MANHR Board of Directors
Julian Rich, MANHR President
J Rich Solutions Consulting Firm
John J. Ford, MANHR Vice-President
Northeast Justice Center
Arlene Germain, MANHR Treasurer
MANHR Co-Founder
Kenn Cameron, MANHR Secretary
Founder Family-Run Council
Phyllis Ayman, MS/SLP, MANHR Board Member
PMA Speech Solutions, LLP
Chris Chirco, MANHR Board Member
Kelly Ellis, MANHR Board Member
Quincy College
Katie McCargo, MANHR Board Member
MANHR Co-Founder
Founder Family-Run Council
Carol Pallazolla, MANHR Board Member
Element Care
Nancy Sylvester, MANHR Board Member
Leadership
Arlene Germain
As MANHR’s Executive Director, Arlene’s duties include managing MANHR’s operations, guiding MANHR’s advocacy, participating in numerous coalitions and committees advocating for nursing home residents, and serving as an expert on various long-term care issues.
Arlene first learned the importance of strong advocacy when her mother entered a nursing home over 20 years ago. Since then, she has been involved in the care of many loved ones in MA long-term care facilities. These care experiences and the many injustices to residents are the driving force behind her passionate advocacy efforts.
Arlene is a co-founder of MANHR and she was MANHR’s President from 2004-19. During her tenure, she greatly expanded the scope of MANHR’s advocacy. MANHR initially networked and mentored family-run councils in nursing homes. Under Arlene’s guidance, MANHR’s impact grew to include advocating for public policies and promoting best care practices to improve the care and lives of nursing home residents. MANHR now represents nursing home residents in coalitions, committees, and statewide initiatives and provides research to state officials and the media.
In 2016, Arlene received the Arthur Stavisky Award, an honor that the MA Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys bestows each year on an individual who is dedicated to promoting elder causes in the community. On a national level, Arlene currently serves on the Leadership Council of the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care. In 2013, she received the Consumer Voice’s Janet Tulloch Award for her dedication to nursing home resident advocacy. Then in 2019, she received the Consumer Voice’s Elma Holder Founder’s Award, a lifetime achievement award to honor a person whose life work exemplifies leadership in the field of long-term care reform.
After graduating magna cum laude from Boston University, Arlene had a career in accounting, including serving as Controller of a prestigious venture capital firm and senior accounting positions with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and New England Deaconess Hospital (now Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center).