Tom Shirk Takes the Helm as Board Chair

Silver Lining Mentoring (SLM) is proud to introduce our 2023 Board of Directors! As volunteers and donors, Board members are some of Silver Lining’s biggest champions. We thank all the members who have served our organization over these past few years and welcome several new members to the Board.

With the turn of the new year, long-time champion of SLM Anne Bowie completed her term as Board Chair. Anne’s deep commitment to child welfare, thoughtful approach to organizational growth, and steady leadership in helping Silver Lining navigate the turbulence of the pandemic have been deeply appreciated by the SLM community. We are incredibly grateful to Anne for her unwavering dedication to youth impacted by foster care in both her personal and professional lives. A true leader, Anne will remain on the Board in an advisory capacity.

Long-time SLM mentor Danielle Halderman has also stepped down from the Board after more than a decade of service. We are grateful to Danielle for her conscientious stewardship of Silver Lining’s finances as former Board treasurer, and we look forward to continued connection with Danielle and her mentee moving forward.

Tom, Colby, and Felipe smile at the camera while standing on a beach as the sun sets, 2022

Left to right: Tom Shirk, Colby Swettberg, and Tom’s husband Felipe Lara at a 2022 SLM fundraiser they hosted in Miami.

Stepping into the role of Board Chair is Tom Shirk, founder and president at Race Point Advisors & the White Porch Group. A committed volunteer and donor, Tom has been an active member of the Silver Lining community for many years. Most recently, Tom served as Board Vice-Chair and Co-Chair of the 2022 Match Gala Committee.

Tom’s care and compassion for young people was clear from the moment he was introduced to Silver Lining when he generously offered to host a retreat for our youth. Since then Tom & Felipe generously host the annual SLM youth retreat at their inn in Provincetown, where Tom rallies local business owners to donate tours, meals, and local adventures to ensure that SLM’s youth come away with fabulous experiences and memories to last a lifetime.

“Personally and professionally, Tom is a connector and a mentor. He knows how to involve people in the causes he cares about, and he has served as an informal mentor to many people, young and old, throughout his life,” said Colby Swettberg, CEO of Silver Lining Mentoring. “We are grateful to Tom for bringing his expertise and passion for supporting youth in foster care to this critical leadership role at SLM.”

Silver Lining Mentoring also welcomes four new members to our Board of Directors: Kenneth Lang, Andrew Litchfield, Matthew Meehan, and Monique Marshall Veale. Andrew and Monique first came to Silver Lining as mentors—Andrew matched with his mentee during a 2022 Learn & Earn cohort, and Monique has been matched with her mentee for over six years.

“I am excited about the momentum behind Silver Lining and humbled that SLM has put their trust in me. Being adopted, SLM’s mission and goals are of personal importance to me,” said Tom Shirk. “Together with the entire SLM team and partner ecosystem, we continue striving to reach as many youth impacted by foster care as possible, while maintaining and enhancing the quality of mentoring and other services we provide.”

We look forward to what this year will bring with the support of our dedicated Board.

Silver Lining Mentoring’s 2023 Board of Directors: 

  • Tom Shirk, Founder & President at Race Point Advisors & White Porch Group, SLM Board Chair
  • Anna Vouros, MD, Primary Care Physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, SLM Vice-Chair
  • Peter Alberding, CPWA, Branch Manager, Senior Vice President, Investments at Raymond James & Associates, SLM Treasurer
  • James J. Baker, CFA, Executive Director, Investment Specialist, J.P. Morgan Private Bank
  • Anne Bowie, MSW, LICSW, Public Service Manager at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP
  • Katherine (Kappy) Freund, Chief Marketing Officer, Foundation for MetroWest
  • *Iliana Joaquin, Digital Campaign Manager, Tessellati, LLC
  • Kenneth (Ken) Lang, Advanced Leadership Initiative Fellow, Harvard University
  • *Andrew Litchfield, Owner and Founder at Penny Investments LLC
  • Matthew Meehan, Entrepreneur and Philanthropist
  • *Justin Pasquariello, MBA, MPA, Executive Director, East Boston Social Centers, SLM Founder
  • Geoffrey Underwood, Executive Director, Global Sales and Marketing at Morgan Stanley
  • *Monique Marshall Veale, Director, Dover Sherborn METCO Program
  • *Lawrence S. Wallach, Esq., Retired Attorney, Stay-at-Home Dad, Serial Volunteer

*indicates a current or former Silver Lining mentor

 

Below: Silver Lining Mentoring’s Board of Directors kicked off 2023 with a retreat in early February!