Friends of
Blackstone School
Board of Directors
​
Bruce Bemis is a visual artist living and working in the South End. As a member of the South End community he supports art initiatives at Blackstone Elementary School by coordinating projects and facilitating partnerships in art. It is his concernthat the arts continue to be integral to the learning experience of students at the Blackstone.
​
Robin Hanley lives in the South End and is an ESL teacher in the Refugee and Immigrant Services Program at JVS. For 25 years Robin served as director of development for some of Boston’s premiere performing arts organizations. She remains involved in the local arts community as a consultant, board member and yarn bomber.
​
Michael McDermott is an at Dain, Torpy, Le Ray, Wiest & Garner, P.C., a commercial real estate law firm in Boston. He assists developers, landlords, and commercial owners to resolve disputes concerning land use, environmental, condominium, insurance, and regulatory compliance. Mike lives in the South End with his wife, Melanie, who is a Kindergarten teacher at Blackstone Elementary. Together, they are committed to seeing the school become a neighborhood anchor as a resource to all children and families in the community.
​
​Kimberly Paddock joined the Friends of Blackstone School in 2023 and currently serves as treasurer. She has volunteered at the Blackstone School since 2019 as a library volunteer and 6th grade math mentor with Boston Partners in Education. Kim resides in the South End.
Dave Russek, the Board President, was Vice President, Supplier Management within Enterprise Infrastructure, a division of Fidelity Investments. He received his bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Northeastern University. David lives in the South End.
William A. Wolff, former president and one of the founders of this organization, has been a volunteer since 2005 at Blackstone for “Literations”, a non-profit organization that works with teachers and children in first through fourth grade to improve literacy skills. Bill and his wife live in Boston’s South End