Colleen Duffy is the President of the Meghan Duffy Foundation, is a Board of Trustee for Providence College and has years of experience as an attorney and community leader. Colleen is excited to join forces with A Wish Come True and be the Chairman of the Board during this exciting time.

Amy Parker has been practicing law for the past 20 years concentrating her practice in construction litigation and employment law.  She is General Counsel and Director of Human Resources for AGI Construction.  She graduated from URI and received her JD from Roger Williams University.  Amy also spearheads and organizes most of the charity fundraising events where she became involved with A Wish Come True.  Each Year, AGI Construction has done a huge employee giving campaign.  We are thrilled to have her as a Board Member.

Paula Pais-Leach is the Senior Vice President/Director of Planning & Administration for Customers Bank New England Commercial Lending. With over 30 years of experience in the banking industry, she is responsible for all budget, financial and operational activities relative to a commercial portfolio of more than $1 Billion in New England. Paula also oversees all marketing, volunteer, and charitable activities in the region. She has volunteered and served on multiple boards such as the Narrows Center for the Arts, LPGA Amateur Golf Association in RI, Sisters of Mercy, and RI Food Bank.

Ron Volpe is a Senior Mortgage Loan Officer for Shamrock Home Loans, Inc. This is an exciting time to add Ron to the A Wish Come True Board. Ron has been a Wish Granter since 2005 but he is also our FIRST Wish Kid on our Board! Ron received his wish when he was 11 years old! "I am very excited to join this amazing organization that gave my family our Wish. I am honored to be the first of many Wish Kids to be on this Board."

Jeff Beckwith is a CPA and a leader at Kahn, Litwin, Renza & Co., Ltd (KLR), a premier regional accounting firm. Prior to joining KLR, Jeff was a Senior Manager at KPMG LLP for multiple years. Through his work, Jeff is responsible for overseeing the audit and accounting services of clients throughout the New England area. His financial experience brings additional expertise to the Board. In addition, Jeff is a former wish kid who received his wish when he was 6 years old. He is passionate about the mission that the organization delivers and is honored to be able to contribute to the place that made such a positive impact to his family as well as others.

Sean Carey brings experience as an accomplished and lifelong entrepreneur to the board of AWCT. After many years as a business owner, franchisor and leader in the Health and Wellness industry, he is now become a consistently top producer in the real estate industry licensed in both Rhode Island and Connecticut. Sean is the proud single dad of two amazing children Alexander and Megan and resides in Coventry RI, where he has been actively involved in local youth and high school sports as a coach and volunteer for many years. Sean has decided that now is the time to shift his focus onto more philanthropic endeavors and is excited to use his passion and work ethic to be an active member of the AWCT Board of Directors.

John Carvalho is an accomplished leader in the field of gas detection, with over 25 years successfully managing his own business.  As a 50-year resident of Fall River, John is actively involved in a number of philanthropic efforts in the city, including serving as a member of the Bank Street Neighborhood Association and also as a volunteer trainer for the Junior Achievement program in the Fall River school system. Additionally, he serves on the board of directors for The Deaconess Home and a Woman’s Concern – A Pregnancy Resource Center in Fall River.

William (Bill) Finnegan and his wife, Kerri, created a startup company in 2002, NETWORK Piping, which quickly grew into an international distribution company with locations in RI, NY, and MO. In 2011, the Finnegan’s sold NETWORK piping to a private equity firm, and in 2012 purchased Coventry Lumber as their first exposure in the retail lumberyard industry. Since then they have purchased three additional yards, West Haven Lumber and Waterford Building Supply in CT, and E L Morse Lumber in Wareham, MA. 

The Finnegan family is heavily involved in numerous charitable endeavors, including scholarship funding, holiday meal distribution, and the direction of the Finetco Charitable Foundation, which raises and distributes approximately $35,000.00 per year to numerous organizations. 

With a strong commitment to philanthropy, Bill requested that Finetco maintain a position on the Board. He also expressed the desire to have his sons serve as Board Proxies so that his family can work together towards advancing the mission of A Wish Come True.

We are very excited to have Kevin Millonzi join the A Wish Come True Board of Directors.  Kevin has been a very generous supporter of A Wish Come True for the past few years.  His catering service, Millonzi Fine Catering, has been instrumental in helping us keep our costs down at events while serving exceptional food. Millonzi Fine Catering has been our Presenting Sponsor for our AWCT Golf Tournament and this year, our 40th Anniversary in October. Kevin also serves on Meals on Wheels Board of Directors as well as multiple other committees as a community leader.

