Board of Directors

Maura Buxton has been a Massachusetts native her whole life, passionate supporter of mental health causes, and a healthcare leader for the past 14 years. Her work in healthcare started at a health plan (Tufts Health Plan which is now Point32Health) for 4 years, ensuring that wellness/mental health benefits were robust for MA residents. She has been with CVS Health for the past decade, focusing on business to business competitive strategy and growth.

She was personally drawn to NAMI MA’s mission after being deeply impacted by loved ones that have struggled with their mental health. She completed Samaritan crisis hotline training in 2004, and in 2022 while receiving her MBA from Kellogg/Northwestern University, she founded a start up for mental health care during COVID as she saw the rest of the world struggle under the weight of the pandemic.

Before joining the board of NAMI Mass, Jack served for many years on the board of directors of NAMI Central Mass. He has a commitment for giving back in the area of mental illness, having survived bipolar depression that nearly took his life. In 2016, Jack lost his youngest son, Hale, to suicide. His work in the mental health area is dedicated to Hale’s remarkable life.

Jack served as president of NAMI Central Mass from 2018-2022, and had the privilege of leading a very committed group of individuals in their core mission of improving the lives of persons struggling with mental illness and their families. He taught a Family-to-Family class, and recently became involved with the In Our Own Voice program. He also enjoys public speaking, and IOOV has provided him with an opportunity to share his story of recovery and hope.

Jack also serves as president of the board of trustees for the Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital. His involvement with WRCH is particularly meaningful to him given that he spent time in several psychiatric hospitals.

Jack has a diverse background in law, mediation, teaching, and journalism. After graduating from Yale University and the University of Virginia School of Law, he practiced law in Washington, D.C. and also served as Adjunct Professor of Law at Washington and Lee University School of Law. Currently, he is an instructor in constitutional law with the Worcester Institute for Senior Education at Assumption University and facilitates a Supreme Court discussion group. He also writes a column for Northeast Golf magazine.

Ms. Wolfson serves as the Assistant Vice President, Taxation for the Beth Israel Lahey Health network, a health care delivery system with affiliates located throughout eastern Massachusetts. The network is comprised of tax-exempt teaching and community hospitals, physician groups and other taxable and non-taxable entities. In her role, Ms. Wolfson is responsible for overall tax strategies and tax risk assessment, advising executive management and handling tax compliance, special projects and other tax matters. Ms. Wolfson also has significant experience in educating others on non-profit tax matters. She has spoken at, served on the planning committee for, and/or served as chair/co-chair for national and regional conferences addressing non-profit healthcare tax issues.

Ms. Wolfson is also a long-time active local community volunteer. In addition to serving as Treasurer and Trustee for NAMI MA, Ms. Wolfson currently serves on the board of, and as a Trustee for, Mayyim Hayyim Living Waters Community Mikveh in Newton, MA. She has also served on, and chaired multiple committees at, Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley, MA and is a past Trustee/Advisory Board Member of the Wellesley Scholarship Foundation. Previously, she held several positions supporting the Wellesley Public Schools including Treasurer of the Wellesley Central Council of PTOs, School Council Member for Wellesley Middle School and Bates Elementary School (Bates) and President of the Bates PTO.

Ms. Wolfson holds a J.D. from Boston University and a B.S. in Economics from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. She lives with her husband, has two sons and two dogs.

Although a Massachusetts native, Kathleen has spent the bulk of her social work career living in NJ and serving on the staff of NAMI NJ.

Kathleen’s family has had a long experience with mental health conditions.  The positive steps that her family achieved with respect to mental health are closely correlated to their being part of the NAMI family; its education programs and the support, outreach and networking with other committed, like-minded advocates who have positively altered her family.

Kathleen is a former member of the NAMI Mass Board, where she served for more than 8 years. Kathleen has also served as a trained Family-to-Family teacher, state trainer for the Family Support Group (FSG), and a current facilitator of the NAMI Plymouth Area twice-monthly FSG. She is one of several local NAMI Plymouth volunteers focused on raising NAMI name recognition and its profile by serving on various local community Boards:  Plymouth DMH Site Board, Community Health Network Alliance (CHNA) and Plymouth County Jail Mental Health Advisory.

Kathleen majored in French at B.U. and received her Masters in Social Work from Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ.

Christian Lim is a Director at Optum Health, a clinical business of UnitedHealth Group. He oversees health plan and provider solutions, aimed at enhancing access to high-value pharmacy and medical benefits. He has over 15 years of experience in product development across pharmaceuticals, consulting, and healthcare.

Christian’s journey with mental health care began during his teenage years. Despite having a family deeply rooted in healthcare, finding the right specialists was a lengthy trial-and-error process. As a father of two teenagers who also needed support post-pandemic, he was dismayed to discover that mental health resources remain scarce even after 20 years. His commitment to NAMI MA stems from his mission to ensure mental health resources and treatment receive the same priority as the benefits he helps create in his current role.

Christian holds a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, and an M.B.A. from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Ewa Irena Pytowska has aspired to be a peer voice on the NAMI Mass Board since she joined in 2015. Her middle name – Irena – means “peace” in Greek which she finds quite ironic considering that her life with bipolar illness for over 40 years has been anything but peaceful!

In 2014, she put her history of mental health struggles to good use and became a Certified Peer Specialist. As a member of the NAMI Greater Boston Peer Support and Advocacy Network, she facilitates a weekly support group and offers individual assistance to peers who reach out for help. She is also the designated leader of the NAMI Greater Boston affiliate.

Previously a teacher, a staff development specialist and a college instructor, Ewa retired from working for over a decade as an Assistant Superintendent of Schools. She is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and twice of the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.

Ewa calls the city of Boston home, where she has lived and raised a family for the past 40 years. She was born and raised in Poland, and speaks three languages: Polish, Italian and English. She lives in a multilingual and multiethnic neighborhood. Her life in Boston gives her a deep understanding and appreciation of the strength cultural diversity brings to organizations small and big.

Shayla is a new member of the Board of Directors. Shayla has made it her life’s mission to expand access to mental health services for all. With a family steeped in health services, she grew up understanding the critical importance of mental wellbeing. Even before embarking on her professional career, Shayla dedicated countless volunteer hours to support the mental stability of student athletes. She saw firsthand how the intense pressures of competition could take a toll on young people’s minds without proper care and support. When Shayla entered the investment industry, she again made mental health a priority. Recognizing the immense stress that financial careers can induce, she worked closely with internal teams to ensure her company’s insurance policies covered all mental health therapy services to employees. Shayla firmly believes that emotional wellbeing is a fundamental human right, not a luxury for only those who can pay. Her personal experiences equipped her with both empathy for those struggling mentally and knowledge of how to help. With unwavering passion, Shayla continues advocating day after day to expand mental health assistance to disadvantaged groups. Her vision is a world where everyone has access to the psychological support they need to fulfill their human potential.

Zoe is a certified peer specialist, volunteer advocate for mental health needs of patients and family members, and Director of Housing and Respite Services at a non-profit organization. Zoe is trained in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and finishing a Master’s degree in Business Administration with a specialization in Non-Profit Management. Zoe’s passion for mental health advocacy, support, awareness, and experience working with diverse groups piqued her interest in NAMI’s mission.