Friends of Áine Announces Four New Board Members

Bedford, New Hampshire (February 2018) – The Board of Directors of Friends of Áine is pleased to announce the election of four new members to its Board. In welcoming them to the Board, Bob Reardon, Board Chair, said, “Not only does their addition represent an important increase in our size and the commensurate impact we can have, but the credentials and diverse skills which they bring elevate us to a new level of strength needed to carry out our recently completed Strategic Plan.”

Linda Dinndorf is a recently retired Lieutenant Colonel of the United States Air Force. She received her BS in Psychology and Community Health from Tufts University in Boston, MA and her Ed.M in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. Linda was a Teaching Fellow/Research Assistant at Harvard Graduate School of Education and a Behavioral Specialist at the Mediplex Rehabilitation Center, in Lynn, MA.

In her 25 years with the Air Force, Linda served as a Human Factors Scientist at the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center and a Deputy Inspector General at Kirtland Air Force Base, NM; Director and Chief Consultant of Leadership Programs, Chief of Scholarship Initiatives and Special Programs and Chief Consultant of Leadership Programs in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at the United States Air Force Academy, CO; and Chief, Special Projects at the Air War College/Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL.

Linda is an original member of the Friend of Áine Kid’s Try-athlon committee and is instrumental in running the swim portion of the race each year. “The Friends of Áine organization is helping to fill a vital need for many families in New Hampshire who are grappling with a difficult loss and the opportunity to raise awareness and provide expanded bereavement services for children is such a worthwhile endeavor.” said Linda

Ahad Fazelat MD/MPH is a Vitreoretinal Specialist and Owner of The Medical Eye Center in Manchester, NH and the Research Fellow at Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School. He received his BS from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Truman State University in Kirksville, MO, his MA from Boston University School of Medicine, his MPH from Boston University School of Public Health and his MD from Boston University School of Medicine in Boston, MA.

Dr. Fazelat’s post-graduate work includes time as a Vitreoretinal Fellow at Retina Specialists of Boston, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston, MA; Chief Resident, Ophthalmology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY and Intern at St. Vincent Medical Center in Manhattan, NY. He is licensed by the American Board of Ophthalmology and a member of the American Society of Retina Specialists, American Board of Ophthalmology, New Hampshire Eye Society and New Hampshire Medical Society. Dr. Fazelat has been named a ‘Top 40 Under 40’ and ‘Top Doctor 2014-2016’ by New Hampshire Magazine.

“As medical professionals my wife and I have witnessed someone suffer the loss of a beloved family member far too often. Bewildered and confused, families often need help to forge the path forward as the future they had imagined is irreversibly altered. The overwhelming grief the bereaved suffer is a daunting obstacle to the healing process and none are more susceptible than the children in these situations. Friends of Áine provides the ear, the shoulder, or the hand to guide these little ones through the process. This organization inspires us to become involved as it provides a clear and tangible good to those of who have suffered an unthinkable loss.” said Dr. Fazelat

James Flanagan is the Senior Vice President, Office of College Advancement at Saint Anselm College, Manchester, NH. He received his BA from Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI and his MA in Higher Education from Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA.

Prior to joining Saint Anselm College as the Vice President, Office of College Advancement in 1998, Jim served as the Director, Office of Leadership Gifts; Associate Director and Assistant Director, Office of Major Gifts; and Assistant Director, Boston College Fund at Boston College. Jim was the Director, Institutional Advancement at Malden Catholic High School in Malden, MA anthe Executive Director, Community Counselling Service Co., Inc. in Chicago, IL.

Jim currently serves as a Board Member for Malden Catholic High School; Parish Council Fundraising Committee Member at Saint Elizabeth Seton Church in Bedford, NH; and Volunteer for Bedford Bobcats Special Olympics.

“I serve on the Friends of Áine Board because I have experienced my share of loss having lost several family members, including my sister and brother-in-law. I think that it is critically important to support an organization like Friends of Áine that provides services to children who have suffered the unspeakable loss of a parent or sibling.” said Jim.

Joseph Murray is the Vice President of Public Affairs for Fidelity Investments’ regional center in Merrimack, NH. Joe leads Fidelity’s external relations work in New Hampshire which includes government relations, community relations, and corporate philanthropy. He is also a member of Fidelity’s regional leadership team in Merrimack.

Joe serves on the boards of the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire, the Workforce Accelerator 2025 Steering Committee, and New Hampshire Business Committee for the Arts. In 2008 and 2009, Joe served on the Governor’s Task Force for the Recruitment and Retention of a Young Workforce for New Hampshire. He is an alumnus of the 2009 class of Leadership New Hampshire. And in 2011, Joe received an “Above and Beyond” award for his work to advance the policy priorities of the New Hampshire Business and Industry Association.

Joe joined Fidelity Investments in 2007 following a career in broadcast journalism and television production. Most recently, he served as the Managing Editor at WMUR-TV in NH. Prior to his position at WMUR, Joe was the producer of the 6:00 pm newscast, Newscenter 5, at WCVB-TV. He received a BS in Communications from Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY.

“Not everyone is born with the same degree of resiliency. As someone who lost his father at the age of 13, I share Friends of Áine’s goal to create a place of solace and support for New Hampshire children who are coping with loss”, said Joe.

Friends of Áine is 501c(3) non-profit organization established in 2013, in memory of Áine Phillips, who died unexpectedly at the age of 8. The mission of Friends of Áine is to raise funds to support bereavement programs for children who have suffered a loss, provide a place to house these services and be a grief resource center for community organizations and families.

The Board of Directors is comprised of volunteers who share a passion for helping grieving children, their families and our surrounding communities, while creating a legacy for Áine that embodies her spirit and character. Existing board members also include: Bob Reardon, Chair, Joe Bator, Cheryl Boyarsky, Barbara Lafrance, Pam MacDonald, Christine Phillips, David Phillips, Ann Marie Smith and Lisa Wallace.

On March 24, Friends of Áine will be hosting its third annual Gala at the Manchester Country Club in Bedford, NH. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are still available for this evening of dinner, dancing and a live auction. The goal of the Gala is to raise funds to open the Friends of Áine Center, a permanent place to house bereavement support programs for children and families in our region. This will be the first such facility in New Hampshire and one of only a few in all of New England.

For more information about Friends of Áine, please visit our website at www.friendsofaine.com or
contact Christine Phillips at 603-305-3205 or info@friendsofaine.com.