
Staff

Sandra Robinson
Executive Director
Sandra Robinson is the fourth Executive Director of the Needham Community Council since its inception in 1930. She was raised in Needham and is a Needham High School graduate.
Before becoming the Council’s Executive Director she worked for many years in the social service industry. Her work has served a variety of people in need, including women who were incarcerated, survivors of Domestic Violence, immigrants to the United States, and teens dealing with every day life issues. Her goals are always the same: to empower whomever she is working with to make the best choices they can make, and help them move forward in their lives.
Contact: srobinson@needhamcouncil.org

Suzanne Baker
Director of Development & PR
Suzanne came to the non-profit world quite by accident, but it has been her place and station in life for over a decade. She and her husband, Andrew, have three daughters and have called Needham home for over 18 years.
Her first thought in fundraising is always, does it help my Needham neighbors? “I feel so very fortunate to live and work in such an engaged and caring community like Needham, MA.”
There is not a camera or a microphone that doesn’t usually find its way to Suzanne and you can find her cooking up some sort of event or scheme to gather people together for good!
Contact: sbaker@needhamcouncil.org

Judy Lambert
Program Director
Judy joined the Needham Community Council in September 2019, and brings over 20 years of retail, fashion, and management experience to the Council. Maximizing opportunities to help support and fund the Council’s programs, is her critical motivation for working at the Council.
She and husband, David were both raised in Needham, and their children are 5th generation graduates of Needham High School. Judy is infamous for her expertise in designing award-winning floats for various Needham parades and whether it’s a vintage scarf or a luxury handbag, she thrives on finding the hidden treasure at the Council Thrift.
Contact: jlambert@needhamcouncil.org

Maria Albanese
Thrift Store Manager
Maria started working at the Council in August 2021. She brings a wealth of retail and financial experience to the Council Thrift. After taking time off to raise her family, Maria love for fashion brought her to the retail industry working at as a wardrobe stylist and retail representative. When Maria is not at the Council, you can find her whipping up a delicious meal, playing golf, and practicing yoga.
Contact: malbanese@needhamcouncil.org

Stacey Fallon
Tech & Tutors Program Manager
Stacey started working at the Council in October 2020, and brings over 30 years of corporate training, computer technology, and client service management experience to the Council.
Passionate for helping others, Stacey volunteered at both City Year and Pine Street Inn while working at Bain & Co and Ropes & Gray. During Covid, the Council of Aging and The Needham Community Council realized that there was an overwhelming need to help aging adults access technology to avoid isolation. Stacey was instrumental in forming and managing the Tech & Tutors program, not only providing aging adults with access to tablets, but helping them use technology to connect with family and friends, manage medical appointments and prescriptions, and help them discover additional benefits when connected online.
Stacey and her husband, David, have two daughters and a dog, and have called Needham home for nearly 25 years. When not working and making her colleagues and students laugh, Stacey enjoys playing tennis, travelling, walking in the neighborhood, and worming her way into the pickleball craze.
Contact: sfallon@needhamcouncil.org

Mindy Kalish
Development Manager
Mindy started volunteering at the Council in May 2021 in a variety of roles. From spearheading development projects, working at the Council Thrift or styling for Project Karma, making sure neighbors had access to healthy food was her motivator. She and her husband, Doug, have two sons and have called Needham home for nearly 15 years.
Before taking time off to raise her family, Mindy was a successful marketer with responsibilities ranging from account management to client service management. She is excited to combine her marketing experience with an organization that is near and dear to her.
Contact: mkalish@needhamcouncil.org

Dan McMann
Council “Go-To Guy”
Dan joined the Council in November, 2006 as the Facilities and Maintenance Specialist. He is in charge of picking up and delivering surplus to the Council from companies such as Roche Brothers, Target and Sudbury Farms. Dan also manages incoming donations as well as the Council’s waste removal services and a variety of building projects.
Dan has his BA in Fine Arts from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Before coming to the Council he worked as a Shift Supervisor at CVS in Needham.
Since COVID, Dan has been instrumental in keeping food supplies available with many multiple trips to the Boston Food Bank and other locations.

Katerina Posadskova
Food Pantry Manager
Contact: yposadskova@needhamcouncil.org
Katerina started volunteering at the Council in 2006 before accepting her role at the Council as Food Pantry Manager in 2020. She and her family have called Needham their home since 2001, and her son is a Needham High School graduate.
Katerina has lived all over the world. Her diverse background is a huge asset to the Needham Community Council Food Pantry. Her multilingual proficiency and cultural insights, combined with a wealth of experience in marketing, finance, and operations, has been instrumental in running the day-to-day operations of the Food Pantry, ensuring the Council’s customers always have access to healthy food that specifically meets their dietary needs.
Katerina is known as our in-house “Jewelry Aficionado,” appraising all the high-end jewelry in our thrift store. When Katarina is not at the Council, she enjoys gardening, cooking, and taking a variety of classes at Mass Bay to further her education.

Mary Ellen Rogan
Office Manager
Mary Ellen joined the Needham Community Council in September 2021. Mary Ellen is the welcoming face you see first when you come to the council and manages all office activities from doing Lyft rides to assisting our Needham neighbors with medical equipment. After a successful client-facing career, she most enjoys putting her time and relator skills to helping her community of over 30 years.
On weekends, Mary Ellen is an avid gardener and can be found tending to her backyard garden and whipping up her favorite Ina Garten recipes. She is mother to two Needham high graduates turned big city children, with her daughter living and working in New York City and her son in Los Angeles.
Mary Ellen engages with many parts of the NCC’s programming and appreciates the dedication of her coworkers to the mission and that every day brings a new opportunity.
Contact: mrogan@needhamcouncil.org

Julie Tovar
ELL Program Manager
Contact: jtovar@needhamcouncil.org

Sherry Turner
Council Bookkeeper
Sherry has been an independent QuickBooks Bookkeeper since 1995. She began working part time for the Council in December, 2010.
Sherry writes “I fell in love with everyone at The Council and the mission. It was the best thing I ever did!”
Contact: treasurer@needhamcouncil.org

Cathy Wong
Outreach Director for Community Awareness on Mental Health
Cathy joined the Council in 2019 after volunteering as a CAP Prevention Specialist for the previous 12 years. Cathy has lived in Needham since 1999.
Cathy has a B.S. in Accounting, Finance and Mathematics from Simmons University.
Cathy found herself reflecting on how to help her 2 daughters stay safe when she read an ad in the school newsletter seeking volunteers for CAP. Who would have known, that one phone call to the Needham Community Council’s CAP program would lead her to such a fulfilling experience and 12 years later she would leave the high tech commercial world for a career in community services.
Cathy is rewarded and energized by knowing she’s empowering children to stand up for themselves, say “no”, and to get help, because we all have the right to be “Safe, Strong, and Free.”
contact: cwong@needhamcouncil.org

General Office Mailbox
For all other matters, please contact us at: office@needhamcouncil.org