Guest Speakers

Deborah DiMasi

Deborah M. DiMasi is the Director of Grief Support Services at Samaritans, providing services to suicide survivors. Prior to joining Samaritans, Deborah was one of our region’s most effective advocates for suicide prevention and an outspoken champion for veteran’s who experience post-traumatic stress disorder.

Motivated by the suicides of her brother Jeff, a soldier and veteran and her niece Siobhan, Deborah has testified publicly before the Massachusetts Legislature, urging a dramatic increase in funding devoted exclusively to suicide prevention, and the creation of a special commission to investigate the effects of war on returning Massachusetts veterans.

She has also produced and co-hosted a television show and enjoyed a successful career in the fashion industry. Deborah is the mother of two children, Ashley and Christian, and is married to Salvatore DiMasi.

Mayor Marty Walsh

Mayor Martin J. Walsh, an accomplished advocate for working people and a proud product of the city of Boston, was sworn in as the City’s 54th Mayor on January 6, 2014.

In 1997, Mayor Walsh won election to the Massachusetts House of Representatives, representing the 13th Suffolk District in Boston. During his 16 years in the House, Mayor Walsh established himself as a leader on job creation and economic development. He authored landmark public construction law reforms, helped pass “smart growth district” legislation, and was a strong supporter of infrastructure and zoning improvements.

A co-founder and former board member of the Neighborhood House Public Charter School, Mayor Walsh has long been an aggressive advocate for strong public schools.  A champion for civil rights, Mayor Walsh was a vocal early advocate for marriage equality and he compiled a strong record in support of communities of color, immigrants, and seniors.  He also became known as the State House leader on substance abuse and recovery issues.

From 2011 to 2013, Mayor Walsh served as head of the Building and Construction Trades Council of the Metropolitan District. In partnership with the Boston Housing Authority, he created Building Pathways, a pre-apprentice program connecting building trades jobs and opportunities with those traditionally underrepresented in the industry, mainly women and people of color.

After attending St. Margaret’s School in Dorchester and Newman Prep High School, Mayor Walsh followed in his father’s footsteps to become a union laborer, working his first job at the age of 18 at Commonwealth Pier (now known as the World Trade Center) on the South Boston waterfront.

Mayor Walsh lives on Tuttle Street in Dorchester and is a graduate of Boston College. He shares his life with his longtime partner, Lorrie Higgins, and her daughter, Lauren.