Massachusetts Councils on Aging

Massachusetts Councils on Aging (MCOA) is committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusion and connectedness for Massachusetts older adults that makes our Councils on Aging welcoming places for all.

Councils on Aging (COAs) and our Senior Centers aren’t just buildings, they’re lifelines. 

They weave safety nets for older adults, empower voices, and build communities where growing older means thriving, not just surviving.

EDUCATE

MCOA’s training and education support is essential to helping Councils on Aging and Senior Centers provide the highest quality services to older adults and their caregivers.

By empowering COA staff with the knowledge and skills they need, MCOA is helping to ensure that older adults in Massachusetts can age well and live independently in their communities.

ADVOCATE

MCOA champions older adults across Massachusetts, amplifying their voices through lobbying and advocacy. We fight for equal access to resources and opportunities, ensuring everyone can thrive in their communities.

Together with aging service partners, we advocate for funding, research, and support systems that keep older adults visible, valued, and empowered. 

COLLABORATE

As the voice of older adults in Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Councils on Aging (MCOA) champions policies and programs that enhance the well-being of older adults and strengthens the capacity of local Councils on Aging (COAs). Through advocacy, collaboration, and resource sharing, MCOA ensures that older adults have access to the services and support they need to thrive in their communities.

While Councils on Aging and Senior Centers provide support services to older adults and their families and caregivers, the Massachusetts Councils on Aging provides support and training to, and advocacy for, the Councils on Aging statewide.

MCOA has had a rich history for more than 40 years , and has recently seen rapid growth. Advocating for Councils on Aging, MCOA has influenced increased Formula Grant local aid to the Councils on Aging, provided capacity building and technical assistance to the COA’s, and holds an Annual Spring Symposium as well as a Fall Conference, which has grown to be the largest of its kind in New England.

Today, there are 350 established Councils on Aging in Massachusetts, and MCOA has rapidly grown to accommodate their ever evolving and expanding needs.

MCOA Board of Directors as of January 1, 2026
Title Member District
Chair Susan Pacheco METRO
Vice Chair Mignonne Murray METRO
Past Chair Emily Shea METRO
Secretary Terri Marciello NORTHEAST
Asst. Secretary Janice Long METRO
Treasurer Josie Dutil CENTRAL
Asst. Treasurer Brian O’Grady WEST
Conference Co-Chair Jodi Zepke WEST
Conference Co-Chair Becky Moriarty WEST
Legislative Randy Aylsworth METRO
Certification Joanne Moore SOUTHEAST
At Large Amy Waters CENTRAL
At Large Marge Yetman NORTHEAST
At Large Kelly Bol CENTRAL
At Large Sharmila Biswas SOUTHEAST
At Large SOUTHEAST
At Large Sharon Mercurio NORTHEAST

Districts, Regions & Representatives

Organized by District → Region → Municipalities → Regional Representatives (phones included).

Metro District —

Board Members | Emily Shea, Susan Pacheco, Mignonne Murray, Janice Long, Randy Aylsworth

Region Municipalities Regional Representatives
Springwell Ashland, Belmont, Brookline, Dover, Framingham, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hudson, Marlborough, Natick, Needham, Newton, Northborough, Sherborn, Southborough, Sudbury, Waltham, Watertown, Wayland, Wellesley, Weston, Westborough Trish Pope, Marlborough COA —
(978) 485-6492
Amy Beck, Hopkinton COA —
(508) 497-9730
LaTanya Steele, Needham COA —
(781) 455-7555
Boston, Cambridge, Somerville Boston, Cambridge, Somerville Melissa Carlson, Boston AgeStrong Commission —
(617) 635-4366
HESSCO Canton, Dedham, Foxborough, Medfield, Millis, Norfolk, Norwood, Plainville, Sharon, Walpole, Westwood, Wrentham Kerri McCarthy, Norwood COA —
(781) 762-1201

Central District —

Board Members | Amy Waters, Josie Dutil, Kelly Bol

Region Municipalities Regional Representatives
Aging Services of North Central MA Ashburnham, Ashby, Ayer, Berlin, Bolton, Clinton, Fitchburg, Gardner, Groton, Hubbardston, Lancaster, Leominster, Lunenburg, Pepperell, Princeton, Shirley, Sterling, Templeton, Townsend, Westminster, Winchendon Debra Goodsell, Lunenburg COA —
(978) 582-4166
Bethany Loveless, Pepperell COA —
(978) 433-0326
Elder Services of Worcester Area Auburn, Barre, Boylston, Grafton, Hardwick, Holden, Leicester, Millbury, New Braintree, Oakham, Paxton, Rutland, Shrewsbury, West Boylston, Worcester Karen Phillips, Holden COA —
(508) 210-5570
Tri Valley Bellingham, Blackstone, Brookfield, Charlton, Douglas, Dudley, East Brookfield, Franklin, Hopedale, Medway, Mendon, Milford, Millville, North Brookfield, Northbridge, Oxford, Southbridge, Spencer, Sturbridge, Sutton, Upton, Uxbridge, Warren, Webster, West Brookfield Kathleen Alicea-Tilton, Southbridge COA —
(508) 764-5436

