Staff
Pam Garramone
Executive Director
Oswego State University, BA, Elementary Education
University of New Hampshire, M.Ed., Education
Pam has taught elementary school and designed and presented personal development workshops. As Greater Boston PFLAG’s executive director, she conducts educational programs annually in middle and high schools statewide, and in community, corporate, and religious organizations.
Catherine Brady
Bookkeeper
Metropolitan State College, Denver
Catherine has been crunching numbers since it was done with pencil and ledger paper. She lives in Cambridge with her life partner and their daughter, and feels very fortunate to be helping Greater Boston PFLAG achieve its critical mission.
Director of Development and Special Events
Greater Boston PFLAG is looking for a Director of Development and Special Events. If interested, please view the job description and email devjob@gbpflag.org for more information.
Board of Directors
Stanley Griffith
President
Brown University, A.B.
DePaul University and University of Pennsylvania Law Schools, J.D.
For over 33 years, Stan practiced law in the areas of financial services, securities and commodity regulation, corporate and municipal finance, and general corporate law and as a community legal services attorney and a judicial clerk. He retired in April 2004 and consulted part-time until November 2008.
"My family and I benefited from school and community-based support programs in Lexington designed to combat homophobia and to improve understanding of the rights and needs of gay and lesbian people. I want to repay that debt and to ensure that programs like the ones in my hometown survive and expand so that all children, including mine, live in a world where they are safe, welcome and included and treated equally and with respect."
Ken Heideman
Vice President
University of Vermont, MA in Geography
The Pennsylvania State University, MS in Meteorology
Ken is Director of Publications for the American Meteorological Society.
"To be part of an organization like PFLAG, that helps so many who are struggling with such limited resources, is nothing less than an honor."
Kat MacDonald
Treasurer
Smith College, B.A.
Bentley College, Certificate in Accounting
Kat worked in healthcare finance and accounting, and now stays home with her children.
"I joined Greater Boston PFLAG because I want my young children to be safe in their schools and in their community. I want them to see other families, like ours, who are both different and making a difference."
Deborah Pfeiffer
Clerk
Northeastern University, B.A.
University of Massachusetts, Boston, M.A.
Deb is retired from a career in accounting and finance.
"My daughter, and everyone's kids, are safer because of this organization. It's a gentle revolution that's changing the world in ways I never thought possible."
Cathy Boskey
B.A. Goucher College
M.Ed. University of Virginia
Cathy works part-time as a kindergarten assistant at the Park School in Brookline.
“I joined PFLAG to help make schools a safer place for all students and to help make the world a better place for our GLBT children.”
Deborah J. Cohan
Brandeis University, Ph.D. in Sociology. Joint M.A. in Women’s Studies and Sociology
University of Texas-Austin, M.A. in Sociology
University of Wisconsin-Madison, B.A. in Sociology and a minor in Women’s Studies
Deb has taught sociology, women's and gender studies, and family studies on the college level for 15 years. She has been active in the movement to end domestic violence and sexual violence. Currently, she is working on two book projects, one on teaching about intimacy and violence and the other about caregiving for an elderly parent.
"I was probably destined for PFLAG way back in college when I was first exposed to Pat Parker's poem, "Blatant" and had a head-on collision with heterosexual privilege. On a very basic level, I think that being out should not be hard or dangerous. I feel compelled to be an ally, to use my gifts and strengths to further freedom and openness and deepen the channels to love that everyone should already have."
Eileen Dunn
Mount Holyoke College, B.A.
Eileen has a background in social work and has worked on strategic planning with various non-profits. She has ambitions to utilize her experience with psychology and human behavior to build a career as an organizational development consultant and strategic planner.
"Having the opportunity to be involved with an organization such as PFLAG bears great meaning to me as a young gay woman. I feel that it is my duty to not only work to sustain the programming and outreach that PFLAG presently offers to various communities, but to help build the resources available to make them more robust, and to increase the breadth of impact that PFLAG has across the state."
Kenneth D. Fund
City University of New York, B.A.
Capital University Law School, J.D.
Ken has 30 years of multifaceted experience in the real estate industry. Currently he is the co-owner of Think Real Estate Services, a Newton based residential brokerage that serves Boston's Metropolitan area
"I joined the Greater Boston PFLAG Board because I want to support the organization and make a difference in people's lives. As the parent of a transgender son, I feel fortunate to help other families in their journey towards unconditional love and support."
Beth-Anne Halpert
University of Connecticut, B.A.
University College, Dublin, M.A.
New York Law, J.D.
Beth-Anne is a real estate attorney.
"I thought Greater Boston PFLAG would give me a chance to make a difference."
Gordon Hardy
Williams College, B.A. in American Civilization and English
Gordon is professional nonfiction editor, writer, web and print director, and journalism instructor.
"I'm involved in PFLAG because all young people need to feel love, acceptance, and support - especially those who feel "different." PFLAG fosters healthy communication around GLBTQ identity that helps families, youth and friends through sometimes difficult issues."
Linda Patterson
Ohio Wesleyan University, B.F.A.
Rochester Institute of Technology, M.F.A.
Emerson College, M.A.
Linda handles direct marketing for the Museum of Science membership department.
"I was drawn to Greater Boston PFLAG because I wanted to help parents accept their gay children."
Deborah Peeples
Washington University, B.F.A.
Deborah has been socially and politically active for many years. She is currently writing about her experience as the parent of a transgender child.
"I got involved with Greater Boston PFLAG because I have a transgender son, who I love, and I wanted to understand and share his journey. Like any parent, I want my child to be able to live a happy and productive life, so PFLAG's vision of creating a society that is safe and respectful of diversity is something very important to me."
Jennifer S. Swanson
Boston University Graduate School of Management, M.B.A.
Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science, M.L.S.
Goucher College, B.A. in Music Theory and Composition
Jennifer has over 25 years experience doing competitive intelligence, market research, and many types of analysis and model building in a wide variety of industries. She is also a gay romance author under the pseudonym of Jonathan Treadway.
"Although I don't have a LGBT family member, as a gay romance author I wanted to give something back because I have met so many amazing people. I'll continue editing the newsletter so that we can get out word on the organization's capabilities and mission, especially for teens and young adults. Other than that, I'm here to learn, help, raise funds, expand my network of friends, and to do whatever I can to help make positive changes in LGBT people's lives."
Susan Wilson
University of Rochester, B.S.N.
Boston University, M.P.H.
Northeastern University, J.D.
Sue is a lawyer in private practice with offices in Brookline and Mashpee, Massachusetts who practices personal injury law and patients’ rights. She is also a Justice of the Peace.
"I joined the Greater Boston PFLAG Board because I wanted to help make it easier for today's GLBT kids and young adults to come out, than it was for me, and the GLBT folks of my generation."
Sharon Zimmerman
Anna Maria College, B.S.W.
Boston University, M.S.W.
Sharon has worked in executive leadership positions for non-profit organizations for 15 years. Currently she is deputy director at Women's Action for New Directions; a national organization focused on nuclear non-proliferation, reducing excessive military spending, and supporting women to run for public office.
"I have been an advocate for human rights and social justice for a long time. PFLAG has a mission and guiding principals that I believe in. Serving on the board gives me an opportunity to affect change. I want all GLBTQ people...actually all people, to someday live in a world where it's legal and safe and really just no big deal... to love whoever you want to love."
