Playmakers board
Julie Soble Bowers
President
Born and raised in the Boston area, Julie heads up the National Sales team at WCVB-TV/Channel 5. She served on the Board of Directors of Project Joy prior to its integration into the Life is good Kids Foundation in 2010. She has worked with the Playmakers staff on the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina and in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake. As a regular volunteer at Life is good Festivals, she has mastered the challenges of seed-spitting, bocce and obstacle courses while competing for the title of World's Greatest Backyard Athlete. When not on the run to a next board meeting or fundraiser, Julie resides in Needham, Massachusetts with her son, Brandon.
Travis York
Vice President
Travis York is the President of Griffin York & Krause (GY&K) – a marketing innovation company that positions, packages, and promotes brands in a range of industries. He is also a Founder/Partner in 138 Music & Entertainment, the company behind 1band 1brand that seeks out and connects emerging music and fashion brands to promote to the masses. He lives in Manchester, NH with his wife, Danielle, and two little girls, Madeleine and Lily. Scout (the dog) and Miss Howard Stern (the cat) round out his life surrounded by females after growing up in a house with four brothers. He is a certified Playmaker and chairs the Marketing committee.
Tom Angelone
Treasurer
Since joining the Life is good Kids Foundation board in October 2010, Tom has served as the treasurer and head of the finance committee. A true kid at heart, Tom is very active with the LIG Playmakers and was personally responsible for making 7,589 bubbles at the 2011 LIG Festival! When not blowing bubbles and trying to make numbers fun, Tom is a Vice President at Fidelity Investments in Boston, MA and lives in South Boston.
Lisa Tanzer
Clerk
Lisa has worked in Marketing for the children’s entertainment and education industry for over 20 years. She has been honored to be part of Project Joy and now the Life is Good Kids Foundation board since 1990. When not working or helping out with the Life is good Kids Foundation, Lisa can usually be found hanging out with her family and friends in Needham.
Roy Heffernan
Director
As Partner and Chief Operating Optimist of The Life is good Company, Roy knows the importance of spreading the power of optimism. Prior to joining Life is good, he spent 20 years in multiple leadership positions, as well as being a high school teacher and multi-sport coach in Texas and Maine. As past President of the Life is good Kids Foundation Board, Roy considers his Foundation involvement his most significant legacy work. Roy is a graduate of Middlebury College where he played football and lacrosse. He and his wife Clare have raised two children, Luke and Jana. While not at home in Brookline, Massachusetts, Roy leaves the competition behind for clamming on Cape Cod’s pristine beaches during the summer season.
Charlie Walsh
Director
Charlie Walsh is the co-founder and co-owner of Boston Software Corp., a leading automation vendor for the Property & Casualty insurance industry since 1995. He enjoys life in Brookline with his wife and three daughters. As part of the Life is good Kids Foundation, Charlie is a certified Playmaker and chairs the Development committee. Charlie was honored to be crowned World's Greatest Backyard Athlete at the 2007 Life is good Festival for his performance in its one-of-a-kind fundraising competition held at Fenway Park.
Richard Burbine
Director
Having recently left a 25 year career as a Real Estate Executive, Richard is embarking on his yet to be determined “encore career”. He hails from Massachusetts, is the proud father of two extraordinary sons and currently resides in Portsmouth, New Hampshire with his wife of 32 years, Laura, where they both enjoy boating, hiking, kayaking and biking. A board member since 2009 Richard volunteered at his second Life is Good Festival and he’s looking forward to many more!
Derek Breau
Director
Born and raised in Massachusetts, Derek currently resides in Boston with wife Mia and two children, Liam, age 11, and Aidan, age 7. A graduate of the University of Rhode Island, Derek has spent the balance of his career in nonprofit development and sales. His current role is Northeast Sales Account Executive for Blackbaud, the leading provider of software solutions to the nonprofit industry. He is an avid coach and volunteer, and in addition to his work on the Life is good Kids Foundation Board, he serves on the boards of the John D. Mineck Foundation and the Charlestown Community Center.
Meghan Oreste
Director
Meghan Oreste has been working in marketing and communications for over 15 years. Her consulting practice specializes in introducing ground-breaking medical technologies and new clinical trials. In recent years she helped her clients launch the first non-drug asthma treatment, new COPD interventions, and emergency allergy treatments. Meghan lives in Mansfield, MA with her husband Rod and two sons, William and James. She has been a passionate supporter of the Life is good Kids Foundation since 2009 and is a trained Playmaker. When she's not working, volunteering, or coaxing her two small boys down from dangerously high places, she enjoys photography, yoga, and hiking in the White Mountains.