Who We Are

In early 2015, Watertown Community Conversations grew out of a discussion among several residents at the World in Watertown's annual Martin Luther King Day Breakfast. Following that discussion, the group expanded and met regularly to shape our mission and programs.  We have benefited tremendously from the insights, support, and encouragement of the Watertown community - residents, City and State elected officials, City staff, and business and community leaders. We would like to thank Abby Yanow, one of our founding members, for her tremendous contributions to creating Watertown Community Conversations and theWatertown Community Foundation for their funding which facilitated our first programs.

Ora Grodsky

Ora co-founded Just Works Consulting in 2000 to provide organizational development for organizations advancing social justice.  Since then she has guided hundreds of groups through successful planning and change processes. She received a master's degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and is a graduate and former academic dean of the New England School of Acupuncture.

Larry Raskin

Larry is an organizational effectiveness consultant and community leader.  He helps leaders, teams, and groups define their missions, overcome challenges, gain commitments, build capacity, and implement strategies to achieve their objectives. He is a co-founder and former Chair of World in Watertown, an organization that promotes diversity, fair treatment and equal rights through public programs and collaboration with elected officials and local leaders. Larry is a certified facilitator, workshop leader, trainer and coach.  He graduated cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from SUNY at Buffalo, and earned a Master of Education degree from Harvard University.  

Nancy Hammett

Nancy is an Environmental Policy and Economic Consultant and Stormwater Compliance Expert who has worked extensively in the US and globally.  She has served on the City’s Storm Water Advisory Committee. Nancy was Executive Director of the Mystic River Watershed Association.  She received her BA from Wellesley College and an MSc from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management.

Alice Poltorick

Alice founded Ascent Collaborative to help non-profits increase engagement. She has served in marketing and communications leadership throughout greater Boston and Miami. Alice earned an MBA from Boston College and completed graduate work in communications at Boston University.  She is also a trained spiritual director and facilitator. Alice’s commitment to social justice is demonstrated by her service with organizations which support youth development, address homelessness, and encourage community dialogue and involvement.

Liz Aeschlimann

Liz is a coach and consultant who helps people and organizations get unstuck and find more joy, purpose, and ease. She has spent the last decade helping people build transformative relationships and draw on wisdom tools for resilience, purpose, and powerful collective action as a community organizer, educator, and chaplain at Vassar College, Tufts University Hillel, and United Interfaith Action of Southeastern Massachusetts. 

Tia Tilson

Tia is a seasoned non-profit leader, community activist, and fundraiser with over 20 years’ experience identifying and developing partnerships to strengthen non-profits. She is a past member of the Watertown Charter Commission, currently serves on the steering committee of Watertown Forward, and is the current executive director of the Watertown Community Foundation. Additionally, Tia serves as volunteer treasurer of March for Moms, a national maternal health advocacy organization.

Stephanie Venizelos

Stephanie is a wellness promotion and engagement professional who works for the City of Watertown as the Community Wellness Program Manager. For the past decade, her work has focused on developing programs, initiatives, and events that improve individual and community wellbeing, foster mutually beneficial partnerships, and build connections. She received a Master’s degree from Lesley University in Human Development & Education and is a certified coach and wellness practitioner with specialty training in social and emotional intelligence, mindfulness practices, and the MBTI Personality and Strong Interest Inventories.

Friends of WCC

Cecilia Lenk

Cecilia served three terms as City Councilor, District B, during which she chaired the Public Works and Technology Committees, and served on the Budget and Finance Committee. Formerly Vice President of Technology and Digital Design at Decision Resources, she has directed large-scale technology projects for major corporations, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. She currently works with companies at all stages to provide assistance with business strategy, capital raising, and technology consulting.  She has served on a number of non-profit boards, including Chair of the Johns Hopkins Engineering Alumni and Cultural Survival. Cecilia has a PhD in Biology from Harvard University and a BA from Johns Hopkins University.

Janet Penn

Janet is the founder of Youth LEAD (Youth Leaders Engaging Across Differences) and was its Executive Director from 1999-2014.  She is currently the Project Director of Training and Resource Development for the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom and is developing a resource library, including on-site national trainings, videos, and webinars which will support thousands of Muslim and Jewish women across the U.S.  Janet is also currently working on a pilot project with  university chaplains.  She has been a non-profit manager and advocate for social change for over 30 years.  Janet received her MBA and MSW from Boston College and an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from the Episcopal Divinity School.

Maya Townsend

Maya, founder and lead consultant at Partnering Resources, helps individuals, teams, and organizations thrive in our networked world. She uses knowledge of the art and science of networks to help leaders create resilient strategy, find opportunities in complex business ecosystems, and influence change. Her clients include Fortune 500, mid-sized, emerging, and nonprofit organizations, such as Bayer, Biogen, Commongood Careers, Intel, Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, MIT, and the National Braille Press. Maya is co-editor of Handbook for Strategic HR: Best Practices in Organization Development from the OD Network (AMACOM, 11/2012). Her articles have been published in CIO, Nonprofit Quarterly, Talent Management, and other outlets. Maya earned a Master's degree with Honors in Applied Behavioral Science from American University / NTL Institute and a Bachelor's degree from Oberlin College. In her spare time, she hosts chocolate learning and tasting sessions.