Gina Barry, President
Attorney Gina M. Barry, who is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and Connecticut, is a partner with the regional law firm of Bacon Wilson, P.C. She graduated cum laude from Western New England College School of Law, where she served as the Articles Editor of the Western New England Law Review. In addition to being a board member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, she is also a board member of Western Massachusetts Elder Care Professionals Association and a member of the Women Business Owners Alliance. Ms. Barry served as the President of the Estate Planning Council of Hampden County from 2013-2014, and is the current President of The Joy of Jasper, a non-profit horse sanctuary she founded in July of 2007. Beginning in 2013 and each year to date, she has been named as a Super Lawyer by Boston Magazine, after having been recognized as a Rising Star for several years. Ms. Barry has also received additional awards and recognition as follows: Distinguished Alumni of Holyoke Community College (2015); Woman of Influence by the Women Business Owners Alliance (2015); Visionary Achievement Award from Western Mass Women’s Magazine (2014); one of the Top Five Business Women in Western Mass by Western Mass Women’s Magazine (2010); one of Forty Under Forty by Business West (2009); Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scouts of America (2008), and Business Woman of the Year by the Women Business Owners Alliance (2005). Ms. Barry is a frequent lecturer and published author in her field. Ms. Barry practices in Estate Planning, including Estate Planning for Pets, Asset Protection/Medicaid Planning, Elder Law, Probate and Trust Administration, Guardianships, Conservatorships, and Residential Real Estate.
Erin McBee, Immediate Past President
Erin McBee is licensed to practice in both Texas and Massachusetts and operates a small firm in Harvard, Massachusetts. Her practiced is focused on holistic estate planning (incorporating long range planning for incapacity, special needs, and long term care), along with probate and trust administration.
Erin earned her Juris Doctor from New England School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts, graduating cum laude. She received her Bachelors of Arts in Anthropology and in Government from the University of Texas at Austin (UT).
Erin is a member of the Boston Estate Planning Council, Massachusetts Bar Association, Worcester County Bar Association, and Massachusetts Chapter of the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), for which she serves on the Board of Directors. She also currently serves as the Board President of the MassNAELA Foundation, Inc.
Erin is currently serving on the Municipal Affordable Housing Trust for the Town of Harvard and the Harvard Schools Trust. She has previously served on the Town of Harvard’s Select Board and Planning Board. She also serves on the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts.
In her free time, Erin exploring new foods, coffee shops and restaurants with her family.
Faith E. Delaney, President-Elect
Attorney Faith E. Delaney runs her elder law practice in Haverhill, Massachusetts, where she works with individuals and families in the areas of estate planning, Medicaid planning, MassHealth (Medicaid) applications for nursing home placements, guardianships and conservatorships, probate administration, and special needs trusts.
Faith Delaney also serves as trustee of special needs trusts, and as guardian and durable power of attorney for elderly and disabled persons who need assistance and serves as guardian ad litem for various probate matters.
Attorney Faith E. Delaney is licensed to practice law in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. She is a graduate of Northeastern Law School. Faith is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Massachusetts, and is a board member for the New Hampshire Chapter of NAELA, and member of the Massachusetts Bar Association. She also volunteers for the Immaculate Conception Parish in Newburyport, MA and is secretary of the North Shore Cycling Group. https://www.faithdelaneylaw.com/
Shani Rea Collymore, Vice President
Attorney Shani Rea Collymore is partner at Cody, Cody & McCarthy, LLC in Quincy, Massachusetts.
Shani advises individuals and families on how to protect their wealth and plan for their financial futures. Her practice ranges from creating estate plans for young couples with minor children who need trusts and guardians set up to protect their children, to more complex estate plans aimed at Federal and Massachusetts estate tax reduction. In the elder law field, Shani works with her clients to protect assets from long term care expenses. Shani also advises her clients on how to become eligible for Medicaid and assists clients with the Medicaid application process and spenddown.
Shani is a graduate of Northeastern University and Suffolk University Law School.
https://www.cody-cody.com/attorneys/shani-collymore
Steven F. Mann, Treasurer
Steven F. Mann, Esquire, is in private practice in Waltham, Massachusetts, where he practices in the areas of elder law, estate planning, estate and income taxation and probate administration. Steve is a CPA as well as an attorney. He is a graduate of Suffolk University School of Law and received his MBA from the Suffolk University School of Management. He received a BS in Accountancy and a BS in Public Administration, both from Bentley College. He has been a member of NAELA since 1992.
Ashley Y. Aubuchon, Clerk
Attorney Ashley Y. Aubuchon is a partner with Rosenberg, Freedman & Lee’s Estate Planning and Elder and Disability Law Group. Prior to joining Rosenberg, Freedman & Lee, Ashley worked as an attorney at Oalican Law Group and Cohen & Oalican. She received her law degree from New England School of Law and her B.A. cum laude from Wheaton College, in Norton, Massachusetts, where she majored in psychology. Ashley has worked in the elder law field since 2009 and focuses her practice on Medicaid planning, estate planning, and estate administration. Ashley is a frequent speaker at nursing homes, councils on aging, and financial institutions, on various topics, including estate planning and asset protection planning.
