Our Team

Skip to content

Home
About Us
Our Team
Our Work
Get Involved
Support
Events & News
Shop
Newsletter

Menu

Home
About Us
Our Team
Our Work
Get Involved
Support
Events & News
Shop
Newsletter

Board of Directors

Isabel Wright

Co-Chair

Isabel Wright

Co-Chair

Isabel Wright is Co-founder and former President of NEACOL, serving in this role for three terms. Isabel was born and raised in La Guajira, Colombia.

As President, in 2015 she launched NEACOL’s Annual Gala, the major fundraising event of the organization.

Her previous experience includes serving as a project associate at the Ford Foundation, in partnership with the NYU Wagner's school, helping the organization to frame its work in microfinance as a tool of socioeconomic development. She was also a researcher for the United Nations focusing on identifying and mapping international funding agencies for microfinance and a member of the UN International Year of Microcredit. Isabel started her career in the academic field as an academic coordinator for the Business School at Universidad Iberoamericana and a professor of Financial Analysis and Budget Management at Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano.

Currently, she works in the Banking industry and she is responsible for acquiring new business relationships and managing a portfolio of Business clients. Isabel holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master’s in Public Administration from New York University.

She loves traveling and spending time with her husband and two daughters, Isabella and Gabriella.

Danielle Jennings

Co-Chair

Danielle Jennings

Co-Chair

Danielle has been involved with NEACOL since the first Annual Gala in 2015 and served as Treasurer of the organization from 2017-2019.

Danielle has over 8 years of experience working in the financial services industry. Currently, working at U.S Bank in Global Corporate Trust Services as a Collateralized Debt Obligation Portfolio Administrator. Prior to her current position, Danielle worked at Appleton Partners, Inc. as an Assistant Portfolio Manager in the Private Client Services group

Danielle was born in and resides in Massachusetts. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling and skiing. Danielle received her Bachelor of Science in Finance from Roger Williams University and minored in Spanish.

Akram Rafla

Akram Rafla

Akram is a practicing periodontist in the Worcester and Wellesley areas. He received his dental degrees from Cairo University in 1987 , University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in 1990 and his post doctorate training from University of Southern California in 1991 as well as University of Pennsylvania in 1993. Akram has been involved in multiple nonprofit organizations on both the professional and social levels. He served as a presiding chair for the boards of the Worcester District Dental Society, St Mina and St Philopater Coptic Orthodox Church Board as well as the Holy Theotokos Retreat Center Akram is chief mediator for the Worcester district dental society as well as its political action committee (PAC) and the mentorship program. Akram is originally from Cairo Egypt and has been married for 32 years to Marta Rafla who has introduced him to Neacol in 2017. Akram lives in Boston and in his spare time he enjoys spending time with his family, playing squash, teaching and traveling

Ricardo A. Rodriguez

Ricardo A. Rodriguez

Ricardo has been part of NEACOL since 2014, having occupied the role of Vice-President for two years and overall, involved primarily in the IT aspects of the organization.

He is currently an Executive Director at Morgan Stanley, acting as Chief Technology Officer for the Non-Qualified Plans (NQP) division, following the acquisition of American Financial Systems, company where he led Software Development and IT Operations, and member of its Board of Directors.

Prior to this role, he acted as Second Vice President for Guardian Life Insurance, a Fortune 250 company, and held other positions in the same arena in both US and Latin America. He also founded two IT-related companies, as well as Co-Founded YallaCollect, a Fintech startup in the Middle East region (Dubai).

Ricardo has a strong interest in volunteering in the non-profit sector and besides NEACOL, he also serves as a Business Mentor for eForAll, Technical Volunteer for Code.org, Advisor for Harvard OCS Firsthand, and was part of the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) as a STEM advisor.

His academic background includes a Master of Science in Finance and an MBA in International Business, both from HULT International Business School, a Master’s degree in Information Systems Management from Harvard University, a B.S. in Computer Sciences from Escuela Colombiana de Ingenieria and four years of Electronic Engineering and Mathematics at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogota. He was also a Teaching Assistant / Fellow at Harvard University and is currently a Lecturer at the Escuela Colombiana de Ingenieria, both endeavors in related professional subjects.

Ricardo has published research in the computer technology field in academic scenarios and magazines of national circulation such as MSDN Magazine and VB Advisor. He also has also been selected as one of the “100 Most Influential Hispanics in Information Technology in the U.S” by HITEC for six consecutive years and also featured by Hispanic Engineer & IT Magazine as one of the “Top Hispanics in Computer Science and Computer Engineering”.

Board of Directors Roles

Executive Team

Marcela Danesh

President

Marcela Danesh

President

Marcela was part of NEACOL’s co-founding team and has served on the board of directors since 2016. She served as vice president in NEACOL’s first year, helping to establish the organization and create a foundation for growth. Marcela has over 10 years of experience in auditing, budget & planning, costs, tax, and accounting within for-profit and nonprofit organizations, including international experience with a Fortune 500 Company, Colgate Palmolive. Currently, she works as a Financial Consultant for MicroCAD Training and Consulting.

Marcela graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Masters of Business Administration from the Babson College Olin School of Management. She earned her Business Administration and Finance degree from Universidad ICESI in Cali.

She is an avid volunteer and serves on the Board of Directors of NEACOL (New England Association for Colombian Children). She also served as board member at Conexión Advancing Latino Leadership, the GSEMA (Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts), FriendshipWorks and ALPFA Boston.

Dominick Costanzo

Vice President

Dominick Costanzo

Vice President

Dominick has served on the Marketing Committee and as a volunteer with NEACOL since 2018. Over the past 10 years, he has worked in sales and as a consultant for SaaS companies including Vendini, AudienceView, Acoustic and currently with BEE Content Design. Dominick also works as a private chef.

Prior to that, he worked as a journalist on Nantucket Island, and while living in Belize as an international contributor for The Atlantic. He founded a newspaper, The Nantucket Independent, and directed a group of publications for the Nantucket Association of Real Estate Brokers. He also published a collection of children’s books for the William Froelich foundation on Saba Island to raise money for the Saba Conservation Foundation.

He has served on the boards of and has volunteered for several nonprofits, including CEPA - Costa Rica, Theatre Workshop of Nantucket, the African Meeting House on Nantucket, and Elder Services of the Cape & Islands.

Juan G. Pardo

Treasurer

Juan G. Pardo

Treasurer

Juan joined Hillel International in 2010 as the Associate Director of Finance and Grant Management. Before 2010, He lived in South Florida, where he worked for a private CPA practice for over eight years as an accountant. Juan moved in 2000 from Pereira, Colombia to South America.   Juan earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Universidad Católica de Pereira, and, in 2014, earned his Master of Science in Accountancy from Bentley University.  Juan loves to be outdoors, and enjoys traveling, downhill skiing, mountain biking and loves to take pictures when traveling around the world. Juan lives with his wife, Lina, in Boston, Massachusetts.

Julieth Romero

Secretary

Julieth Romero

Secretary

Julieth was born in Ibagué, Colombia, and studied journalism given her passion for communications from a very young age. She has worked in radio, television and the press, which has led her to discover the reality of her country and sparked her interest in helping people. While living in Medellín, Colombia, she decided to move to Boston to learn English at Umass Boston and to seek new professional opportunities. Her goal is to help Colombian children in any way possible in order to give opportunities for them to get ahead.