WLP Appoints Rachel Felix and Dr. Melissa Berry-Woods to Board of Directors
Women’s Lunch Place is delighted to announce the appointments of Rachel Felix (left) and Dr. Melissa Berry-Woods (right) to our Board of Directors. Their expertise in communications and social justice will be major assets to a board that is tasked with leading WLP’s fiduciary, strategic, and fundraising decision-making processes.
Rachel Felix has spent her career as a brand strategist across various roles in healthcare, media, and consumer packaged goods. She was most recently the Vice President and Head of Brand Management at Mass General Brigham, leading integration, awareness, and rebrand efforts across the largest healthcare system in New England. Prior to that role, Rachel worked for 15 years as a media executive at Viacom-CBS.
Throughout her career, Rachel has proven to be an agent of change and transformation, leading visionary centralization and post-merger operations at a large scale.
“Growing up in Detroit and having also lived in Chicago and New York City before moving to Boston, I have always been deeply connected to the challenges faced by traditionally underserved communities,” said Rachel. “Having loved ones affected by behavioral health issues, substance use disorders, and domestic violence––who at times were unhoused––I am deeply committed to the compassionate and life-changing work being done by Women's Lunch Place.”
Rachel holds a B.B.A. from the University of Michigan and an M.B.A. from Columbia University. An NYC transplant, she also recently joined the Board of Directors at The Public Radio Exchange (PRX). This year, she co-founded and launched Boston’s most diverse––and Dorchester’s first––porch music festival, Dorchfest.
A military veteran, Dr. Melissa Berry-Woods has dedicated her career to social justice education. Currently, she works as an Associate Teaching Professor and Director of Student Diversity and Success at Northeastern University. Dr. Berry-Woods teaches first-year and advanced writing classes, and her research centers on African American feminist rhetoric and writing pedagogy. Additionally, she acts as the lead event planner for the city-wide Martin Luther King Memorial Breakfast.
“Day-to-day, I’m always thinking about structural problems,” said Dr. Berry-Woods. “I think that the plight of women is often overlooked. We talk about the structural violence that contributes to poverty––I see the way we put resources into helping people just get by, but I want to try and impact the structure that makes people fall into these situations.”
Dr. Berry-Woods holds a B.A. and M.A. from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and a Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina. In addition to joining our board, she serves on the Board of Directors of the Women of Color Health Equity Collective.
“I love the way that Women's Lunch Place gives support and agency to the women you serve," said Dr. Berry-Woods. “I was struck by the number of services––it’s not just providing lunch––and the overall wellness and health care provided here.”
We are thrilled to have Rachel and Dr. Berry-Woods on our team and excited to work with them in refining and executing our long-term strategic plan for growth and success. Welcome to WLP!