorial Behavioral Health Systems (www.umassmemorial.org)

Executive Director of the UMass Memorial Behavioral Health System, Mr. O'Brien has had over thirty years experience working in and directing mental health and social service delivery systems. Bill is familiar with continuums of care and with the local, state and federal revenue and oversight programs that support them. Bill has been on the Options Board for four years, and serves on the finance and building committees. Bill and his family live in Southborough Massachusetts.

Christopher Robbins
University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute (www.donahue.umassp.edu)

Mr. Robbins is Director of Corporate Training and Education at the UMass Donahue Institute. He is responsible for providing executive education programs and management consulting services to corporations including the healthcare industry. He formerly served as Dean for the Center of Continuing Education at Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester, Massachusetts and as Director of Corporate Education at Suffolk University of Boston.

Chris serves on the Board of Directors of Alliance Health, Inc., Newton. He served on the Board for the Corridor Nine Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Capital Budget Committee for the Town of Southborough.  He has a B.A. Degree from Defiance College of Defiance, Ohio and holds a Masters Degree from Suffolk University. 

Charlotte Weeden-West
Marlborough Co-Operative Bank (www.bankatmcb.com)

Toni Wolf
Employment Options, Inc.

As Executive Director of a rehabilitation agency since 1989, Toni Wolf has provided leadership and a forward looking anticipatory approach to respond to the needs of individuals with mental illness. In 1994 Toni Wolf received an award from the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health for outstanding service, advocacy and dedication to the delivery of high quality mental health care.

Her consistent enthusiasm for the "clubhouse philosophy", and her twenty five years of experience in rehabilitation have allowed her to support consumers, families and staff to achieve recovery and growth.

Toni is now taking her knowledge and expertise and expanding Employment Options' services towards helping families to achieve economic security by focusing on workforce development.