The document provides biographies of 8 members appointed to the Independent Task Force on the Response to Sexual Abuse within the Diocese of Springfield. The members include social workers, clergy members, a retired judge, educators, and the executive director of a children's advocacy center. They will work as a task force to review the Diocese of Springfield's response to sexual abuse allegations.
Original Description:
Members of the newly created task force in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield.
Original Title
Members of the Independent Task Force on the Response to Sexual Abuse within the Diocese of Springfield
The document provides biographies of 8 members appointed to the Independent Task Force on the Response to Sexual Abuse within the Diocese of Springfield. The members include social workers, clergy members, a retired judge, educators, and the executive director of a children's advocacy center. They will work as a task force to review the Diocese of Springfield's response to sexual abuse allegations.
The document provides biographies of 8 members appointed to the Independent Task Force on the Response to Sexual Abuse within the Diocese of Springfield. The members include social workers, clergy members, a retired judge, educators, and the executive director of a children's advocacy center. They will work as a task force to review the Diocese of Springfield's response to sexual abuse allegations.
Independent Task Force on the Response to Sexual Abuse
within the Diocese of Springfield - Members
Maurice Boisvert of Shrewsbury Orlando Isaza of Easthampton
is a licensed independent clinical is a social worker who has been a social worker and president and founding member of many local chief executive officer emeritus of organizations including the Eric YOU, Inc. He led the organization Carle Museum, the Seuss Park, the in a broad range of therapeutic, ed- Holyoke Pre-Natal Care Center, the ucational and residential services Holyoke Health Center, the Holy- through more than 50 programs. oke Midwifery Program, and the In addition, Boisvert received both Community Foundation of Western his bachelor’s and master’s degrees Massachusetts. He served as direc- from Assumption College and an tor of community development at MSW from the University of Con- the Crossroads Community Growth necticut. He has been an adjunct Center, director of the Springfield North Massachusetts De- professor at Assumption College and Clark University, and partment of Transitional Assistance and as special assistant to more recently at Boston College Graduate School of Social the President of Holyoke Community College. He earned an Work. He will serve as planning consultant. MSW from the University of Connecticut and has also taught sociology and social work at various institutions in the region. Daniel Ford is a retired Massa- chusetts Superior Court Judge from Ronald Johnson is president and Pittsfield having served three de- CEO of the Martin Luther King, Jr. cades on the bench. Family Services in Springfield. In Judge Ford received a BBA in fi- addition to his role at MLKFS he nance from the University of Notre has held Senior Executive leadership Dame and a Juris Doctorate from roles at the Center for Human De- Boston College Law School. He began his career as an associate velopment and MassMutual Life Ins. with Katz and Lapointe in Pittsfield A recipient of numerous accolades from 1975-1979. He was First Assis- and prestigious awards for his role tant District Attorney of Berkshire in community service, Johnson is County from 1979-1987, Of counsel one of the Founders and Co-Chairs to Cain, Hibbard, Myers and Cooke in Pittsfield from 1987- of the Brianna Fund for Children 1989 and Justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court from with Physical Disabilities with his wife Donna Johnson. He 1989-2019. has served on numerous community boards some include Judge Ford is a member of the Berkshire Bar Association, the Future Works, founding board member of Leadership Pioneer Hampden County Bar Association and the Massachusetts Bar Valley, Community Music School of Springfield, CISA, Association. Martin L. King Jr Charter School of Excellence and is a past He presided over some of the most high profile cases in recent moderatorofSt.John’sCongregationalChurch.Johnsonreceived history including those of convicted child killer Lewis Lent, his bachelor’s degree from Western New England University, Wayne Lowe who carried out the 1992 mass shooting at Bard’s attended the University of Connecticut School of Social Work College at Simon’s Rock, and Alfred Gaynor, who was convict- ed in 2000 of the murder of four women and later confessed to and earned a master’s degree from Cambridge College. the murders of at least five more. He will serve as chair of the task force.
