Board of Directors
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Megan Sonderegger
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Megan Sonderegger joined the DotHouse Health Board of Directors in June 2015. As a registered nurse, Megan has the privilege of assisting some of the strongest and most resilient people on their journey toward recovery from substance use disorders. She currently works at Eliot Community Human Services as a nurse manager to work with people moving into permanent housing.
Previously Megan worked for the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, as a nurse to people experiencing homelessness in Boston’s Mass & Cass intersection. Within Dorchester, she has served as president of Meeting House Hill Civic Association and as a board member of Bowdoin Geneva Main Streets. Megan received her BSN from UMass Boston, and is a licensed drug and alcohol counselor.
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Christopher McCoy
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Christopher McCoy was appointed to the Board in June of 2015. He currently works as the Associate Director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston as well as the 2nd year (PGY2) residency director for Infectious Diseases Pharm practice. He is an adjunct Professor at Northeastern University in the Bouve College of Health Sciences.
Chris began his career at St Elizabeth’s Medical Center as a clinical pharmacist, and then worked under a research grant at the Health Institute at Tufts University with outreach to Lynn Community Health Center. Chris joined Beth Israel Deaconess in 2002 as the Infectious Diseases Specialist/Coordinator with activities in the HIV/ID Clinic and inpatient consult services. In 2009, Chris went to industry position at Johnson and Johnson as a Medical Scientist working in Antimicrobial Stewardship and clinical trials around new antibiotics. In 2011, missing clinical care and the academic medical center, Chris returned to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center with a new position in policy development, clinical practice oversight and training. He maintains membership on a number of hospital committees including Infection Control, Infectious Diseases Health Care Quality, Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee and the Antimicrobial Subcommittee.
Chris holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Trinity College in Connecticut, a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from St. John’s University in New York and a PharmD from MCPHS University in Boston. Chris has served on a number of boards including the executive board of John McCormack Civic Association in Dorchester, the research board at the Fenway Institute, the interdisciplinary HIV/AIDS health center for research, training, education, and policy development, focusing on research reviews and internal policy review, and has been President of DotOUT, the grassroots, member driven organization committed to acceptance, inclusion, fairness, and equality for the LGBTQ community in Dorchester.
His love of history, culture and diversity led him to find a single family house in Dorchester in 2000 in the “Polish Triangle” with his husband. He and his husband also discovered a vibrant and evolving neighborhood, rich with local connections and opportunities for civic and social engagement.
Dominique Sye Treasurer |
Dominique Sye joined the DotHouse Health Board of Directors in June 2017, bringing her years of experience in employee benefits administration at the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) in support of DotHouse Health’s mission.
A Dorchester resident, Dominique volunteers with the Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance and Little Brothers’ Friends of the Elderly. She holds a BS in Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts, Boston and a Masters in Finance from Boston College.
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Rosa Shouder Secretary |
Rosa Shouder currently serves as Program Director at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester. Prior to Boys & Girls Club, Mrs. Shouder worked at DotHouse Health for over six years, where she held leadership roles in case management and community wellness. In these roles, she showcased her deep commitment to empowering vulnerable populations and improving the health of individuals and families.
Mrs. Shouder is also a goal-setting and empowerment coach and the founder of The Goal Slayer Academy, where she helps women reach their goals through personalized coaching and motivational strategies. She holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Suffolk University Sawyer Business School, a Bachelor of Social Work from Simmons University, and a Bachelor of Science in Human Services from Springfield College.
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Paulo A.
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Paulo De Barros has consistently gone above and beyond for his community over the course of his career. As a high school student, he exposed the mistreatment of ESL students in South Boston High School, and then pursued a career to rectify the solution from within. A former Boston Public Schools English Teacher, he also worked as a social worker with Cape Verdean families in the Catholic Charities family stabilization program.
After operating a series of focus groups with teens and parents between 1999 and 2001, Mr. De Barros co-founded the Catholic Charities Teen Center at St. Peter’s. Under his leadership, the program grew to serve more than 500 teens every year, with more than 96% of Teen Center members graduating high school in a neighborhood where public school graduation rates are only 41%. After 15 years as Teen Center Director, Paulo stepped down in December 2017 to dedicate his efforts to the immigrant-serving non-profit, Cape Verdean Association of Boston.
