Meet the BOARD

The HKS New England Alumni Association fosters a community of its alumni to continue the school's public service mission through programming that inspires graduates to expand their knowledge, network, and impact on the world.  Our Board Members support this mission through a variety of activities over the course of the year as guided through our By-Laws.  

Executive Committee

Yingjing deng

MC/MPA 2018 , President

Yingjing Deng works as the senior program manager at MIT and previously worked as project manager at Harvard Chinese Art Media Lab. She has over ten years’ experience in communications, media, and project management. She is a storyteller, a news/ documentary/ visual art producer, and an author. Before studying and working at Harvard, she served as the correspondent/chief editor/chief producer for two leading media groups (Phoenix and Sina) in China. She is passionate about uncovering the truth, giving the voiceless a voice through the power of storytelling, as well as empowering refugees, immigrants and children worldwide. Since 2015, She has initiated several non-profit projects to support the education of orphans in Cambodia and Syrian refugee children and youths in Lebanon. She holds an MC/MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School. 

Zheni Valcheva

MC/MPA 2022, Vice President

Zheni is an associate director of major gifts at Harvard Law School, where she is raising support for a range of school-wide priorities and programs. Zheni has dedicated her career and volunteerism to community building, connecting talent with resources, and empowering people through education. She has spearheaded multiple successful student and class-based fundraising campaigns and managed hundreds of volunteers. Zheni received a Master of Laws from Sofia University in her native Bulgaria, and a graduate certificate in Nonprofit Management from Harvard.

Rob DiAdamo

MC/MPA 2022, Clerk

Rob has served in various roles in state government in his career, including as General Counsel to the Executive Office of Transportation and Construction, the Chief of Staff and Deputy General Manager of the MBTA and, most recently as the Executive Director of Commuter Rail for the MBTA.  He currently is a Senior Advisor at WSP working with transit agencies on organizational and funding strategies.  He also teaches Local Government Law at Boston University School of Law.  Rob is married with three children and lives in Brookline. In addition to graduating from the MC/MPA program in 2022, Rob received a JD from Boston University School of Law and a BA from the University of Virginia.  

Cathy Guo

MPP 2018 , Treasurer

Qi (Cathy) Guo is the executive director of WinPlus Education and Technology, a Boston-based education services company dedicated to leveraging technologies to promote educational equity and upholding strong academic values to empower students. Before WinPlus, Cathy worked for the United Nations Women, Anbang Insurance Group, and Oxford Economics.

Cathy is a proud graduate of both Rutgers University and Harvard Kennedy School. Since 2018, she has served as an advisory board member on fundraising and student-alumni engagement committees of Douglass College at Rutgers University.

BOARD MEMBERS

Eric Fenn Elbot

MC/MPA 1982

After graduating from the MC-MPA in 1982, Eric served Harvard in various capacities including as a Program Director (HKSSPPA) and Assoc. Director of Degree Programs.  He has served three Presidents: Carter, Clinton & Obama, and directed a classified national security think-tank.  As C.E.O. of the Veritas Scientific Corporations, Eric develops neuro technologies for national security.  He taught at Emerson College for a decade and "Comparative Foreign Policy" at Webster University on Joint Base Andrews.  Eric's greatest joys are learning from his three off-springs and trekking through much of the world.

Madeline Branch

MC/MPA 2025

Madeline Branch is the Executive Director of the Pink Runway Project, a non-profit dedicated to facilitating breast cancer care in her home state of Maine. Previously, she served in a variety of roles at the U.S. Department of State, including managing criminal and gender justice programs in Afghanistan and Tunisia, working in the Department's crisis communications and operations center, and serving as a press and public affairs officer covering the Middle East. Madeline has a B.A. in international studies from American University and an MPA from HKS. She grew up in Orrington, Maine.

Mahek Shah

MC/MPA 2025

Dr. Mahek Shah heads WTM Global, an investment and advisory firm supporting clients globally on leveraging technology, especially AI, and scaling with innovative business models. He has advised Fortune 200 companies, world’s premier health systems, NGOs, and the US government (Veterans Administration), as well as ministries of health in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.  Shah brings over 20 years at the intersection of medicine, technology, strategy consulting, and policy. A sought-after speaker, his work appears in Harvard Business Publishing, New England Journal of Medicine, WHO Bulletin, JAMA, Health Affairs, WSJ, and Forbes. Previously an investment banker at Citigroup, Dr. Shah is a proud alumnus of Harvard, Cornell, Baylor College of Medicine, and Rice (Economics & Religious Studies, Cum Laude). Competitive tennis player, foodie, Texas native.

