BOSTON, MA – On Monday, March 28, the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute (LDBPI) officially announced its new, all-female Board of Directors during the last days of Women’s History Month. As an organization that was founded and is led by women, this is an especially proud moment for the survivor-led organization.
The new board members are the first of a brand new slate even as the LDBPI maintains strong ties with the previous Board members, some of whom served for many years. Co-Executive Directors Alexandra Chéry-Dorrelus and Rachel Rodrigues expect to name three to five additional board members in the coming months and are excited by the strong start of these first three, who will all serve as officers. Chéry-Dorrelus and Rodrigues added that the fact of this group being all women was a coincidence and that they were all chosen based strictly on their qualifications and capacity to serve the survivor community.
Dr. Cecilia M. Cardesa was born and raised in Argentina and grew up during the nation’s Dirty War. Dr. Cardesa is the founder of TraumaVenture, which she launched in 2016 to humanize trauma and destigmatize mental health conditions. In 2020, Cecilia founded MappingOnward which is a digital journal, mainstreaming healing. Cecilia is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania where she acquired both her doctoral and master’s degrees. She holds a master’s degree in Holocaust and Genocide Studies from West Chester University of Pennsylvania and studied political science as an undergraduate student at Villanova University. Cecilia humbly, joyfully and proudly began her academic journey in community college. Dr. Cardesa’s professional work, academic scholarship and personal compass guiding her trauma repair and healing are rooted in forgiveness, peace and hope. She will serve as Chair.
Beth Dill is currently retired after being in Finance and Operations at several companies. Her last position was COO/CFO of Stone Temple Consulting, a digital marketing agency, which was sold to Perficient Digital in July 2018. She is currently on the Bethany Hill Board and Chair of Board of Southborough Community Fund. In addition to her volunteer work, she does some financial consulting in the nonprofit sector and teaches weaving. Beth and her husband Eric have lived in Southborough for the past 27 years and have raised three children. Beth will serve as Treasurer.
Cheryl Lang is a public health practitioner with a passion for injury prevention. She currently serves as Program Manager to the Stepping Strong Injury Prevention Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, after having served as the Program’s Project Manager for the previous two years. In this role, she assists in developing the Injury Prevention Program, enhancing collaboration efforts among Brigham’s existing injury prevention initiatives, establishing external partnerships, and managing the program’s current initiatives. Cheryl comes to the Brigham from Boston Children’s Hospital and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, where she focused on integrating poison prevention strategies into community public health initiatives. Cheryl received her Bachelor of Science and Master of Public Health degrees at Boston University. She will serve as Board Clerk.
Members are expected to serve up to 3-year terms, and their very first order of business will be to examine and revise the by-laws.
Girls Leadership Academy As we close out Women’s History Month, LDBPI is also proud to lift up the Girls Leadership Academy. Directed by Janice Johnson, Healing and Support Services Manager, Girls Leadership Academy (GLA) is a quest to help girls 10-22 who may be experiencing or healing from trauma in their lives, build a toolbox of skills to promote leadership and confidence. GLA focuses on building leadership through highlighting strong leaders, helping girls discover their passion, and teaching them life skills for self-care and stress management. Girls Leadership Academy partners with elected officials, local businesses, and universities to identify mentors, access to education, and gateways to career opportunities for young women and girls.