Thrive in 5 Team
John Lippitt, Ph.D
Executive Director
Prior to leading Thrive in 5, John worked with the MA Department of
Public Health directing a project that provides comprehensive services
to substance-exposed newborns and their mothers and families. John's diverse
experience spans the public and private sectors having previously served as
a policy specialist at the renowned National Scientific Council on the
Developing Child with Dr. Jack Shonkoff, as a Vice President of Investors
Bank and Trust Financial Services and a classroom teacher of the middle grades.
His valuable perspective includes first-hand knowledge of the Thrive in 5
Action Planning Team as the co-chair of the Ready Systems Workgroup.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (617) 624-8020
Katie Madrigal
Ready Families Manager
Katie joins Thrive in 5 from the Boston Public School's (BPS) Office
of Family and Student Engagement. At BPS, Katie oversaw the Family Community
Outreach Coordinator program which placed full-time family and community
engagement staff at local schools. Thrive in 5 will benefit from Katie's strong
repertoire of family and community engagement skills, which she built in Boston and at
Communities in Schools of Northern Virginia.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (617) 624-8196
Zora Radosevich, MPA
Ready Educators Manager
Zora comes to us from Minnesota where she was a founder of Girls International Forum, a leadership program that helps girls around the world become active participants in shaping the public policies that affect their lives. She was adjunct faculty in the University of Minnesota's Leadership Minor, and developed a public policy and leadership institute for international college students.
Zora brings a wealth of public policy experience to Thrive in 5. She worked for the Minnesota Legislature for many years, and came to Boston as a Bush Foundation Leadership Fellow to attend Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. After receiving her master's, Zora worked to build capacity in nonprofit organizations and co-authored "The Executive Directors Guide: The Guide for Successful Nonprofit Management." Her experience with the Zero to Eight Coalition, ABCD Head Start, and Urban College ignited her interest in early education and care.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (617) 635-6560
Danielle Gantt
Ready Educators Manager
Danielle Gantt is the Coordinator of the Boston Community Partnerships for Children program, an initiative that brings together the early childhood community in Boston with an emphasis on working to improve child care quality, access and affordability. In her role as coordinator, Danielle supports a network of providers, administrators and visionaries from various sectors of the field: family child care, private centers, head start and the Boston Public Schools. This network serves as the Ready Educator Implementation Partnership working to equip providers with the education and skills necessary to develop children that are prepared to thrive in school and in life.
Danielle is a graduate of Wheelock College. Since relocating to Boston in 1997 she has been actively involved with early childhood education and school age child care in her role as Senior Child Care Director at the Roxbury YMCA and as the Director of Education for the Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (617) 635-1507
Alba Cruz-Davis, Ph.D., MPH
Ready Systems Manager
Alba, formerly the Assistant Director for Health Disparities
Evaluation at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) Office of Health
Disparities, brings an extensive portfolio of Boston-based public health
experience and knowledge to Thrive in 5. Alba has cultivated expertise in
areas including maternal and child health, women's health, minority health,
health disparities research and evaluation, community based research, program
development and implementation and health policy. She has garnered this expertise
through her work with DFCI; The Family Van Program at Harvard Medical School;
The Center for Community Health Education, Research and Service at Northeastern
University; the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers; the Boston Healthy
Start Initiative and the Urban Health Institute. Ms. Cruz-Davis has also served as a
member on several community boards and public health entities in Boston, as well as
advisory committees and working groups at both the local and national levels.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (617) 414-2765
Katie Britton, MSW
Ready City Manager/DART Co-Manager
Katie, as the Senior Assistant for the Boston Mayor's Office 0 to 5
Strategic Planning, coordinated and co-managed aspects of the strategic planning process
that lead to the creation of Thrive in 5. Beyond her extensive understanding of Thrive
in 5's development, Katie brings the knowledge and experience in human service management
that she gained with the Face to Face program and the Parental Stress Line at the Home for
Little Wanderers. In addition to her role as the Ready City Manager, Katie will continue
to co-manage the Data and Research Team (DART) with Boston EQUIP Director, Ophelia Navarro.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (617) 635-3189
Ophelia Navarro
DART Co-Manager
In addition co-managing DART, Ophelia is the director of Boston EQUIP, which she joined after serving as
Research & Policy Analyst at Strategies for Children/Early Education for All (EEA).
While she was at EEA, she was appointed to a committee of the Governor's Readiness Project.
Ophelia brings the knowledge of early childhood education and school readiness honed during
her work with the community, the public schools, and various education reform efforts.
Recently, she was awarded a fellowship with child care expert Helen Blank of the National
Women's Law Center. She also serves on the advisory boards of the Child Care Investment Fund,
the Latino Afterschool Initiative, and Education Pioneers. Ophelia is a graduate of Wellesley
College and Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (617) 695-0700 x229
Cassandra Baxter
Executive Assistant and Project Coordinator
Cassandra comes to Thrive in 5 from Wheelock College where she worked for
their Aspire Institute - Bridging college and community, and their Office of Government Affairs.
As a policy specialist in the Office of Government Affairs, Cassandra supported
Wheelock President Jackie Jenkins-Scott in her role as Co-Chair of the Thrive in 5
Action Planning Team and Co-Chair of Governor Patrick's Readiness Project. Her
internship experience includes the Crittenton Women's Union, United Way of Pioneer
Valley, and the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus. Cassandra is a graduate of
Wheaton College and the UMass Program for Women in Politics and Public Policy.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (617) 624-8005
