Our Board of Directors
Nadia Ward
President
Nadia L. Ward, M.Ed., Ph.D. is a Professor of Practice, Frances L. Hiatt School of Psychology, Hiatt Center for Urban Education & Adam Institute for Urban Teaching & School Practice, and Executive Director, Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise at Clark University. Dr. Ward’s extensive work in the area of academic achievement for minority students has spanned more than 25 years. Dr. Ward’s experience includes training and consultation to universities, public school systems and private organizations; curriculum development; program development; implementation; and community-engaged research and evaluation. She joined the Board of Net of Compassion in 2020.
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John Haffty
Vice President
John Haffty co-founded and continues to serve as president of Navin, Haffty & Associates, a highly respected healthcare information systems services company. He has worked with hospitals and healthcare systems throughout the USA and Canada for 40 years. Born and raised in Worcester, he is quite proud of his Grafton Hill background. He and his wife, Susan live in Shrewsbury and have been active with several non-profits in the community for many years.
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Nelida Machicote
Secretary
Nelida Machicote has served eight years as a board member. She holds a BS in Health Science from Worcester State College and a Master of Social Work from Springfield College where she was also an honor society member. Nelida is a powerful force in her community and workplace with over twenty years of social work experience. She led a homeless outreach ministry in Framingham, MA, 1993–2005. Her “Credit 101” business has assisted many with credit counseling services. Nelida’s husband and their three children inspire her daily.
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Bruce Fiene
Director
Bruce first heard Pastor Richie speak at a Learn To Cope meeting—his story of recovery gave hope to Bruce whose son is now five years in recovery. Bruce later co-founded Rally2Recovery, a motorcycle ride fundraiser for Learn to Cope, and the Knowledge Is Power Conference which provided educational workshops by experts in addiction and recovery. He has also served on the Worcester City Homelessness Committee and DA Joe Early’s Opioid Task Force. Bruce has been an advocate for legislative reforms on substance use disorder and works with local families.
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Richie Gonzalez
Ex-officio
Founder and Executive Director, Richie Gonzalez was ordained a Minister-Pastor in 2014. He was presented with The Key of The City in 2017. He also serves on the Board at Latin American Health Alliance and is a member of The Central Massachusetts Opioid Task Force. Richie also works in collaboration with the City of Worcester’s Quality of Life Team and with Judge Tim Bibaud from Dudley District Court. In 2018, Richie joined the Housing First Coordinating Council, part of the City Manager’s Homeless Task Force.
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Elizabeth Gonzalez
Ex-officio
Elizabeth is the Assistant Executive Director of Net of Compassion. She works tirelessly to help make Net of Compassion a success. She directly supervises the day-to-day operations of the organization and solves the ongoing challenges of running a growing nonprofit organization.
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Dennis O’Connor
Director
Dennis O’Connor is a dedicated and supportive Board Member and regular volunteer at Hotel Grace, cooking hot meals with this family for hundreds of guests each season. He is the owner of Superior Waste & Recycling.
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674 Main Street C1, Worcester, MA 01610 • (508) 322-1363 • Email: info@netofcompassion.org
©2021 Net of Compassion. Net of Compassion is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, tax ID 83-0876779.
All donations are tax deductible as allowed by law.
All donations are tax deductible as allowed by law.
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Proudly supported by:
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MEMBER AGENCY
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