Mr. De Barros is one of the founding members of the Safe City Collaborative, a partnership between Catholic Charities, Dorchester Youth Collaborative, and DotWell, that has brought more than $7 million for programming into the Bowdoin-Geneva neighborhood of Dorchester over a five year period. He has served as President of multiple boards and committees in the Cape Verdean community and Bowdoin-Geneva neighborhood, including the Strela Negra Soccer Club, Cape Verdean Community UNIDO, New England Luso-American Soccer Association, the National Alliance of Cape Verdean Organizations, and Bowdoin Geneva Main Streets.
In 2010, Mr. De Barros was named City of Boston Crime Fighter of the Year, in 2011, he was awarded the Cape Verdean Presidential Medal of Honor, and most recently, De Barros was named Main Streets Volunteer of the Year in 2016.
Mr. De Barros has a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS) in Sociology and Criminology from Bridgewater State University, a Certificate of Human Service Management from Suffolk University, and a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) in Non-Profit Management and Public Administration from Endicott College.
Mr. De Barros and his wife live with their family in Dorchester.
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Annissa Essaibi
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Annissa Essaibi George, President & CEO of Big Sister Boston, was born and raised in Boston. A first-generation American and the daughter of immigrants, Annissa has been a part of the fabric of the Boston community all her life and brings a broad range of lived experience to her role as a member of the DotHouse Board. Her father, Ezzeddine, immigrated to the United States from Tunisia in 1972. Her mother, Barbara, was born to Polish parents in a Displaced Persons’ camp in Germany.
Annissa spent 13 years as a teacher at East Boston High School before becoming the first Boston Public School teacher elected to the Boston City Council. As an At Large Councilor, Annissa was distinguished by her efforts to empower the voices of stakeholders directly impacted by public policy and her solutions-oriented approach to government. When taking office in 2016, Annissa served as the founding member and Chair of Committee on Homelessness, Mental Health, and Recovery. Building from her education work, Annissa successfully increased funding in the City’s budget to support the almost 5,000 students in BPS experiencing homelessness and helped launch a Family Led Stability Pilot to house those students close to their schools, winning her the 2018 Navigator Award for her innovative approach to government.
To best inform policy, Annissa hosted a monthly roundtable series that alternated between family shelter providers and mental health providers to connect with policymakers in government. Her efforts led to the expansion of access to treatment including filing an Ordinance Establishing A Mental Health Commission and an Ordinance Requiring Pharmacy Take Back for Sharps. In 2019, Annissa passed a City Ordinance forming a Special Commission to End Family Homelessness in Boston. Annissa ran for Mayor of Boston in 2021.
She graduated from Boston Technical High School (John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science) and earned a B.A. in Political Science from Boston University and a Masters of Education from University of Massachusetts Boston. Annissa is also the owner of the Stitch House. Annissa and her husband Doug live in the same Dorchester neighborhood they grew up in and are the proud parents of four boys.
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Jeffrey Lopes |
Dr. Jeffrey Lopes, LP.D, MPA, joined the DotHouse Health Board of Directors in January 2017. Jeffrey currently serves as a Detective for the City of Boston’s Police Department, and has spent ten years working in public safety and security throughout the greater Boston area. Jeffrey is the President of the Massachusetts Minority Law Enforcement Officers.
He is an active member of the city’s Cape Verdean community, serving on the Board of Directors for Cape Verdean Association of Boston in Dorchester and as a member of the Cape Verdean Police Officers Association. Jeffrey received his Doctor of Law and Policy degree from Northeastern University, and both his Master of Public Administration and Bachelors of Science in Sociology from Suffolk University in Boston.
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Joel Wool |
Joel Wool, a native of the Bay State, has lived in Dorchester since 2011. Joel Wool is an environmental advocate with experience in campaigns to combat pollution, protect public health and ensure low-income communities have access to affordable clean energy. He has worked in the fields of environmental advocacy, housing, local government and public health.
