Monday, Feb 3, 2020
Extends Thanks to Departing Board Members for Service
The Greater Lawrence Community Action Council, Inc. today announced the election of a full slate of officers to its board of directors for the 2019-2020 fiscal year and welcomed two new members from the region’s financial services sector.
With 12 members, the seven Latinx and nine women comprise majorities of the GLCAC board of directors, which is responsible for oversight of the social services agency serving Lawrence, Methuen, North Andover and Andover.
Johan Lopez, the broker-owner of Home Shop Properties in Methuen, was elected the board’s new president, succeeding Thomas Hartwell of Andover. Assuming the position of vice president of the board, Laurie Burzlaff, the director of administrative services and executive assistant to the town manager for the Town of North Andover, succeeds Cynthia Mazella of Methuen.
Patricia Garner, a senior financial advisor and vice president at Enterprise Bank in Lowell, will serve a second term as treasurer, and Maxine Hart, chief of human resources for Reading Cooperative Bank, will serve as secretary, following Neily Soto of Lawrence.
“GLCAC is extremely fortunate to have such a committed and experienced group of board members guiding the agency,’’ said GLCAC Executive Director Evelyn Friedman. “We are also grateful for the support of past officers who have given endless hours of time and energy to support GLCAC’s mission.’’
GLCAC also welcomed Digna Jhonson, the community liaison manager for Merrimack Valley Federal Credit Union in Lawrence, and Ezequiel Cruz, mortgage loan officer at Pentucket Bank in North Andover, to the board and bid fond farewell to the Reverend Victor Jarvis of Lawrence and Mazella, who complete their service as required by the organization’s term-limit bylaw.
GLCAC is a multi-faceted social services agency that assisted 32,648 individuals in 2018 through a range of programs including early childhood education, fuel assistance, WIC nutrition assistance, immigration services, lead poisoning prevention, child abuse prevention, English-language lessons, and consumer protection.