Northeast District —

Board Members | Marge Yetman, Terri Marciello, Sharon Mercurio

Region Municipalities Regional Representatives
Minuteman Acton, Arlington, Bedford, Boxborough, Burlington, Carlisle, Concord, Harvard, Lexington, Lincoln, Littleton, Maynard, Stow, Wilmington, Winchester, Woburn Kristine Shah, Arlington COA — (781) 316-3400
Mystic Valley Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose, North Reading, Reading, Revere, Stoneham, Wakefield, Winthrop Kristen Spence, Stoneham COA —
(781) 438-1157
Senior Care Beverly, Essex, Gloucester, Hamilton, Ipswich, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Rockport, Topsfield, Wenham Chris Gomez-Farewell —
(978) 605-2477
AgeSpan Amesbury, Andover, Billerica, Boxford, Chelmsford, Danvers, Dracut, Dunstable, Georgetown, Groveland, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Marblehead, Methuen, Merrimac, Middleton, Newbury, Newburyport, North Andover, Peabody, Rowley, Salisbury, Salem, Tewksbury, Tyngsborough, West Newbury, Westford Brienne Walsh, Merrimac COA —
(978) 948-7637
Teresa Arnold, Salem COA —
(978) 744-0924
Greater Lynn Senior Services Lynn, Lynnfield, Nahant, Saugus, Swampscott

Southeast District —

Board Members | Joanne Moore, Sharmila Biswas, Michelle Bratti

Region Municipalities Regional Representatives
Coastline Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Gosnold, Marion, Mattapoisett, New Bedford, Rochester Cynthia Wallquist, New Bedford COA —
(508) 991-6251
Amy DiPietro, Dartmouth COA —
(508) 999-4717
South Shore Braintree, Cohasset, Hingham, Holbrook, Hull, Milton, Norwell, Quincy, Randolph, Scituate, Weymouth Susan Curtin, Norwell COA —
(781) 659-7878
Old Colony Abington, Avon, Bridgewater, Brockton, Carver, Duxbury, East Bridgewater, Easton, Halifax, Hanover, Hanson, Kingston, Lakeville, Marshfield, Middleborough, Pembroke, Plymouth, Plympton, Rockland, Stoughton, Wareham, West Bridgewater, Whitman Sharon Rice, Wareham COA —
(508) 291-3100
Cape & Islands Aquinnah, Barnstable, Bourne, Brewster, Chatham, Chilmark, Dennis, Eastham, Edgartown, Falmouth, Harwich, Mashpee, Nantucket, Oak Bluffs, Orleans, Provincetown, Sandwich, Tisbury, Truro, Wellfleet, West Tisbury, Yarmouth Kelly Howley, Barnstable COA —
(508) 862-4750
Elton Cutler, Brewster COA —
(508) 896-2737
Julie Groom, Harwich COA —
(508) 430-7550
Bristol County Attleboro, Berkley, Dighton, Fall River, Freetown, Mansfield, North Attleboro, Norton, Raynham, Rehoboth, Seekonk, Somerset, Swansea, Taunton, Westport Beverly Bisch, Westport COA —(508) 636-1026

West District —

Board Members | Brian O’Grady, Becky Moriarty, Jodi Zepke

Region Municipalities Regional Representatives
Greater Springfield Agawam, Brimfield, East Longmeadow, Hampden, Holland, Longmeadow, Monson, Palmer, Springfield, Wales, West Springfield, Wilbraham Paula Dubord, Wilbraham COA —
(413) 596-8379
Access Care Partners Belchertown, Chicopee, Granby, Holyoke, Ludlow, South Hadley, Ware Sherry Manyak, Chicopee COA —
(413) 534-3698
Highland Valley Amherst, Blandford, Chester, Chesterfield, Cummington, Easthampton, Goshen, Granville, Hadley, Hatfield, Huntington, Middlefield, Montgomery, Northampton, Pelham, Plainfield, Russell, Southampton, Southwick, Tolland, Westfield, Westhampton, Williamsburg, Worthington Cynthia Tarail, Easthampton COA —
(413) 527-6151
LifePath Ashfield, Athol, Bernardston, Buckland, Charlemont, Colrain, Conway, Deerfield, Erving, Gill, Greenfield, Hawley, Heath, Leverett, Leyden, Monroe, Montague, New Salem, Northfield, Orange, Petersham, Phillipston, Rowe, Royalston, Shelburne, Shutesbury, Sunderland, Warwick, Wendell, Whately Jennifer Ferrara, Deerfield/South County COA —
(413) 665-2141
Elder Services of Berkshire County Adams, Alford, Becket, Cheshire, Clarksburg, Dalton, Egremont, Florida, Great Barrington, Hancock, Hinsdale, Lanesborough, Lee, Lenox, Monterey, Mount Washington, New Ashford, New Marlborough, North Adams, Otis, Peru, Pittsfield, Richmond, Sandisfield, Savoy, Sheffield, Stockbridge, Tyringham, Washington, West Stockbridge, Williamstown, Windsor Sarah Fontaine, Adams COA —
(413) 743-8333

MEET THE MCOA TEAM

413-527-6425
elizabeth@mcoaonline.org

Elizabeth (Betsy) Connell

Executive Director

413-923-2160
tara@mcoaonline.org

Tara Hammes, RDN

Healthy Aging & Nutrition Manager

413-923-1748
paula@mcoaonline.org

Paula Hersey

Digital Communications Manager

413-326-6479
madeline@mcoaonline.org

Madeline (Maddie) Noonan

Assistant Director

413-923-1939
hayley@mcoaonline.org

Hayley Wood

Economic Security & Outreach Manager

617-775-0116
lisa@mcoaonline.org

Lisa Yane

Fiscal Manager

413-923-1972
kelly@mcoaonline.org

Kelly Burke

Member Services Manager

413-923-1958
andrea@mcoaonline.org

Andrea Cordis

Training & Education Manager