Currently, Joel is the Deputy Administrator for Sustainability and Capital Transformation with the Boston Housing Authority, where he previously served as the Chief of Staff. He is a graduate of Emerson College and Tufts University. Joel is also an alumnus of AmeriCorps and the JOIN for Justice Fellowship. During his AmeriCorps service, he was pleased to work with the DotHouse and Codman Square Health Center on civic engagement issues.
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Maryssa Schneider McLean |
Maryssa Schneider McLean joined the DotHouse Health Board of Directors in June 2019. Ms. McLean works for the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development. Prior to her work in housing administration, Ms. McLean was a practicing attorney focused on employment and fair housing law.
She is a resident of Dorchester, and served on the executive board of the McCormack Civic Association as well as the board of directors of the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action, for which she remains an advisory board member. Ms. McLean holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Washington University in St. Louis and a Juris Doctor from Northeastern University School of Law.
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Zoe K. Agnew
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Zoe Agnew is a seasoned and dynamic real estate executive with over two decades of experience in residential and commercial development. As a Project Executive, she brings a strategic and collaborative approach to every stage of the development process—from early planning and permitting to construction and final disposition.
Zoe’s career includes impactful roles at MassDevelopment, JLL, and Liberty Mutual, where she cultivated a strong network of public and private partners and honed her expertise in navigating complex projects. Her deep knowledge of business planning, mixed-use development, project management, and asset disposition consistently adds value to the communities and clients she serves.
Known for her ability to build lasting relationships and lead with integrity, Zoe is deeply committed to fostering vibrant, sustainable communities. She holds a Master’s in Education from Harvard University and an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), combining a strong foundation in leadership, education, and business to guide her work.
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Nam
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Nam Pham is a highly motivated, creative, and seasoned executive and consultant of business, government, media, and non-profit sectors with intimate knowledge of Massachusetts diverse communities, cross-cultural and political issues, and innovation ecosystem. He is also an author, a film maker, and an instructor.
Beginning in 2023, Nam returned to Harvard Kennedy School of Government as a Program Specialist for the Ash Center of Democracy and Innovation's Global Vietnam Wars Initiatives Studies. Previously, in 2015 Nam joined the Baker/Polito Administration, first as Assistant Secretary of Business Development & International Trade, the first Asian American gubernatorial appointee at this level in Massachusetts.
From 2011 until 2015, Nam served as the CEO of Vietnamese American Initiative for Development, Inc., the first Vietnamese community corporation in the US. From 1994 to 2000 Nam was the Commissioner of Massachusetts Office for Refugees and Immigrants. He served under President Ronald Reagan as a Presidential Management Fellow in 1983. He also taught at Tufts University on Vietnam War, and US Refugee & Immigrant policies. He cofounded Van Lang Vietnamese Language Centers in Boston, teaching 400 youths per year for the past 25 years.
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Thao
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Thao Ho is a dedicated advocate and community leader currently serving as a Staff Attorney at Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS). A local of Dorchester, Thao brings deep-rooted commitment to her work, focusing on the legal needs of low-income Asian immigrants affected by the U.S. immigration system.
At GBLS, Thao provides direct legal representation, engages in policy advocacy, and leads administrative efforts to drive systemic change. She also organizes legal clinics, conducts community outreach and education, and builds strong relationships with individuals and grassroots organizations to ensure legal services are responsive to evolving needs.
Thao earned her law degree from New York University School of Law and has worked across several legal organizations in New York City, gaining extensive experience in immigration rights, legal defense, and labor law. Her career reflects a lifelong passion for justice, equity, and empowering underserved communities.
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Lauren DeMarco
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Lauren DeMarco is a dedicated Clinical Social Worker at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), bringing over 15 years of experience to her role. Her career has spanned a wide range of care settings, including Assisted Living, Hospice and Palliative Care, and Oncology—areas where compassionate support and interdisciplinary collaboration are essential.
At MGH, Lauren works closely with a diverse inpatient team—including physicians, nurses, therapists, nutritionists, case managers, spiritual care providers, and complementary therapy practitioners—to provide holistic and patient-centered care. Her work is deeply rooted in advocating for patients and families during some of life’s most complex moments.
Lauren earned her Master of Social Work from Boston College and remains passionate about elevating the role of social work in healthcare through collaboration, empathy, and innovation.