Paul J. Bella, Director
Paul J. Bella is an associate attorney at the Law Office of Lane, Lane & Kelly in Braintree, MA. Paul works in the firm’s Estate Planning and Probate Practice Group. He received his law degree from Suffolk University Law School, where he gained experience in the health law clinic representing low-income clients who could not afford legal assistance in Guardianship and Social Security matters. Prior to working for Lane, Lane & Kelly, Paul worked in Boston-area law firms focusing primarily on Trust and Estate matters, along with Guardianship and Conservatorship cases. Paul currently focuses his practice on estate planning, Medicaid planning, estate administration, guardianships, and conservatorships. https://llklaw.com/
Brandon L. Campbell, Director
Brandon L. Campbell is an attorney admitted to practice in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. He is the founder of North Shore Planning, PLLC, in Beverly, Massachusetts, and practices elder law, estate planning, special needs planning, and estate administration. He earned a JD from New England Law Boston (2000) and an LL.M. from Western New England University School of Law (2017). In 2017, the Massachusetts Committee for Public Counsel Services presented him with the Paul J. Liacos award for his work representing the mentally ill. He resides in Beverly with his wife of over 20 years, Jen.
Elizabeth Caruso, Director
Attorney Elizabeth (“Liz”) Caruso is an estate planning attorney at Legacy Legal Planning in Norwell, Massachusetts, with 15 years of experience focusing her practice on estate planning, probate, and elder law. Elizabeth’s elder law practice includes the preservation of assets in anticipation of MassHealth and the actual MassHealth application process. Elizabeth is a member of the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. When not guiding her clients to find peace of mind, Elizabeth is likely to be found planning a Disney vacation.
Nancy Catalini Chew, Director
Nancy Catalini Chew, Esq. is a graduate of Boston College Law School and was admitted to practice in Massachusetts in 1996, and in New Hampshire in 2019. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography, summa cum laude, from the University of New Hampshire, Durham, and she is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Attorney Chew began her legal career in the federal sector, working as a labor attorney for the Federal Labor Relations Authority’s Boston Office, but she has been in private practice specializing exclusively in estate planning and elder law since 1999. Her firm’s office is currently in Harvard, Massachusetts, with a satellite location in Ashby, a small town on the New Hampshire border.
Attorney Chew is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys—including its Massachusetts Chapter, for which she serves presently as a Board member and on its Program Committee. Over the years she has also served as a Board member/Officer for various nonprofit and for-profit entities, and has been a member of her local Chambers of Commerce and Bar Associations.
Attorney Chew was raised in Ashby, where she and her husband currently reside, and where she has served as Town Moderator for several years. She has two adult children currently residing in Ireland and the UK.
E. Spencer Ghazey-Bates, Director
Attorney Ghazey-Bates specializes in elder law, often meeting with both the elders and their children, assisting with financial planning and guidance to secure family assets in the event that an individual needs nursing home care. Attorney Ghazey-Bates guides families through asset preservation strategies, provides guidance as to available care options, and assists in the preparation of benefit applications. http://www.ggbpc.com/
Kimberly L. Kelly, Director
Kimberly L. Kelly received her law degree from Suffolk University School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts and her undergraduate degree from Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts. Upon graduating from law school, she clerked for one year for the Probate and Family Court, serving Middlesex, Essex and Suffolk Counties, and in this role, she worked directly with several of the Judges and became familiar with the policies and procedures of the Probate and Family Court. She maintains an active membership with the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Massachusetts Bar Association, and Essex County Bar Association. She is licensed to practice law in Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Attorney Kelly has been practicing law since 1999, concentrating her practice in Guardianships, Conservatorships, Probate/Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Special Needs Planning, Trust Administration, MassHealth Planning, and Residential Real Estate Services. She has been a member of the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys since 2004 and has served as a Board of Director since 2019. She established her own law firm in 2010 with an office in Stoneham, Massachusetts.
Valerie McCormack, Director
Valerie is active in her community and enjoys building connections with other women. She is a founding member and vice chair of the Tri-Town Chapter of the Women Business League. Valerie is also an active member of the Women’s Bar Association, the Essex County Estate Planning Council, and the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys, she serves as the secretary/treasurer of the Port City BNI chapter, and is a member of the the New Hampshire Estate Planning Council and the PTO in Boxford. Valerie attended Flagler College, University of Connecticut School of Law, and Western New England School of Law, Masters in Law (LLM)
Michelle Mulvena, Director
Michelle M. Mulvena is the principal at Mulvena Winston, PC in Stoneham, Massachusetts. She focuses her practice in the areas of estate planning, Medicaid and disability planning, guardianships/conservatorships, and probate and trust administration. In addition to her practice areas, Attorney Mulvena serves as a professional fiduciary. She is currently the trustee of many supplemental needs and irrevocable trusts, Personal Representative of several estates, and conservator for a few individuals. Attorney Mulvena frequently lectures on the topics of estate planning, estate and trust administration, disability and Medicaid planning. She is a contributor to the Elder Law Guide published annually by the Massachusetts Bar Association. She is a member of several organizations including the Massachusetts Bar Association, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the Massachusetts Guardianship Association (former board member), the Greater Boston Fiduciary Law American Inn of Courts (former board member), the Special Needs Alliance, and the USA 500 Club. She is also on the board of directors for SCM Transportation in Somerville, Massachusetts. Attorney Mulvena is a graduate of Arizona State University and New England School of Law.
