Susannah Cintron

Development Officer

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 and was drawn to Families First's mission of helping parents with the difficult task of raising children.

Nicole Cleckley, M.Ed.

Curriculum Coordinator

Nicole received her B.A. from Georgetown University and M.A. in English from Tufts University.  She went on to earn a M.Ed. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Cambridge College.  In addition to her therapeutic work with children, families, and couples as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and clinical member of the AAMFT, she has extensive and varied experience in program development, training, and teaching.  Before her move to Families First, she was an Assistant Director at Council for Relationships in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Nicole joined Families First in 2007 and is primarily responsible for managing, developing, and expanding Families First's portfolio of curricula, educational materials, and products. 

Jeffrey Coots

Foundations Officer

Jeff manages relationships with foundation and corporate grantmakers who share Families First's commitment to strengthening families and communities in Eastern Massachusetts. He joins Families First after four years of working at Goodwill Industries, both in Washington, D.C. and Boston, where he focused on securing grants to expand employment opportunities for adults with disabilities and disadvantages. Prior to working with Goodwill, Jeff committed a year of direct service to Americorps VISTA. He earned a B.A. in International Relations from Dartmouth College. Jeff is drawn to the strategic, collaborative nature of Families First and its potential for creating lasting social change at the community level. 

Sue Covitz

Director of Strategic Partnerships

Sue is responsible for exploring and developing key relationships with a variety of organizations and stakeholders. Sue brings over fifteen years of experience in non-profit coalition building, community organizing, and management consulting. Sue formerly served as the Executive Director of Greater Options for Adolescent Lives, and has worked as a non-profit and public health consultant for the past five years. She received a B.A. in Philosophy from Haverford College, and an M.S.W. from Boston College. Sue is the parent of two young children, and has participated as a parent in Families First workshops.

Stacey Ellsworth

Office Administrator

Stacey joined Families First in July 2008 as the Office Administrator after several years of providing administrative support in the corporate sector. Her major responsibilities include assisting the Executive Director, managing the office, acting as Board Liaison, and assisting other departments with projects.

Michael Goldman

Director of Finance & Administration

Michael Goldman is a graduate of Brandeis University with an MBA from Dartmouth College. Prior to joining Families First, Michael was CEO of a Washington, DC-based publishing company. He has also worked in management consulting and founded his own chocolate company. Michael's previous non-profit experience includes work with VISTA and Heifer Project International. Families First attracted Michael because he saw the opportunity to have his everyday work-life make a valuable contribution to the community and found the family focused mission of Families First particularly appealing.

Debbie Shapiro Katz

Director of Development

Debbie Shapiro Katz comes to Families First with over ten years of experience in raising support for social change. Most recently she was the individual donor development consultant for the Hyde Square Task Force, an award-winning teen empowerment organization in the Hyde Square neighborhood in Jamaica Plain. Prior to this, as the Associate Director of Development and Alumni Relations at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, she developed a plan for increasing engagement from the Board, friends and alumni.  Before moving to Boston from New York City, Debbie strengthened the giving programs of the Jewish Funds for Justice and the New Israel Fund. Debbie has a BA from the University of Wisconsin and a MA in Modern Middle East Studies from Brandeis University.  As the mother of a pre-schooler, she knows from experience about great need for parenting education.

Madeleine Otani Oldman

Program Associate

Madeleine came to Families First in 2002 as a volunteer for the Program Department and was hired as the Program Associate in 2006.  As Program Associate, Madeleine is responsible for coordinating program logistics and collecting evaluation data.  She received a B.A. in Elementary Education from Marylhurst University in Oregon, as well as an 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, Director of Admissions, and was involved in their Parenting Education Program.

Crista Martinez Padua, MSW, MBA

Executive Director

As the Executive Director of Families First Parenting Programs, Crista Martinez Padua has extensive background in social services, non profit management, and community outreach, and provides leadership and vision throughout the organization.  She is an Adjunct Professor at the Boston College Graduate School of Social Work, serves as a Board Member for the Massachusetts Non-Profit Network and is a volunteer member of the Red Cross Disaster Action Team. Prior to joining Families First, Crista was the Executive Director for Dorchester CARES Coalition for Children and Families in Dorchester, Massachusetts.  In addition, she was the Program Director for Y.O.U. Inc.'s The Wetzel Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, where she participated in the design, development, and implementation of the state's first intensive-acute residential treatment center for children and youth.  In 2001 Crista was selected from among 500 nonprofit leaders to be honored with a Eureka-Boston Fellowship and in 2006 Crista was the recipient of the "Ten Outstanding Young Leaders" Award presented by the Boston Jaycees. Crista is a former Board and Executive Committee Member for the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.  She has an M.B.A from Boston University, and a B.A. and M.S.W. from the University of Tennessee.

Randi Walsh

Director of Programming

Randi oversees the Program Department at Families First. She is responsible for the development of innovative and effective parenting curriculum and the implementation of parenting education and professional development programs.  She also contributed leadership to the Parenting Education Summit in May 2007.  Randi brings extensive experience in the development and management of family support and education services in the southeastern, metro and Greater Boston regions of Massachusetts.  She formerly served as the Prevention Director at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (M.S.P.C.C.).  She received a B.A. from Mount Holyoke College and an M.A. from Boston College.