
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

Sue Biasizzo
Food Pantry Coordinator
Sue grew up in Needham and began volunteering at the Council in 1997.
Starting as an assistant in the Food Pantry, Sue helped distribute food to people’s homes. Sue became the Food Pantry Coordinator in February 2001 and was instrumental in moving the Food Pantry to its new “client choice” delivery system in 2014.
Contact: foodpantry@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.



Julie Tovar
ELL Program Manager
Julie has been an adult educator for many years, teaching ESOL and college composition courses. She loves collaborating to share experiences and learn new things.
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

Page van Amson
Director of Operations
Page joined the Council staff in the front office in December, 2019. She became the Council Assistant Director, working both in general administration and development and is now the Director of Development and PR.
Page has been a resident of Needham for the past 30 years and raised her two girls and a pack of dogs here.
Page comes to us after working at the Wellesley Needlepoint Collection. She has been actively involved in the dog community, supporting a rare breed of dog, the Stabyhoun, volunteering her time and working her dogs in agility and events.
Page has been active in many Needham organizations including Newcomers, Parent Talk, Friends of the Needham Public Library and a variety of PTCs. She’s excited to join the Council team to actively make a difference for our neighbors and community.
Contact: pvanamson@needhamcouncil.org

Cathy Wong
Child Assault Prevention (CAP) Program Director
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