Meet the Advisory Board
Nancy Dungan
Executive Director, and Co-Founder at Decoding Dyslexia
Nancy is a reading and dyslexia specialist with a combined MA in psychology and in school counseling; trained in assessments, evaluations, scientific research evaluation, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (C.B.T.). She often provides families, educators and advocates with the information they need to address learning disability, including dyslexia, school anxiety, frustration and poor academic performance. She is currently the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Decoding Dyslexia Massachusetts. Nancy was appointed by MA DESE to the Subject Matter Knowledge Committee for Reading Specialist Licensure in MA. She serves on the Governor’s Early Literacy Expert Panel for MA; the Advisory Group for the International Foundations for Effective Reading Instruction; and the National Center for Improving Literacy.  She received the 2019 International Dyslexia Association MA Branch Garside Award for her advocacy work. She has presented professional development and workshops to educators, advocates, attorneys, policy makers, and families, connecting the legal obligations of I.D.E.A. for reading with the decisions made on the national, state and local level.
Julie Watt Faqir
Executive Director of the Home Care Aide Council
Julie served as the Senior Legislative Aide to Representative Chris Walsh from Framingham. In this position, she was integral in planning and executing legislative, budgetary and policy positions for the representative. The establishment of The Chris Walsh Center for Educators and Families was a priority of Representative Walsh and something that Julie was very much part of on a daily basis. She strongly believes in the value of supporting students and their families in their efforts to obtain a quality education. She feels privileged to officially join the advisory board of the Chris Walsh Center. Professionally, she is the Executive Director of the Home Care Aide Council and leads the policy and legislative agenda for the organization and oversees the day-to-day operations of the Council. Julie received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and her law degree from the University of La Verne.
Ana Maria
Program Manager for the Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Programs at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Ana Maria is the Program Manager for the Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Programs at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Her responsibilities include working with the Program Head, supporting faculty and students, collaborating across campus, and managing budgetary and financial matters. She previously worked at Becker College as the Director of Teaching & Learning Innovation. She holds a B.A. in Art Education from C.W. Post Long Island University, an M.A. in Diplomacy from Norwich University, and earned her Ed.D. in Leadership & Innovation from St. Thomas University. Before moving to Massachusetts, she served as a Foundation Board Member for Saratoga Bridges, contributing to fundraising efforts and outreach endeavors. She is deeply devoted to empowering disabled people with meaningful opportunities to achieve their dreams. Her oldest son is autistic (now enrolled in college), and her experiences serving on various school committees in New York and Massachusetts have led her to advocate for him and other families needing to navigate an often-confusing system. Ana Maria lives in Shrewsbury with her husband, three children, and father.
Julie Watt Faqir
Executive Director, and Co-Founder at Decoding Dyslexia
Julie served as the Senior Legislative Aide to Representative Chris Walsh from Framingham. In this position, she was integral in planning and executing legislative, budgetary and policy positions for the representative. The establishment of The Chris Walsh Center for Educators and Families was a priority of Representative Walsh and something that Julie was very much part of on a daily basis. She strongly believes in the value of supporting students and their families in their efforts to obtain a quality education. She feels privileged to officially join the advisory board of the Chris Walsh Center. Professionally, she is the Executive Director of the Home Care Aide Council and leads the policy and legislative agenda for the organization and oversees the day-to-day operations of the Council. Julie received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and her law degree from the University of La Verne.
Gail Palmer
Parent
Gail Palmer has worked as an independent consultant with various companies and organizations on strategic planning, marketing, sales, and business development for over 20 years. As a parent of two children diagnosed with Dyslexia, her own personal experience navigating the special education system led her to contact her legislator Chris Walsh, and advocate for a way to offer support to other struggling families. This kicked off the process of establishing the Chris Walsh Center at FSU.  Another grassroots effort in which she has been involved is Decoding Dyslexia of MA. Whereby, she lobbied legislators in the house and senate and provided testimony in support of new legislation for early literacy screening that went into effect in 2018. She strongly believes in the value of supporting students and their families in their efforts to obtain a quality education. To support this purpose; she currently serves on the steering committee for the Child Find Project – MA. She feels privileged to officially join the advisory board of the Chris Walsh Center.
Sheryl Goldstein
Chair of the Framingham Disability Commission, Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination Advisory Board, Framingham Age and Dementia Friendly Coalition
Sheryl Goldstein is one of the founding members of the center since its inception in 2015. Over the past two decades, she has spent much of her professional attention on advocacy within school systems, especially where it pertains to students with differentiated learning styles and disabilities. In addition to being a 2018 recipient of the prestigious Unsung Hero Award from the Massachusetts Commission for the Status of Women, she also sits on the Framingham Disability Commission (Chair 2021-2024) and on the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination Advisory Board. Sheryl has an undergraduate degree from Northeastern University in Communications, a Master's Degree in Social Work from Simmons University and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Sheryl, her husband, two daughters, and dog Coco live in Framingham.
Heidi Kaufman
​YMCA Executive Director of Education
Heidi Kaufman has been working with young children and their families for 30 years and has held her current role as Executive Director for Education at the MetroWest YMCA since 2001.  At the Y, she serves as a member of the senior leadership team; supervises all of the EEC licensed programs including the Early Learning Center, After School programs, and summer learning programs.  She leads the Y’s opportunity gap work; manages all the related contracts and grants; and provides assistance, expertise, training, and supervision as needed both within the Y and in the community.  In addition, Heidi is the Chair of the Youth Policy Committee for the Alliance of Massachusetts YMCAs and often represents the YMCAs of Massachusetts in state and regional task forces and committees.  Heidi holds a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Education from Lesley University, a Master of Social Work Degree from Washington University in St. Louis, and a Bachelor of Arts from Brandeis University.
The center planning committee began with the efforts of community members like you, and we continue to rely on the work of volunteers who support us on a regular basis. If you would like to nominate yourself or someone else for our Advisory Board, or wish to participate in another way, please contact us at chriswalshcenter@framingham.edu.