Blair Lesser Sullivan, Executive Director

Blair Lesser Sullivan has guided Spark Newton—formerly Newton Community Pride—as its Executive Director for over five years, becoming the organization’s first staff member. With an MA in Arts Administration from Boston University and more than two decades of experience in the field, she has held key roles at Boston Jewish Film, Boston Lyric Opera, and the National Center for Jewish Film. Blair played a pivotal role in launching the Coolidge Corner Theatre Award and the Independent Film Festival of Boston, and she also led Allston Village Main Streets as Board Chair. A passionate supporter of the arts and community engagement, she enjoys live cultural events, playing tennis, and spending time with her young children, all while working to enrich Newton’s cultural landscape through local initiatives.

Meryl Kessler – Chair

Meryl Kessler, a lawyer and former Executive Director of the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, has been a longtime champion of public art in Newton. In 1999, she co-founded the Newton Halloween Window Painting Contest, volunteering with the City for seven years to help run the program, which engages over 400 students in public art annually. Meryl served on the Board of Newton Community Pride (the predecessor of Spark Newton) from 2003 to 2008.  In 2020, she organized a juried competition for the 28 Austin Street Mural in Newtonville and since then has advocated for more murals in the City. After rejoining the Board of Newton Community Pride in 2020, she served as Treasurer and Chair of the Public Art Committee, leading a variety of public art projects including Newton Out Doors (2023), Sit and Soar (2022), and “Celebrate Newton” Banners (2024). She currently serves on the Newton Sustainable Materials Management Commission. 2nd Term 2023-2026

Randall Yee – Vice Chair

Randall Yee, a lifelong Newton resident, is now raising his young family in the community he has always called home. After over a decade as a practicing attorney—serving as in-house counsel for companies in the fuel, childcare, and real estate industries—he shifted his focus to recruitment. He is currently the Legal Recruiting Manager for Brown Rudnick LLP where he handles the full cycle recruitment and sourcing of talented attorneys for the firm’s offices in the US and the UK. Beyond his professional work, he has been deeply engaged in youth development for 28 years as a senior instructor and board member of Newton’s Uechi Ryu Kids’ Karate program. These days, he also enjoys coaching his children in their athletic endeavors. He also lends his expertise to the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center as a volunteer board program committee member. 1st Term 2022 -2025

Dinny Starr – Treasurer

Dinny Starr, a talented glass artist and craftsperson, is a longtime board member of Spark Newton, formally Newton Community Pride. Currently, she serves on the Executive Committee as Treasurer, chairs the Public Art committee, and was Vice Chair from 2020 to 2023. Dinny has worked for several educational and non-profit institutions around the Boston area. As part of the leadership team of the Women’s Foundation of Boston, Dinny managed partner relations and volunteers, was a grant cycle committee member and conducted multiple research projects for the organization. She has held volunteer leadership positions at local primary and secondary schools, as well as at the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University. 2nd term 2022 – 2025

Howard Sholkin – Clerk

Howard Sholkin is past chair of Newton Community Pride and has been involved with events in Newton for over 40 years, including the Newton Tricentennial and the Linda Plaut Newton Festival of the Arts. Sholkin, a lifelong Newton resident, was a member of the committee that produced the 2019 CREATENewton arts and culture strategic plan. He began his career in TV news at WCVB before serving more than 30 years in marketing communication roles in technology companies such as Computervision, Digital Equipment Corporation, and International Data Group. He also serves on the boards of the Newton Beacon online publication and the Boston Entrepreneurs Network. Sholkin was on the adjunct faculty at Lasell University and Boston University.

Gloria Gavris is past Chair of Newton Community Pride from 2020-2023, and past Chair of the City of Newton Community Design for Arts and Culture Committee, which published the 2020 CREATENewton Arts & Culture Strategic Plan. She is a longtime involved Newton resident and passionate advocate for the role arts programming plays in connecting our community. She is a lawyer and has served over the years as a Newton Licensing Commissioner, PR&C Commissioner, and  member of the Economic Development Commission. She is past chair of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Boston and past chair and current board member of the West Suburban YWCA. 2nd Term 2023-2026. View LinkedIn profile

Damien Chaviano is a real estate professional with strengths in all aspects of real estate financing, management, and development. He is presently Co-President and Principal at Samuels & Associates where he plays a pivotal role in shaping the company’s strategic direction and oversees the firm’s acquisitions, capital strategy, legal, accounting, and investor relations. Outside of the office, Damien serves on the board of Milagros Para Ninos at Children’s Hospital, is active in the Charles River Regional Chamber of Commerce, is a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Urban Mixed use Product Council, and volunteers with College for Every Student, a nonprofit that helps underserved youth “prepare for, gain access to and succeed in college.” 2nd Term 2023-2026

