Who We Are

Healthy Waltham is a civic group committed to improving the quality of life for people who live, work, and learn in Waltham. Based on the Healthy Communities movement spreading across Massachusetts, Healthy Waltham embraces the principles of community involvement, shared community values, a vision for the future, and community based solutions.

Our Mission:

To mobilize the people of Waltham to address our community’s challenges and build on our strengths, to improve individual health status and well-being, and to create a healthier, more just and prosperous community.

Operational Mission:

• To promote collaborations on issues related to improving health status and well-being
• To support health promotion and obesity prevention for Waltham youth and families

Healthy Waltham’s core team members are Judy Fallows, Project Director, Maria DiMaggio, Communications Manager/Project Coordinator, Leslie Glynn, Chef Consultant/Project Coordinator, and Louise Forrest, Garden Facilitator.

Judy Fallows, Director

jfallows@healthy-waltham.org

Judy Fallows has worked at the intersection of the fields of education, biology, and health for over 30 years. Her career has included such positions as: science teacher for prekindergarten through grade 12 (not all at once), school technology coordinator and website manager, learning garden facilitator, Physician Assistant, and health education curriculum development consultant. Judy’s education includes two Bachelor’s degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Life Science and Music, completion of the Physician Assistant Program at Hahnemann (now Drexel) University, and Master’s in Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Maria DiMaggio, Project Coordinator

mdimaggio@healthy-waltham.org

Maria DiMaggio is a Waltham resident with two children in the Waltham Public schools. An enthusiastic cook and community volunteer, she worked previously in Corporate Communications and Marketing in the financial services industry. Maria was a founding member of “I to I” Waltham, a cooperative playgroup and parent support group. Maria earned a B.A. from Wesleyan University (CT) with a major in German. She is also on the board of the Friends of the Waltham Public Library.

Leslie Glynn, Chef Consultant/Project Coordinator

lglynn@healthy-waltham.org

Chef Leslie Glynn has worked for Healthy Waltham as both a Chef Instructor and Chef Consultant. As a HW collaborator, she has worked with the Waltham Family School and Waltham Fields Community Farm, and she is in her fourth year of running a very popular healthy cooking program called “Kitchen etc.” in the Waltham Public Schools after school programs at McDevitt and Kennedy Middle Schools. Leslie has recently become Mayor Jeannette McCarthy’s contact person for Waltham’s participation in “Let’s Move Cities and Towns,” part of Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign to combat childhood obesity. Leslie collaborated with Waltham’s Food Service Department to develop a recipe for Waltham Butternut Squash Soup, which has been submitted to the Recipes for Healthy Kids Challenge, a nationwide recipe contest. A Waltham resident with two children in the Waltham Public Schools, Leslie has helped hundreds of kids (and adults) find new ways to prepare and enjoy healthy foods. Leslie has also been very active in the community regarding Food Allergy Awareness. Leslie has an Associates Degree in Culinary Arts from Newbury College and a B.S. in Journalism /Marketing from Suffolk University. She is also ServSafe certified.

Louise Forrest, Garden Facilitator

lforrest@healthy-waltham.org

Nadene Stein (co-chair), Principal, Northeast Elementary School

John Peacock (co-chair), Executive Director, Waltham West Suburban Chamber of Commerce

Shela Charlot, Outreach Coordinator, Joseph M. Smith Community Health Center

Mary DeCourcey, Community Health Specialist, Mount Auburn Hospital

Marie DeSisto, Director of Nurses, Waltham Public Schools

Laura Goldin, Professor and Chair, Environmental Studies, Brandeis University

Claire Kozower, Executive Director, Waltham Fields Community Farm

Andrea Salzman, Senior Program Director, Family Based Services, Wayside Youth & Family Support Network

Beth A. Toolan, Executive Director, Waltham Partnership for Youth

We wish to recognize and thank our main funders:

MA Dept of Public Health

Mount Auburn Hospital

Whole Kids Foundation

Foundation for MetroWest

Hannaford Supermarkets