Honoring a Trailblazing Alumna

As part of last spring’s Massachusetts Women Trailblazers Leading the Way Luncheon, Sawyer Business School Dean Amy Zeng and Public Service and Healthcare Administration Program Director Professor Carlos Rufín presented the first SAM Award for Public Service Leaders to Maura Sullivan, MPA’10, CEO of the Arc of Massachusetts.

The SAM award was established by the late director of the Moakley Center for Public Management, Professor Sandy Matava, and her husband, Bill Brouillard, to honor Suffolk alumni who have parlayed their studies, particularly in the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program, into extensive leadership contributions to public service. In keeping with this goal, this year’s prize award of $5,000 is intended to be used to advance public service initiatives chosen by the awardee.

Sullivan is the first parent of children with disabilities to lead the Arc, a nonprofit that advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Her government affairs work includes leading the advocacy for the passage of several significant legislative initiatives.

She has also been instrumental in securing increased funding for the Department of Developmental Services budget, MassHealth, and the direct support workforce, which includes home care workers, personal care attendants, and direct support professionals who support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism in the Commonwealth.

Sullivan spoke with emotion about how Suffolk’s MPA program set her up for success.

“I met Sandy [Matava] at a time in my life where I was honestly holding on by a thread,” said Sullivan. “I still didn't know if I could make an impact on my community, or on my kids’ lives, or even get through the MPA program. But Sandy Matava, she had no doubt, and she filled me with confidence."

As she guides her organization through what she described as “harrowing times,” Sullivan expressed gratitude for the Suffolk community, the award, and Professor Sonia Alleyne, MPA ’01, executive in residence and the assistant chair of the Public Service and Healthcare Administration Program. “You really have lifted the Arc,” she said. “You have lifted me up, and you have made it possible for me to continue my mission beyond my smaller community.”

‘Be a Mentor and Find a Mentor’

Professor Alleyne welcomed alumni and community leaders to the luncheon—now in its sixth year—which included an expert panel moderated by Onika Jenkins, MPA ’22, regional family access specialist at the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.

Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, the guest speaker, didn’t sugarcoat the challenges of public service. In her role as her city’s first female mayor, she’s contended with everything from the COVID-19 pandemic to online trolls, all while facing the intense scrutiny that comes with being a pathbreaker. Still, she encouraged those gathered in Suffolk University’s Keches Room to get involved by participating in public forums, running for office, and staying engaged in their communities.

“Start with little things. Just get on a board or a commission. You know, that’s how I got involved in this whole world,” she shared.

Reflecting on how her relationship with Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor and former Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll helped her progress, Fuller advised attendees to “be a mentor and find a mentor” at every stage of their careers.

Service, community, and finding ways to lift each other up were common themes at the event hosted by SBS’s Department of Public Service and Healthcare Administration.

Shiaka McIntosh, president and founder of the nonprofit Parties from Above, which supports children grieving the loss of a parent, spoke of her commitment to young people during the panel discussion. She remembered her late mother telling her frequently: “You are not the first and you won’t be the last to go through this,” when she faced a setback. Now, McIntosh tries to pay that strength forward. “I feel like it’s my duty to become that positive role model—that mother, sister, auntie figure,” she said.

Panelist Rosalin Acosta, managing director and national practice leader for labor and workforce development at Ernst & Young, LLP, agreed. “The sense of responsibility is real,” she said. “As a woman and a Latina, when I’m in the position of representing the employer I’m working for, I’m also representing my community.” Acosta spoke about how her family modeled the importance of community involvement when she was a child, and reflected on how motherhood, especially raising a daughter, impacted her own development as a role model.

“We have to be really careful as models,” Acosta explained. “It’s OK to say, ‘I’ve been burnt out,’ because you have to teach your daughter she gets to step back.”

Spark FM radio station founder Danielle Johnson described her path from self-professed “bossy girl” to communications professional. “I realized that instead of building someone else’s dream I can just build my own,” she said. Once she did, Johnson says she began to hear from parents eager to share her example with their children.

“It is important for young people, especially little ladies, to see themselves in others and really manifest what it means to be a leader,” she says, citing Boston Mayor Michelle Wu carrying her newborn daughter at work as another positive example of a strong, independent woman.

Brooke Thomson, president and CEO of business association Associated Industries of Massachusetts, drew inspiration and support from her education at a women’s college. Now she works hard to create space in the business world for diverse perspectives. “Business is different today than it was five, ten, fifteen years ago and we need to bring in different voices,” said Thomson. “In the rooms we’re in, we have to be an advocate for people who are not in those rooms. That’s how we can effectuate change for the next generation.