Wilfred Mbah

MC/MPA 2024

Wilfred Mbah, originally from Cameroon, is Vice President of the Somerville City Council. With a background in public policy, environmental science, and leadership, he has been at the forefront of initiatives promoting sustainability, food security, and inclusive community engagement. Wilfred consistently champions programs that address immediate needs while laying the groundwork for long-term, systemic change. His leadership emphasizes collaboration, transparency, and respect for community voices, ensuring policies are both responsive and impactful. Committed to environmental justice and equity, he has worked with stakeholders ranging from grassroots organizations to government bodies to advance solutions that benefit local and global communities.

Bill Seymour

MC/MPA

Bill was a newspaper journalist prior to becoming a state government official in communications, policy analysis, and program operations. He is now a freelance writer for newspapers and magazines in Connecticut and Rhode Island, and adjunct professor. Bill is a member of the Connecticut Public Television and Radio Community Advisory Board and is lead on the Digital Media Committee and also serves on the Volunteer Coordination Committee.

Alki Iliopoulou

MC/MPA 2017

Alkistis Iliopoulou is the Director of the Harvard Decision Science Lab. Her background is a weave of public and private sector work, having run startups and advised a broad spectrum of organizations - from Toyota to the U.S. Department of Commerce. She holds an an M.P.A. from Harvard Kennedy School and an M.B.A in Global Strategy and an M.S. in Global Marketing from Thunderbird.

Betsy Neptune

MC/MPA 2018

Betsy Neptune is the Regional Executive Director of BUILD Boston, an organization dedicated to teaching entrepreneurship to public high school students in Greater Boston.  Prior to this work, she led regional and municipal economic development initiatives in Boston and Latin America, with a focus on small business development and other strategies to address economic inequality.  She provides coaching and consulting to emerging and existing entrepreneurs and launched a network for entrepreneurs of faith in Boston.  Betsy holds a B.A. in Anthropology from Trinity College, and certificates in Non-Profit Management and Corporate Social Responsibility from la Universidad de Chile and Universidad Alberto Hurtado respectively. She is active in the Boston community, where she lives with her husband and son.  

Apefa Ashiagbor

MC/MPA 2018

Apefa is the Chief Enterprise Applications Officer at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services, where she has held a variety of positions since 2010.  She joined State government as Chief Information Officer for the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance in 2007 after several years consulting to state and local government organizations. Apefa serves on the board of Boston’s Whittier Street Health Center and enjoys theater and live music in her spare time.   

Rob Werner

HKSEE 2010/2017

Rob Werner is the New Hampshire State Director for the League of Conservation Voters, a national advocacy organization that works to turn environmental values into national, state, and local priorities. Rob formerly served as the National Field Director of Americans for Campaign Reform. As a public policy analyst and advocate, Rob has organized successful advocacy and legislative campaigns for the American Heart Association, Smoke-Free NH Alliance, and the American Cancer Society.  Rob has extensive experience in the health care sector, working in the private, government, and non-profit areas.

Dana Masalimova

MC/MPA 2023

Clare Doyle Dowd

MC/MPA 1997

Clare Doyle Dowd brings two decades of experience bridging public policy, clean energy, and housing innovation. She is Vice President of Corporate Development at MicroEra Power and Chair of the West Hartford Housing Authority, where she expands affordable housing opportunities in her community. Her career has spanned federal, state, and local leadership roles, including with LISC, HUD, and the climate-tech company BlocPower. A lifelong believer in the power of public service to strengthen communities, she is based in Connecticut and is eager to connect with fellow alumni. Clare holds an MC/MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School, where she was a Public Service Fellow, and a B.A. from Mount Holyoke College

Reuben Kantor

MC/MPA 2013

Reuben Kantor is Senior Policy Advisor at the City of Boston’s Planning Department. Most of his focus is on housing production and fair housing, along with data management, AI policy, anti-displacement strategy, office-to-residential conversions policy, and the agency’s Life Science agenda. Prior to joining the Planning Department, he served as Chief Innovation Officer, City of Revere, where he implemented major organizational change and data management operations, and served as Deputy Director of Emergency Covid Response. Reuben has served in a variety of city and state government roles for nearly two decades, including roles at UMass Boston, the Department of Industrial Accidents, the Massachusetts Health Connector, and the City of Boston Council President’s Office. From 1996 to 2006, Reuben ran a small book production business.