Staff

Susannah Cintron
Senior Development Officer
scintron@families-first.org, ext. 24
Susannah received her bachelor's degree in Communications from Indiana University and a Paralegal Certificate from Northeastern University. In 2007 Susannah joined Families First as the Office Administrator and in 2008 moved into the role of Development Officer, where she assists the Director of Development in event planning, donor management, and fundraising. Prior to joining Families First, she worked as a paralegal for a small law firm in South Boston. As the mother of an infant, Susannah recognizes the importance of Families First's mission to help parents build strong relationships with their children.

Elizabeth Cohen
Executive Director
ecohen@families-first.org, ext. 19
Elizabeth Cohen joined Families First in January 2012 as its third Executive Director. She has fourteen years of experience in non-profits focused on a variety of public health issues, including violence prevention, comprehensive sexual education, and supporting families dealing with health complications. Prior to coming to Families First, Elizabeth was the Manager of Training at Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, where she oversaw all external training to teachers and health professionals, as well as internal training for over 200 staff members, including managers, health care staff, and educators. Her past work experience also includes a position with WGBH Boston as Director of Health Initiatives. While at WGBH, she worked on local and national outreach education campaigns focused on childhood asthma, cancer, caring for older parents, and heart disease. The first part of her career was dedicated to advocating for survivors of sexual violence and their significant others through positions at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Boston Area Rape Crisis Center, and Rape Crisis Services of Greater Lowell, where she served as Executive Director. Elizabeth has a BA from Tufts University and a Masters of Public Health from Boston University, where she developed and taught a course for four years on sexual violence. Her greatest achievement and joy is being the single mother of an amazing toddler.

Sue Covitz
Director of Outreach & Education
scovitz@families-first.org, ext. 14
Sue is the parent of two teenage daughters and participated as a parent in Families First workshops when her children were toddlers. She joined Families First in July 2006 as the Director of Strategic Partnerships and is now responsible for overseeing work with all of our program sites as well as managing key partnerships. Sue formerly served as the Executive Director of Greater Options for Adolescent Lives and brings almost 20 years experience in non-profit management, coalition building, and community organizing to her work at Families First. She received a BA in philosophy from Haverford and an MSW from Boston College. 

Stacey Ellsworth
Interdepartmental Administrator
sellsworth@families-first.org, ext. 10
Stacey joined Families First in July 2008 as the Office Administrator/Executive Assistant after several years of office administration in the corporate sector. Her major responsibilities include managing the office, acting as liaison to the Board of Directors, and providing administrative support to the Development and Outreach & Education departments. She is the proud aunt of two young nephews.

Michael Goldman
Director of Finance & Administration
mgoldman@families-first.org, ext. 16
In addition to his regular finance and administration responsibilities at Families First, Michael recently served as Interim Executive Director and is currently helping lead organizational efforts to build an enhanced program evaluation system. He has also led the re-launch of the organization’s website and program management database development, and regularly provides support to development department initiatives. Michael is a graduate of Brandeis University, with a degree in Psychology, and has an MBA from Dartmouth College. He is currently Board Treasurer of the Cambridge Center for Adult Education. Prior to joining Families First, Michael was CEO of a Washington, DC, publishing company, and his previous work in the non-profit sector includes Heifer Project International in West Africa. He is married and the father of two daughters.

Rebekah McKinney
Director of Grants & Communications
rmckinney@families-first.org, ext. 23
Rebekah has over a decade of experience in fundraising and communications for Boston non-profit organizations, with a heavy emphasis on institutional grants strategy, writing, and stewardship. In addition to teaching in the Boston Public Schools system, Rebekah has advanced the development programs of Greater Boston Legal Services and the City of Somerville Youth Program, and prior to joining Families First, she managed fundraising and communications for Hyde Square Task Force. She holds a BA in Urban Studies from Brown University and an MEd from Lesley University and continues to work part-time as an independent consultant. Her past and present clients include Critical Explorers and Encuentro Diaspora Latina. She is a single mom to an eight-year-old son.

Maureen O’Brien
Curriculum & Training Specialist
mobrien@families-first.org, ext. 21
Maureen is a developmental psychologist whose professional expertise includes child development, parent support and education, and promotion of healthy parent-child relationships. She co-directed the Brazelton Touchpoints Center at Children’s Hospital of Boston, taught at Bentley College, consulted with numerous juvenile product companies, and is the author of the parenting series Watch Me Grow: I’m One-Two-Three (Harper Collins, 2002). She has also written widely on parenting topics, is a regular source for national parenting publications, and has several years’ media experience in radio and television. Maureen holds degrees in Psychology/Child Development from Brown University (BA, 1983), Temple University (MA, 1985), and the University of Minnesota (PhD, 1991). She serves on the Boston Leadership Advisory Board of Room to Grow and volunteers for cancer support programs at South Shore Hospital. Maureen lives with her husband and twin sons in Canton, MA.

Madeleine Otani Oldman
Education Coordinator
motani@families-first.org, ext. 25
Madeleine came to Families First in 2002 as a volunteer in the Program Department and was hired as Program Associate in 2006. Madeleine is responsible for coordinating program logistics, supporting our parenting educators, and collecting evaluation data. She received a BA in Elementary Education from Marylhurst University in Oregon, followed by Early Childhood and Infant & Toddler Certification in Montessori education. During her tenure at the Cambridge Montessori School, Madeleine worked as a Primary and Toddler Master Teacher and Director of Admissions, and was involved in their Parenting Education Program.

Magda Rodriguez
Family Engagement Coordinator
mrodriguez@families-first.org, ext.15
Magda Rodriguez moved to United States after receiving her law degree in Colombia and worked in the immigration field for several years. After establishing her own family and experiencing the process of raising her two children, Magda became passionate about parenting issues and started to work as a family engagement leader for a non-profit organization offering services in the Boston Public Schools. Magda, who also facilitates Families First workshops as a Parenting Educator, has been supporting parents and students through parenting workshops, home visits, teacher conferences, family events, behavior management, and life skills classes.