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
Alexandra McKenzie (she/her) - President
Alex is a Partner Success Associate at EdSights, where she works with colleges and universities to support student persistence and increase retention. She graduated from Boston College in 2015 with a B.A. in English and 2016 with an M.Ed. in early childhood education. Alex is incredibly passionate about education equity and spent time as a teacher, and then as a children’s book editor, before joining the team at EdSights to help solve the college completion crisis. Alex first got involved with the American Cancer Society through Relay for Life after losing her aunt to lung cancer in 2006. After over a decade of working on planning committees for various Relay for Life events, including chairing the Relay for Life of Charles River, she joined YPACS in 2019, first on the Membership Committee, then as a Committee Director before becoming Vice President, and now stepping into the role of President. In her free time, Alex enjoys reading, playing board games, caring for her many house plants, and seeing new places.
Patrick Ward (he/him) - Vice President & Event Logistics Co-Director
Patrick Ward is the Talent Acquisition Manager for Halloran Consulting Group, Inc. (a proud sponsor of multiple YPACS events!), a life sciences consulting firm that assists small to medium size pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in advancing therapies that will radically change patients’ lives and transforming their organizations to maximize efficiency and allow for increased innovation. In his role, he is constantly talking to candidates about their motivations, values, and goals and the symbiosis they can potentially find with Halloran, which led him to join YPACS Boston, first on the Mission and Advocacy Committee, then as Committee Director, and now as Vice President. 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.
Sarah Feldman (she/her) - Membership Director
Sarah works for the Office of Advancement at Northeastern University. She graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in upstate NY with a B.A in Public Policy, minoring in writing and dance. In college she served as the co-chair for Colleges Against Cancer which hosted Relay for Life and other American Cancer Society events. She joined YPACS in 2019. In her free time, Sarah loves reading and listening to podcasts, but she has decision paralysis so usually just watches the news.
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Becca Powell (she/her)- Marketing & Mission Co-Director
Becca is an Administrative and Development Coordinator at Boston Community Pediatrics (BCP), the first and only nonprofit, private pediatric practice in New England. She assists with matters related to fundraising, communications, organizational planning, and programming. 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.
Becca 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. 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!