Melissa Murray is a RI native, having spent the first 32 years of her life in the town of Westerly and now resides in East Providence.  She made her career in the Accounting industry and is currently employed by Sustainable Ocean Alliance, a 501(c)(3), as their Finance & Operations Manager.  Melissa's son, Dorian, was born in January of 2008 and was diagnosed with Stage IV Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma cancer in April of 2012.  It was shortly thereafter that A Wish Come True entered their lives and granted Dorian's Disney World wish.  Dorian's treatment lasted for 4 years, before the cancer became resistant to chemotherapy and his life ended at 8 years old.   

She has been on the Hasbro Children's Hospital Gala Committee for 3 years, fundraising on behalf of the annual Hero's Gala.  She also is a member of the Hasbro Children's Hospital Advisory Council.  Melissa has volunteered her time at fundraising events not only to A Wish Come True,  The Tomorrow Fund, The Izzy Foundation, and Children's Wishes.  Most notably, Melissa founded the Dorian J. Murray Foundation which has supported the families of children with cancer and has funded important research for the last 5 years.

Steve Napolillo Senior Associate Athletic Director of Providence College (Rhode Island) Steve is in charge of all fundraising / donations for athletics, and also helps with making sure that all events run smoothly (making the fans happy).  A typical day in the office for Steve consists of meeting / talking to a lot of people face to face. He is obligated to make an appearance at all sporting events for the college. This sometimes means he has to travel with the teams for big tournaments. 

Michael has a successful track record of developing and implementing progressive strategies that exceed service, quality, and growth within the health and wellness sector, most recently as the CEO of Work Out World New England. Michael is a proud father of 3 young children, Paisley, Aviana, and Sylvie who have helped motivate and inspire him to get more involved with Philanthropy efforts. He and his wife Lindsay, a Swansea school teacher, reside in Swansea MA.

“It is so special to involve my children in these efforts and help them understand the true joy of giving back”.  Across his accomplished career Michael has contributed his time and financial means to create a platform for those in need of assistance and support. His strong connection to community vendors and ties to Southeastern Ma will allow AWCT to broaden their span. His commitment to AWCT’s mission statement is deep rooted and he is so excited to contribute to these amazing children and their families!

We are thrilled to have Richard Santilli join the A Wish Come True Board of Directors. Rich is very philanthropic in the community. Over the last year, he has gotten to know A Wish Come True and he has brought great value to us as a mentor and leader. Rich is the CFO of PMG Credentialing which provides credentialing and enrollment services for Federally Qualified Health Centers and Medical Practices nationwide. We are excited to have his leadership and commitment to our Wish Children and their families.

Tracy is excited to be back on the Board at A Wish Come True. Tracy has been an active supporter, a prior wish granter and a prior Board member since 2007. Her passion for the mission and vision at A Wish Come True makes her a valuable addition to our current Board.
Tracy is currently in her 32nd year at AIPSO, where she has held supervisory and management roles in the Financial Services, Audit Services and Field Operations areas. In these roles, she has worked with numerous Boards across the country. Tracy lives by “actions speak louder than words”. She is known for her willingness to help others and for sharing her knowledge freely. As a leader, she is not afraid to set high standards for herself and those working with her to achieve collective goals.
Tracy earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Providence College. She holds the professional designations of Certified Internal Auditor and Associate in General Insurance. Tracy has served on the Board of Governors and as a past president for the Ocean State Chapter of Internal Auditors. She is a graduating member of the NU II Class of 2017 for Leadership Rhode Island.

Frank Ray was recruited by Jimmy to help raise funds for A Wish Come True.  As a musician, Frank was very interested in starting a Rock, Rhythm and Blues of Westport event.  25 years later, his event has also raised over $1 million!  Frank and his wife Wendy have been very involved in supporting A Wish Come True.

Jimmy Cavanaugh has helped A Wish Come True families for 26 years!  His story began at Walt Disney World when we was standing in line for the bathroom when a man asked him to watch his child for a minute.  The child was on his magical Wish from A Wish Come True.  Once Jimmy learned more, he returned home and started a fundraising effort called the Wish Dance held each year in Swansea MA.  26 years later, the Wish Dance has raised over $1.6 million for children and their families!

Cindy Rodrigues has been standing side by side with Jimmy Cavanaugh for 26 years coordinating the Wish Dance! She is the retired President of the Greater Southeastern Massachusetts Labor Council. Cindy has been instrumental in getting the Labor Council involved with A Wish Come True.