November 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Leah Leahy leah@heardstrategy.com
Open Sky Community Services Elects Three New Members to Board of Directors New members to help shape the future of Central Massachusetts Human Services agency
(Worcester, MA – November 12, 2019)
Open Sky Community Services has announced that three new members have been recently elected to its Board of Directors. Open Sky welcomes Kola Akindele, Michael Kilcoyne and James DiReda, LICSW, PhD. to its current board of 12 members led by Chair David Przesiek.
“We are honored to have these three outstanding people join our board and our team,” said Ken Bates, President and CEO of Open Sky Community Services. “We are fortunate to have the energy and expertise each one brings to the table, and we’re excited for the future of our agency.”
Akindele is currently the Assistant Vice Chancellor for City & Community Relations at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. As an active member of the community, he served as a board member of both the American Red Cross and United Way of Central MA, and as a committee member of the Health Foundation of Central Mass. Akindele was also recognized in Worcester Business Journal’s 40 under 40.
Kilcoyne is a Certified Older Adult Peer Specialist (COAPS). He supports individuals with mental health challenges through recovery, wellness, and older adult activities at the Genesis Club Inc. in Worcester. He received his Clubhouse model training at Fountain House in New York. Kilcoyne serves on UMass Memorial Medical Center's Psychiatric Patient Family Advisory Council and Open Sky's Worcester Advisory Council. He earned his Massachusetts Peer Specialist Certification (CPS) through the Transformation Center.
DiReda is a tenured Associate Professor at Anna Maria College and served as the interim director of the school’s Masters in Social Work program and director of undergraduate program for the School of Justice and Social Science. As adjunct faculty at Clark University, Assumption College, Boston College, and Israel College, DiReda has extensive experience in social work, human services, and addictions. DiReda is currently a board member for the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery (MOAR) and the board member/treasurer for the AdCare Educational Institute.
For more information about Open Sky Community Services, please contact Lorie Martiska, lorie.martiska@openskycs.org
About Open Sky Community Services Open Sky Community Services is dba for Alternatives Unlimited, Inc and The Bridge of Central MA. Open Sky offers a wide range of services for adults, adolescents, and children with mental health challenges, developmental and intellectual disabilities, substance use disorders, brain injury, homelessness and other challenges throughout Central Massachusetts. Open Sky Community Services has over 1,300 dedicated employees and an annual budget of $83M with more than 100 programs throughout the region. For more information, please visit www.openskycs.org