Staff

Julie is the founding executive of RIZE Massachusetts and leads the foundation’s work researching, investing in, and expanding evidence-based treatment solutions as well as building coalitions across the nonprofit, public, and private sectors to end the opioid overdose epidemic in Massachusetts.

Previously, Julie was a senior director at the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation overseeing communication strategy, strategic planning, and administration. Prior to her work with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Julie worked for former Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino in several roles including deputy chief of staff; director of the Office of Arts, Tourism, and Special Events; president of the Fund for Boston Neighborhoods; and executive director of Boston 2004 Inc., an organization created to host the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

Julie served as member of the city of Boston’s Office of Recovery Services Substance Use Prevention Advisory Board under former Mayor Marty Walsh and was appointed as a member of the Commission on Methamphetamine Use by Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker in October 2021. She also serves her community on several nonprofit boards and commissions.

She received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University, has a graduate certificate in public relations from Emerson College, and has completed senior executive programs at Babson University, Bentley University, and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Jamie works across all of RIZE’s programs, managing innovative initiatives that strengthen community connections, increase access, promote knowledge sharing, and enhance coordination among community organizations and the addiction treatment workforce. In this role, they build and maintain strong relationships with grantees, community members, and subject matter experts, including those with lived and living experience.

Before joining RIZE, Jamie was the community engagement and harm reduction programs manager at the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative (OPRC) at Brandeis University. In this role, they helped oversee and expand the Massachusetts Drug Supply Data Stream (MADDS), a collaboration between the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, harm reduction organizations, and local police departments. They worked closely with harm reduction organizations, assisting with technical training, implementation support, procedural compliance, and utilizing drug supply data to better inform public health, public safety, and policy responses.

Prior to their time at OPRC, Jamie worked as an assistant director for rural harm reduction operations with Tapestry Health, overseeing harm reduction programming in Hampshire and Franklin Counties. While serving as the communications director at Tapestry Health, they were responsible for the strategic planning, implementation and assessment of the agency’s communications and marketing priorities. They currently serve on Attorney General Campbell’s Advisory Council on Substance Use. 

Jamie holds a bachelor’s degree from Westfield State University and an associate degree from Holyoke Community College.

Matthew is responsible for the accounting, business, administrative, and operations functions at RIZE.

Prior to joining RIZE, Matthew was the Director of Operations for the Foxborough Regional Charter School overseeing all areas of operations within a K-12 school and was a member of the school’s leadership team. Previous to his work in Foxborough, Matthew helped create and launch an independent elementary charter school in Brooklyn, New York as the Founding Director of Operations and was responsible for the finance, human resources, technology, and transportation departments as well as managing the capital projects for the school.

Matthew serves as the treasurer for The New American Academy Charter School Board of Trustees and is an elected official on the School Committee for the Manchester-Essex Regional School District where he is a member of the finance subcommittee.

Matthew received his Master of Arts in Education & Social Policy from New York University, and his Bachelor of Science from Johnson & Wales University. He has completed coaching and leadership programs at Harvard University Graduate School of Education and NextJump Leadership Academy. 

Lizzy leads the implementation of comprehensive program evaluation and learning strategies to understand and strengthen RIZE’s impact. She supports the development of evaluation projects, analysis of data and evidence, strategic planning/implementation, and reporting to inform and improve RIZE’s grantmaking. She also manages the Foundation’s portfolio of research grants.

She previously served as Associate Director of Implementation Science on the HEALing Communities Study at Boston Medical Center, which aimed to reduce overdose deaths across Massachusetts through community-engaged research. As a Research Analyst at RTI International, she conducted research on disparities in access to naloxone among people who use drugs. She has also evaluated an overdose prevention center in Copenhagen, Denmark. 

Lizzy also has extensive experience in substance use policy reform, as Program Associate on the Substance Use Disorders (SUD) team at Community Catalyst where she provided technical assistance to organizations engaged in health policy and advocacy work, and as an intern at the Drug Policy Alliance.

Lizzy holds an MS in Epidemiology from UC Berkeley School of Public Health, an MS in Behavioral & Social Health Sciences from Brown University School of Public Health, and a BS in Public Health from Brown University.

Sara leads a comprehensive strategy that grows sustainable philanthropic support, aligns all external communication, and strengthens partnerships. She oversees fundraising efforts and manages all marketing communications initiatives to enhance brand visibility and promote RIZE’s mission. With over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, she is a seasoned philanthropy development professional with a deep commitment to advancing impactful and mission-driven work. She has played an instrumental role in supporting critical health initiatives, including long-term service in cardiology during her time, first at the American Heart Association and then Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Sara also led a successful capital fundraising effort at Women & Infants, a Brown Academic Medical Center, to establish a dedicated facility aimed at providing equitable and inclusive maternal health care—an achievement that reflects both her leadership and her passion for health equity.

Sara takes a thoughtful, relationship-centered approach to philanthropy. She combines strategic planning with a genuine dedication to the causes she supports. Her approach reflects a commitment to building lasting partnerships and sustainable impact.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a concentration in Criminal Justice from Central Connecticut State University and has completed philanthropic development training through Plus Delta Partners and Sandler.

Annmarie manages grantmaking and programmatic activities spanning RIZE’s diverse portfolios, including facilitating learning initiatives and engaging community partners, subject matter experts, and people with lived experience. A skilled philanthropy professional, she previously worked with Disability Rights Fund, Tides Foundation and The Atlantic Philanthropies – where she spent over a decade spearheading grant programs seeking criminal justice reform and protecting human rights.

Annmarie was also part of the team at Social Change Initiative in Belfast, Northern Ireland where she designed and directed a multimillion-dollar grantmaking program to enhance communications capacity of NGOs welcoming migrants across Europe.

Hallmarks of her work are uniting diverse stakeholders around common goals, forging partnerships across sectors and applying learning.

Annmarie holds a BA from Middlebury College and an MFA from The New School in NYC. Before embracing philanthropy, she was a performing artist and teacher.

Kimberly is responsible for providing daily critical administrative support to the president & CEO and managing the organization and efficiency of office operations.

Before joining RIZE, Kim spent over five years assisting C-suite level executives in various industries including finance, real estate, and accounting. While she gained experience in office administration, she also attended Bunker Hill Community College where she earned her associate degree with a concentration in accounting.

Early in her career, Kim developed her skills in both personal and business finance as an intern at the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, as well as State Street Bank, and H&R Block.