Board of Directors

Deborah Collins Gousby

Deb (she/her/hers) is a Boston native who graduated from Boston Public Schools and Emerson College. Before joining Brookview House, Collins-Gousby worked nearly thirteen years at Casa Myrna, a comprehensive provider of domestic violence services, starting as Director of Emergency Programs and eventually assuming responsibility for all of the agency’s direct service programs. Prior to joining Casa Myrna, Collins worked fourteen years at the Elizabeth Stone House, another Boston provider of shelter and community-based services to survivors and their children affected by domestic violence. She has extensive experience in direct services, program development, staffing, budgeting, volunteer management, education and outreach and outcome measurement and reporting. Collins-Gousby is President of the Jane Doe, Inc board.

Hema Sarang Siemenski

Hema (she/they) is the Policy Director at Jane Doe Inc., the Massachusetts Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence. Hema has worked with survivors of partner abuse and sexual violence for twenty years in a variety of capacities including her work providing training and technical assistance at the Victim Rights Law Center, private immigration practice, community engagement in LGBTQ communities with The Network/La Red, and as a Staff Attorney at the Immigration Unit of Greater Boston Legal Services. Hema has dedicated their career to creating opportunities for wholeness and dignity for survivors and is committed to approaches to ending sexual violence that address and challenge the intersections of various forms of oppression. Hema is a Steering Committee member of the Massachusetts Women of Color Network and Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC). Hema was named Best LGBTQ Lawyers Under 40 by the LGBT Bar Association. Hema received her BA from the University of Pennsylvania and her JD in 2005 from Northeastern University School of Law.

Isa Woldeguiorguis

Isa (she/her/hers) has been the Executive Director of The Center for Hope and Healing, Inc. since 2012. Prior to this, she worked in the anti violence field for twenty-five years. She is a well respected leader and national trainer in the fields of child abuse, domestic and sexual violence, system change, policy and practice. She is know for her activism in the areas of race and racial disparities and has authored several articles on topics such as family- centered practices in child welfare, racial and ethnic disproportionality and immigration. Isa is also a Board member of Women of Color Inc. and the co-chair of the MAWOCN.

Dr. Jean Clarke-Mitchell

Dr. Clarke-Mitchell (she/her/hers) is the Clinical Director of the Elizabeth Freeman Center, a domestic and sexual violence services organization for the past 12 years. She is a multicultural, multiethnic practicing Psychotherapist whose work is focused on addressing the psychological traumas throughout the family system with trauma informed-care. Dr. Clarke-Mitchell is a Visiting Assistant Professor at Westfield State University Department of Social Work. She has taught at: Cambridge College Psychology Department; Elms College School for Social Work and has Lecturer at Smith College, School for Social Work. Her scholarly work has investigated issues of domestic violence in the family and her current research explored the effects of IPV on mothers and adolescent children. Dr. Clarke-Mitchell serves on the boards of directors for Western Mass and Albany Psychoanalytic Psychological Association (WMAAPP) and on MCLA Foundation Board. She is a graduate of UMASS-Lowell, MCLA, and Smith College School for Social Work for her MSW and PhD. Dr. Clarke-Mitchell is very proud of her Jamaican heritage and is the mother of three grown-up daughters and two grandchildren.

Josephine Pang

Josephine (she/her/hers) is a first-generation Chinese-American, cisgender, heterosexual woman born to immigrant parents. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, she completed her B.A at University of California- San Diego with a Critical Gender Studies and Sociology/African studies degree. Josephine earned her MSW degree at Boston College’s Graduate School of Social Work and is a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LICSW). She currently has the privilege of working at Newton Wellesley Hospital in the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault program. Previously, Josephine worked in youth development and youth mentoring and practiced community-based family therapy. Josephine has also worked in school settings as an adjustment counselor, in agency settings with LGBTQ identifying survivors of DV and SA, and has trained in inpatient psychiatry and shelter settings.

Lovern J. Gordon

Lovern (she/her/hers) is the Founder and President of Love Life Now Foundation, Inc. (LLN) which promotes year-round awareness against domestic violence (DV) via its initiatives and helps to bridge the gap between shelters and the communities they serve. The 2010 winner of two back to back beauty pageants, Lovern started out by using the 2 titles as a platform to increase awareness on the issue. The following year LLN was formed. Since then, she has spanned awareness in multiple cities by hosting events year round events that have in turn raised thousands of dollars to benefit shelters in various cities across the world, shelters that provide services and emergency housing for victims and survivors daily.

Trudy Benoit

With a Forensic Science background, Trudy (she/her/hers) started working with perpetrators of DV in the Boston Court systems in 2009 conducting competency evaluations alongside a court psychologist. Shortly after in 2011 Trudy transitioned to domestic violence shelters. Last year she shifted gears to community advocacy at Brookview House, providing advocacy for homeless and low income families in Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan. When Trudy is not working she serves on a Community Advisory Board for the Boston Public Health Commission, as well as a Member of the Leadership Committee for the Massachusetts Women of Color Network. The work we do as Women of Color is so important to give a more in depth look into a cultural lens others may lack and make a way for us into leadership roles. She also participates in a traveling roller skating crew to participate in National Skate parties.