Father Michael Pierz is pastor of St. John the Evangelist
Parish in Agawam. He was ordained to the priesthood in 2013. He has also served at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Belchertown as a parochial vicar. Father Pierz is a member of the Presbyteral Council of the Diocese of Springfield. He is a canon lawyer and also serves as a defender of the bond for the diocese. He is a graduate of St. John’s Seminary and the North American College in Rome. Father William Tourigny is pas- Independent Task Force on the tor of St. Rose de Lima Parish in Response to Sexual Abuse within the Chicopee. He was ordained to the Diocese of Springfield - Members priesthood in 1980. He has served as parochial vicar of several diocesan page 2 parishes and pastor of St. Joseph and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, both Sister of St. Joseph Mary Quinn in Springfield. of Springfield is a past vice presi- Father Tourigny served on the di- dent and president of the Sisters of ocesan Catholic school board, the St. Joseph. For the last eight years, clergy commission, and presently she has worked as program coordi- serves as dean of the Hampden East nator of Out of the County Reentry Deanery and is a member of the Presbyteral Council of the Programs and program developer at diocese. He holds a master’s of divinity degree from Mount St. the Women’s Correctional Center in Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD. Chicopee. Sister Quinn also has worked as a high school teacher and guidance Irene Woods is the founding exec- director at St. Joseph’s High School utive director of the Children’s Ad- in Pittsfield, as a therapist at the Counseling Center in the vocacy Center of Franklin County Berkshires and as the coordinator for a restorative justice pro- and North Quabbin in Greenfield. gram for the Hampden County Sheriff ’s Department. Established in 2015, the CAC works She holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Boston Univer- with child victims of abuse and their sity and is licensed in mental health counseling and marriage non-offending family members and family therapy. throughout the investigation and in- tervention process. The CAC serves the most rural and geographically Jim Stankiewicz is retired from a 45-year career in pre-K through 12 isolated region of Massachusetts. education. He has worked as a band Before leading the CAC, Woods director, middle school assistant worked at various supervisory and management positions at principal, principal, assistant super- Massachusetts Department of Children and Families focusing intendent and superintendent. He on investigating allegations of child abuse and neglect. She re- most recently was the head master tired from DCF in 2016. She also serves on the Domestic Vio- at St. Agnes Academy in Dalton. lence Task Force for the City of Greenfield. He has served on the Springfield She is a licensed independent clinical social worker. She Diocesan Review Board since the earned an MSW from the University of Connecticut School of 2000s. He went before the review Social Work and a BA from the University of Massachusetts, board in 1993 to be heard as a victim Amherst. of clergy abuse and is committed to supporting survivors and She will serve as vice-chair of the task force. working to protect children and vulnerable adults. He holds a master’s degree in educational administration. Amber Zinni is a clinical social worker and trauma therapist at the Joan Tabachnick has developed Trauma Institute and Child Trauma educational materials and innova- Institute in Northampton. tive sexual violence prevention pro- Following her graduation from grams for national, state and local the Smith College School for Social organizations for 25 years. Her pri- Work, Amber joined the team at the mary focus is on preventing the per- Trauma Institute and Child Trauma petration of sexually harmful behav- Institute. Specializing in intensive iors, particularly in adolescents and trauma treatment, Amber is trained young adults. She serves on a num- in EMDR, Progressive Counting ber of national and statewide task (PC), ego state work, and has ad- forces including the National Center vanced training working with survi- for Missing and Exploited Children vors of clergy sexual abuse. She has significant experience as a and Stop It Now! trainer, teacher, and facilitator using the intergroup dialogue Tabachnick, who holds a BA from Connecticut College and (IGD) model. She received her BA in African American Stud- a MBA from Yale University, is currently a fellow with the ies and history from the University of Virginia and a M.Ed. in Department of Justice SMART Office focusing on preventing Social Justice Education from the University of Massachusetts, campus sexual abuse. Amherst.