Paula A. Nedder, Director
Attorney Paula A. Nedder is the founding member of Nedder Law, LLC, with offices located in Milford and Westborough, Massachusetts. Her practice areas include Elder Law, estate planning for all ages, probate, and criminal law. In addition to being licensed to practice law in Massachusetts, Paula is admitted to the Federal Bar and the United States Supreme Court Bar.
Paula is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, is on the board of the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, and a recipient of the Chapter’s 2011 Member of the Year Award. Paula is also on the board of MetroWest Legal Services which provides free, civil legal representation to low-income residents and victims of crimes who live in the metro west area and who would otherwise be denied justice.
Paula is a member of the Bar Association of Norfolk County and is a former Assistant District Attorney for Norfolk County, where she was recognized for her service to the Office and the people of Norfolk County for her prosecution of domestic violence and sexual assault cases.
She is a speaker at assisted living facilities, senior centers and radio programs on topics that concern our elder community.
Debra Silberstein, Director
Debra Silberstein is considered one of the leading experts in family and elder law and has guided inter-generational families through philanthropic planning for over 25 years. Her practice focuses on trusts and estates, family philanthropic planning, tax-related matters and family and elder law. Debra is a partner at Rubin and Rudman, LLP, and maintains offices in Andover, Boston and Woburn.
In philanthropic planning, Debra helps clients and their families enhance and expand their networks, minimize taxes, and align their estate plans with their philanthropic values. Her position in the field is unique, as she specializes in planning for multiple generations within one family, with some clients spanning from grandparents to grandchildren lines.
With a law degree and a doctorate degree in social policy and philanthropy, Debra is a pioneer and advocate in the lives of elders and families – especially those with special needs children. She is a tireless advocate for the elderly and others whose special needs and circumstances are often ignored or overlooked. Her practice involves helping elders and their families plan for their future and for the needs of their children or relatives with disabilities and related challenges. Practices Trusts & Estates Education J.D., Hofstra University School of Law Ph.D., Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis College B.A., Syracuse University Admissions Massachusetts
Debra was instrumental in developing a senior tax voucher program – through her decade-long work on her town’s Council on Aging – which has helped senior citizens “age in place” and stay in their homes over the past 20 years. The program became a model for other municipalities that have since instituted similar “age in place” programs. Debra has co-authored numerous amicus briefs on behalf of varying non-profit organizations to support public policy changes and initiatives on related elder law and health care matters
Prior to joining Burns & Levinson in 2016, Debra was in private practice for more than 25 years. Most recently, she was the recipient of the 2018 Powley Elder Law Award given by the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) and was named a 2022 “Family/Elder Law Trailblazer by The National Law Journal.
Outside of attorney commitments, Debra has held numerous board and leadership positions. She served as chair of the Lawrence General Hospital Board of Trustees and was also appointed to the American Hospital Association Board of Governors. She serves on the Board of Visitors at McLean Hospital. Debra currently serves on the Planned Giving Advisory Council for the Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia and has served as a consultant to the Sillerman Center for the Advancement of Philanthropy at the Heller School at Brandeis University. Debra also serves on the Board of the Anti-Defamation League, New England. – dsilberstein@rubinrudman.com
Angelina Stafford, Director
Angelina Stafford concentrates her practice on a broad range of trust and estate matters, including estate and trust administration, estate and gift tax planning, and general estate planning. Angelina also counsels clients on business succession and ownership transition of closely held companies. In addition, she advises individuals and families on the appointment of guardians and conservators.
Angelina is admitted to the bar in Massachusetts and Connecticut. She is Co-Chair of the Hampden County Probate Court Bench Bar Committee, and an active member of the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) and the Hampden County Estate Planning Council. She also proudly served on the board of directors for Pathlight, Inc., the Children’s Chorus of Springfield, and the Forest Park Zoo. While in law school, Angelina served as Senior Articles Editor for the Western New England Law Review. Prior to joining Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury & Murphy, P.C. in 2013, Angelina clerked for the Connecticut Appellate Court. https://dwpm.com/members/angelina-stafford/
Clarence Darrow Richardson, Jr., Executive Director
Clarence has served as the Executive Director of MassNAELA since 2018. Prior to becoming Executive Director he practiced elder law at the Law Offices of Timothy R. Loff for several years.
When Clarence learned of elder law he knew that he was meant to practice in this area. When he was fourteen his father had a severe stroke and was suddenly left disabled and unable to speak. Clarence’s mother, who had her own health issues, became his father’s primary caregiver overnight. For the next several years he and his mother struggled to care for his father at home, because they did not know what resources were available or how to obtain them.
Clarence is passionate about serving the members of MassNAELA, so that they can assist families like his, and educate the residents of the Commonwealth about the programs and resources available for individuals who are aging, have special needs, or are dealing with other health issues.