Governor Makes Appointments to the Veterans' Homes Council

08:02AM / Sunday, February 12, 2023Print Story | Email Story

BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll announced the appointment of seven members to the Veterans' Homes Council.

Established through a 2022 law aimed at strengthening the governance of veterans services in the Commonwealth, the Council is an advisory body that makes recommendations to the Secretary of Veterans' Services to ensure the health, well-being, and safety of residents of state-operated Veterans' Homes and access to equitable, high quality, and competent care for veterans across the Commonwealth.

"The Veterans' Homes Council will play a critical role in ensuring that we are providing the care that our veterans need and deserve. These seven appointees have an intimate understanding of the complex needs of veterans, including access to health care, mental health care, housing and food assistance," said Governor Maura T. Healey. "Our administration is grateful to the Legislature and our teams at the Executive Office of Health and Human Services and Department of Veterans' Services for their hard work to create this important council."

The Council's responsibilities include recommending improvements and policies for Veterans' Homes to the Secretary of Veterans' Services, submitting recommendations for appointments and removal of Veterans' Homes Superintendents, and developing an annual report reviewing the Veterans' Homes' demographics, finances, staffing levels, efficacy, equity, and resident well-being.

Appointees include four individuals appointed by Governor Maura Healey and three individuals appointed by the Acting Secretary of Health and Human Services Mary Beckman, and as indicated in statute.

Appointed by the Governor:

Ziven Drake

Ziven Drake is a US Air Force Veteran who served as a Crew Chief in Tactical Aircraft Maintenance. She is a current member of the Pile Drivers Local 56 Union. Drake currently serves as Assistant Executive Director of the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters Apprenticeship Training Fund.

Lt. Colonel USMC (Retired) Mike Dunford

Mike Dunford is a retired US Marine Corps Reserve Officer and served as the Chief Human Resources Officer and Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Covidien. Dunford is an active member of the business community and a veteran advocate focused on employment, food security, homelessness, case management and outreach. Dunford currently serves as president of the Cape & Islands Veteran Outreach Center.

Colonel USA (Retired) Andrea Gayle-Bennett

Andrea Gayle-Bennett, Retired Army Colonel, Brigadier General (Massachusetts), served for more than 35 years in the Massachusetts Army National Guard, including as a chief physician assistant and battalion surgeon. Gayle-Bennett currently serves on the Governor's Council to Address Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, the Governor's Advisory Council on Veterans' Services, the North Shore Community College Board of Trustees, and is corporate secretary for the Veteran Business Owners Initiative.

Michael Jefferson

Michael Jefferson, a veteran of the US Marine Corps, is president of Somerville IAFF Local 76 and founder of the Fraternal Order of Firefighter Military Veterans, Inc. He is also a member and director of the Member Assistance Program for the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts.

Appointed by Acting Secretary of Health and Human Services:

Dr. Louis Chow, PhD

Dr. Chow is the Sr. Director of Network Development and Training Institute at Home Base, a Red Sox Foundation and Mass General Hospital program.?He is a clinical psychologist, Assistant in Psychology at MGH, Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and a specialist in treating veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and other invisible wounds of war. Dr. Chow has overseen the education and training of thousands of clinicians and health professionals across the Commonwealth seeking to care for veterans impacted by the invisible wounds of war.

Tony Francis, MBA

Tony Francis serves as the president and CEO of Edgar Benjamin Health Center, a non-profit nursing home in Boston and the only minority-owned nursing home in New England. Francis brings with him broad experience in long-term care, business administration and management consulting. He has served as chairman of the Central Boston Elder Services Board of Directors and is currently a co-chair of the Boston Healthcare Preparedness Coalition.

Jill Landis, RN

Jill Landis has been the vice president of quality management at Integritus Healthcare, a not-for-profit committed to fulfilling the health and residential needs of communities, since 2008. Landis previously was a regional nurse manager at Genesis Health Care, where her responsibilities included the management of quality outcomes for nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Landis is certified in rehabilitation nursing and is a member of the Massachusetts Senior Care Association.

In addition to the seven members appointed by Governor Healey and Acting Secretary Beckman, the Veterans' Homes Council includes Executive Director of Veterans' Homes and Housing Robert Engell, who serves as chair, and Chelsea and Holyoke Soldiers' Homes Boards of Trustees members, who are ex officio, voting members.

Tags: veterans,

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Toys for Tots Bringing Presents to Thousands of Kids This Year

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
12:21PM / Friday, December 05, 2025

Volunteers organize toys by age and gender in the House of Corrections storage facility.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Plenty of toys are on their way to children this holiday season thanks to Toys for Tots.

Christopher Keegan has coordinated the local toy drive for the Berkshire Chapter of the Marine Corps Reserve since 2015 and said he has seen the need rise every year, last year helping more than 6,000 kids.

"This is 11 years I've been doing it, and the need has gone up every year. It's gone up every year, and I anticipate it going up even more this year," Keegan said.

On Thursday, the Berkshire County House of Corrections storage facility was overflowing with toys making it the county's very own Santa's workshop.

Keegan said Berkshire County always shows up with toys or donations.

"This county is outstanding when it comes to charity. They rally around stuff. They're very giving, they're very generous, and they've been tremendous in this effort, the toys for pride effort, since I've been doing it, our goal is to honor every request, and we've always reached that goal," he said.

Keegan's team is about 20 to 25 volunteers who sort out toys based on age and gender. This week, the crew started collecting from the 230 or so boxes set out around the county on Oct. 1.

"The two age groups that are probably more difficult — there's a newborn to 2s, boys and girls, and 11 to 14, boys and girls. Those are the two challenging ages where we need to focus our attention on a little bit more," he said.

Toys For Tots has about 30 participating schools and agencies that sign up families and individuals who need help putting gifts under the tree. Keegan takes requests right up until the last minute on Christmas.

"We can go out shopping for Christmas. I had sent my daughter out Christmas Eve morning. Hey, we need X amount of toys and stuff, but the requests are still rolling in from individuals, and I don't say no, we'll make it work however we can," he said.

Community members help to raise money or bring in unopened and unused toys. Capeless Elementary student Thomas St. John recently raised $1,000 selling hot chocolate and used the money to buy toys for the drive.

"It's amazing how much it's grown and how broad it is, how many people who were involved," Keegan said.

On Saturday, Live 95.9 personalities Bryan Slater and Marjo Catalano of "Slater and Marjo in the Morning" will host a Toys for Tots challenge at The Hot Dog Ranch and Proprietor's Lodge. Keegan said they have been very supportive of the drive and that they were able to collect more than 3,000 toys for the drive last year.

Volunteer Debbie Melle has been volunteering with Toys for Tots in the county for about five years and said people really showed up to give this year.

"I absolutely love it. It's what we always say. It's organized chaos, but it's rewarding. And what I actually this year, I'm so surprised, because the amount that the community has given us, and you can see that when you see these pictures, that you've taken, this is probably the most toys we've ever gotten," she said. "So I don't know if people just feel like this is a time to give and they're just going above and beyond, but I'm blown away. This year we can barely walk down the aisles for how much, how many toys are here. It's wonderful."

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