New Horizons Board of Trustees

Christine Coakley
Phillip Beltz, M.S.W.

A seasoned leader in housing and municipal affairs, Phillip dedicated 11 years to managing housing and human services initiatives for the city of Philadelphia. He was named director of Winchester’s Council on Aging and Jenks Center in 2016. In this role, he is charged with senior program development and implementation as well as grant writing and administration, and clinical staff oversight. Phillip graduated with honors from Towson State University before earning a M.S.W. in health policy from University of Pennsylvania. He lives in Boston and serves his community as a volunteer for Old South Church and Rosie’s Place.

Barbra Graham
Joyce Cummings (treasurer)

A former hospital dietician, Joyce is also co-founder of Cummings Foundation. She has served as a Foundation trustee since its founding in February of 1986, and has been a trustee and treasurer of New Horizons at Choate since it was established. Joyce was formerly a trustee of Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and a director of Hospice Care, Inc. and Cummings Properties. She also previously served as women’s golf chairperson at Winchester Country Club and president of ENKA Society, a women’s service club in Winchester.

Vanessa Johnson
William Cummings (chair)

Founder of Cummings Properties, Bill is also founder and president of New Horizons. He is a trustee emeritus of Tufts University and a former overseer of Tufts Medical School, as well as a former director of both Winchester Hospital and Tanners National Bank, and a former member and chairman of the Winchester Planning Board. Bill founded and was publisher of three area newspapers: Woburn Advocate, Winchester Town Crier, and Stoneham Sun, and is a long-term honorary director of Jamie McKeown Boys and Girls Club of Woburn. He is the author of Starting Small and Making It Big: A Lifetime of Lessons in Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy.

Vanessa Johnson
Marie Lingblom

A lifelong Woburn resident and Woburn Memorial High School graduate, Marie worked for more than a decade as an award-winning journalist for local publications, including Woburn Advocate and Boston Business Journal. She transitioned in 2009 to become assistant to former mayor Scott Galvin, and was appointed director of Woburn Council on Aging and Senior Center in 2020. Marie remains focused on delivering meaningful programs and services for Woburn residents aged 60 and older. She has also served as a Cummings Foundation volunteer for more than 10 years.

Vanessa Johnson
Heather Maguire

Heather is a Boston University graduate who hails from Bridgton, Maine. A former member relations associate with Woburn Business Association, she was appointed executive director in 2016. In this role, she met with business owners and professionals in Woburn and the surrounding area to promote and support business in the community, and connected local businesses with area nonprofits. Heather now operates her own business, Unconventional Intuitive. She and her husband, Edward, have lived with their two children in Woburn since 1998.

Vanessa Johnson
Mary Beth Mawn, Esq.

Mary Beth, a lifelong Woburn resident, graduated from Woburn Memorial High School and Wheaton College before earning a J.D. from Suffolk Law School and LL.M from Boston University. She has spent her entire career as an attorney with the Woburn law firm Mawn & Mawn, where she specializes in estate planning. Mary Beth and her husband, retired Woburn Police chief Robert Ferullo, have two sons. In serving on the board, she follows in the footsteps of her father, Tom Mawn, and uncle, Jim Mawn.

Vanessa Johnson
Dennis McElhiney

Dennis graduated from Woburn Memorial High School before earning a B.S. in history and M.S. in education from the former Boston State College. A lifelong Woburn resident, he made his career as a social studies teacher at Woburn Memorial High School until his retirement in 2006. He remains a dedicated public servant, working as a part-time substitute teacher at Woburn High. Among his many interests are politics, current events, sports, traveling, and trivia. Dennis lives in Woburn with his wife, Barbara, and is the proud father of two and grandfather of five.

Vanessa Johnson
Suzanne Norton, L.S.W.

During her 20 years in the human services field, Suzanne has worked with school-aged children and those with developmental disabilities as well as older adults. She is currently employed as a geriatric social worker and certified dementia care practitioner at Winchester’s Jenks Center. Born in El Salvador, Suzanne was separated from her parents during the 12-year civil war. She was adopted by a loving family from Wilmington, where she continues to reside with her husband and three children. In her leisure time, Suzanne plays piano and guitar, attends yoga and meditation class, and cherishes spending time with her family.

Vanessa Johnson
Joyce Vyriotes (clerk)

Joyce began her career doing sales and marketing for Boston Duck Tours before moving to Arizona, where she spent a decade in fundraising and patient services for nonprofits. The Melrose native joined Cummings as marketing manager in 2010, and gradually established a communications department that supports both Cummings Properties and Cummings Foundation. Joyce was appointed Foundation executive director in 2021, although she remains employed by Cummings Properties and retains her responsibilities as director of communications and marketing for the commercial real estate firm. A Mount Holyoke College alumna, she holds a M.S. in integrated marketing communications from West Virginia University and lives in Reading with her husband, Paul.


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Both New Horizons are strictly not-for-profit communities owned by Cummings Foundation, one of the largest private foundations in New England. Cummings Foundation awards more than $30 million annually, and has awarded more than $500 million to date to support greater Boston nonprofits.