YPACS Boston Leadership
Members of YPACS Boston are exposed to the American Cancer Society's network of more than 2 million volunteers worldwide. They are also given the opportunity to learn from experts in the field as well as one another, and opportunities to engage in service. This group also plans and supports a signature event to help raise funds for the important work done by the American Cancer Society.
Our structure consists of a President and Vice President who work closely with an ACS staff partner and oversee the five Directors. Each Director works with a committee of young professionals that work on different areas to help us achieve our goals. Leadership positions are renewed every fall, while committee members are welcome to join at any time.
We love and welcome new members always- so if you are interested in getting involved, please join us!
Interested in being involve with YPACS but not sure you can commit to full membership? You may be a good fit for our ambassador-level involvement! This is a lower level of commitment than a full committee member, but still allows you to help as able. Our ambassadors serve as a liaison between YPACS and their own professional/personal networks. You will be on a separate email list but will receive all pertinent communications in order to remain in the loop with all things YPACS, including event promotion materials, sponsorship packets as needed, and volunteer opportunities. Ambassadors do not have a fundraising minimum or attendance requirements, but are still encouraged to reach out to their contacts for donations/sponsorships and attend events as able.
Meet Our Leadership Team
Patrick Ward (he/him) - President
Patrick Ward leads Talent Acquisition for Ensoma, Inc., whose mission to revolutionize medicine through the development of in vivo gene therapies for oncology and rare diseases. In this role, Patrick is constantly talking to candidates about their motivations, values, and goals and how they can advance with Ensoma. The passion he and those he works with share for improving human health, particularly for those diagnosed with cancer, led him to join YPACS Boston. Patrick served first on the Mission and Advocacy Committee, as a member and then as Committee Director, and then stepping into the Vice President/Event Logistics Co-Director role last year, before becoming President of YPACS in January 2024. Patrick has been volunteering with the American Cancer Society since 2002, starting with the Relay for Life events, first as a participant and then as an Event Leadership Team member for one of the largest collegiate Relay events in the country, Northeastern University (his alma mater), before joining YPACS Boston in 2019.
Mike O'Brien (he/him) - Event Logistics Co-Director
Mike is a Realtor® at ERA Key Realty Services, serving the Greater Boston Area. Prior to his time in real estate, he worked as a sports broadcaster for nearly two decades, appearing locally as an Update Anchor and Studio Host at 98.5 the Sports Hub and a play-by-play announcer with Bentley University, Boston University, and Northeastern University, among others. For seven seasons, Mike held the position of Radio/TV announcer for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League. A graduate of Boston College, Mike has been involved with the American Cancer Society since 2010, serving on the Philadelphia DetermiNation committee and as co-chair for the ACS Endure Bike Ride in Northeast Pennsylvania, before joining YPACS in 2018.
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Becca Powell (she/her)- Marketing & Mission Director
Becca Powell is the Mission and Marketing director for YPACS Boston. She is involved with YPACS to honor her friends and family who have battled cancer, and to support others in the community who have been touched by cancer.
She is passionate about equity in the American health care system and addressing the social determinants of health. Becca is Development Associate at Boston Community Pediatrics (BCP), the first and only nonprofit, private pediatric practice in New England. She supports matters related to fundraising, communications, and organizational planning. Prior to this, she served as an Administrative Associate at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) North America, where she supported the executive leadership team in fulfilling the organization's mission of reducing poverty through research-informed policy.
Becca graduated from Northeastern University in 2021 with a bachelor's degree in Human Services and International Affairs. Besides her involvement with YPACS, Becca volunteers for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) as a Legislative Ambassador, working with a team to advocate for legislation that positively impacts the lives of cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers. In her free time, Becca enjoys going to concerts, antiquing, and exploring Boston with friends.
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Jenna Capuzzo (she/her) - Corporate Relations Director
Jenna is an employee with the American Cancer Society working under the Patient Support Pillar. In her role, she works with several Boston-based hospitals and state coalitions to remove the burdens that cancer patients face with respect to lodging, transportation, and a variety of other influences. She is a double graduate of Northeastern University with an undergraduate degree in Health Sciences in 2020 and MPH with a focus on urban health in 2021. Before beginning her career with ACS, she was a Practice Manager in a primary care department where she developed her passion for supporting patients outside the scope of yearly visits. Jenna has been volunteering for ACS for over 10 years, locally, nationally, and internationally. Before joining YPACS, she was the Finance and Fundraising Lead for the Northeastern University Relay For Life event, as well as, a member of the National Campus Youth Engagement Team, where she supported national fundraising efforts and international health interventions and prevention work. She currently sits on the National Community Fundraising Leadership Team in addition to her patient support work for ACS. Jenna joined YPACS in 2022 and is excited to continue her commitment to raising funds to save lives as a member of the YPACS leadership team!
Lindsay Block - Sponsorship Director
Lindsay is a Registered Nurse working at Boston Children’s Hospital on the Pediatric Intermediate Care Unit. Her unit at BCH specializes in taking care of patients with acute metabolic, respiratory, neurologic, and endocrine diagnoses, and Lindsay enjoys supporting these patients and their families through their inpatient stay until discharge. She graduated from Northeastern University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing, and spent her time at Northeastern volunteering with multiple service-oriented clubs/organizations. Peace Through Play was dedicated to empowering children through play in Boston’s K-8 schools. Lindsay found YPACS through Northeastern’s Relay For Life events starting in 2015, joining the Event Leadership Team’s Mission Advocacy Committee in 2018.
Lindsay joined YPACS’ Mission and Advocacy Committee in 2019 and has since served as the Auction Chair. She is excited to now assume the role of Sponsorship Director this year.
The mission of the Boston Hope Lodge holds a special place for Lindsay as a nurse providing care for patients/families requiring long-term and repeated care in the hospital, and she is ecstatic to raise funds for them once again this year at YPACS!
Josie McKenna - Membership Director
Josie is the Membership Director of YPACS Boston. Her goal is to create an environment that encourages new membership and invites current members to grow within the group. Prior to YPACS, Josie was a member of the National Campus Youth Engagement Team where she focused on bringing ACS chapters to schools around the country as well as a member of Northeastern’s Relay For Life committee and Blue Valley Relay For Life Committee before that.Josie works as a Senior Research Associate at Moderna working on process development. She graduated from Northeastern in 2021 with a Bachelors in Chemical Engineering and a Masters in Engineering Management. Josie is originally from Kansas so she is a big chiefs fan. She also spends a lot of her free time taking care of her puppy Ranger.