Barbara Darnell is a longtime member of the Newton Community Pride, taking a leadership role in our beautification initiatives around the city. She is the Hyde Community Center Head Gardener and a board member of the Newton Tree Conservancy and an appointed member of the Urban Tree Commission, as well as an elected member of the Newton Highlands Area Council.  Professionally, she is a sales & marketing consultant in the photonics industry and a board member of the NESOSA, a photonics industry professional society. The NESOSA has a deep commitment to STEM education and in that capacity, Barbara has participated in the Newton Free Library’s STEAM Expo, which aims to interest children and their families in science and science careers. 3rd Term 2023

Phillip Dawes is a leadership consultant in Spencer Stuart’s Boston office and a member of its Healthcare Practice, helping to recruit board, CEO, and other C-Suite executives on behalf of healthcare corporations internationally.  Phil has nearly 20 years of experience in healthcare operations, and in addition to work in the local healthcare community, he has volunteered with Community Consulting Teams Boston, which provides pro bono management consulting to Boston-area nonprofits. 2nd Term 2022-2025

Emily O’Neil is the Executive Director of the New Art Center. Emily brings to the Newton Community Pride Board more than a decade of strategic planning, program, community building, and grant-making experience in the arts and culture nonprofit sector. Past professional experience includes positions at the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) in Cambridge, Executive Director of the Fort Point Arts Community in South Boston, and Executive Director of the Charles and Joan Gross Family Foundation. She currently serves as Co-Chair of the Mayor-appointed Newton Cultural Council. 1 Term 2021-2024

Janet Porcaro is a dedicated Newton Realtor®, a proud grandmother, and a tech enthusiast with a heart for community. A passionate advocate for Newton, she was honored with the Greater Boston Association of Realtors Good Neighbor Award in 2012 for her years of volunteer service with Newton Public Schools and the Mentor Connection. As the content curator for OurNewton.org—a trusted community hub since 2009, Janet uses her marketing expertise to uplift Newton’s vibrant cultural scene. She is committed to sharing news about grant opportunities, calls for art, and local performances, fostering connection and creativity throughout the city.

Marion Golin is the owner of a web development company with a focus on small businesses and nonprofits. She is a long-time resident of Newton and, for over 20 years, has been involved with local organizations and the Newton Public Schools, providing technology and website expertise, including the Newton Schools Foundation, and the NNHS Center for Civic Engagement. Marion also served as Board Chair of Newton Community Education.

Sue Chapman

Amy Dain is a Senior Fellow at Boston Indicators. Amy is a leading expert on zoning policy, land use reform, and housing in Massachusetts. She is known for translating complex zoning issues into accessible insights for policymakers, advocates, and the public.  Her in-depth reports, such as Exclusionary By Design and The State of Zoning for Multi-Family Housing, have reached wide audiences. She is a frequent speaker at conferences and other events, and her work is frequently cited in the media. Amy is the author of the Upzone Update, a newsletter produced by Boston Indicators. Amy has worked in house, as a consultant, and in collaboration with many Massachusetts-based think tanks and academic institutions. While her primary focus has been on urbanist issues, she has also worked on issues of public management and environmental policy. She earned her Master’s in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School, and a BA in Russian Studies from Wesleyan University. For several years, she has been on a tour of downtowns and centers across Massachusetts.

Grey Held (www.greyheld.com) is a visual artist and an award-winning poet who has published three books of his poetry. He is also a literary activist who has received six Massachusetts Cultural Council LCC grants for public projects that connect contemporary poets with wider audiences. He spearheaded MakePoetryConcrete, which has resulted in poems being stamped into the concrete of newly constructed sidewalks throughout Newton’s villages, and he is currently (under the auspices of Spark Newton) co-director of Haiku Newton.  Grey is also a visual artist who collaborates with his talented wife, Leslie Held, in creating public art throughout Newton—on doors, on pianos, on Jersey barriers, on electrical boxes, and on the sides of buildings.

Timothy Alexander has been the bookkeeper for Spark Newton (formerly Newton Community Pride) since June 2022; he is also bookkeeper for two other small firms in the Metrowest area.  In addition, he is a busy orchestra member, playing the violin in the New England Philharmonic and the Brookline Symphony for many years. He has also assisted both orchestras with grant writing and other management. He is a current member of the Framingham Cultural Council, a role that has provided him with experience making grants to arts organizations. Tim hopes to be able to keep adding to his involvement with Spark Newton going forward.