Marc is a New Jersey native who currently resides in Hingham with his wife, Jamie, and their children, John, Scarlett, and Madeline. Their daughter, Avery, was stillborn at 37 weeks in February 2020.
Following Avery’s passing, Marc became passionate about helping break the silence surrounding stillbirth and child loss. Together, Marc and Jamie founded the FORE HOPE golf fundraiser, held annually each October during National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. FORE HOPE donates 100% of proceeds to organizations supporting bereaved families, first benefiting New Jersey-based Pockets of Light and more recently Hope Floats. To date, the event has raised nearly $100,000.
As a board member, Marc is passionate about expanding access to compassionate support for grieving families.
Marc earned his bachelor’s degree from Fairfield University and his dual MBA in Finance and Management from Fordham University. He currently serves as CFO of AJA International and previously held roles at McKinsey & Company and AIG.
Jeff Ladd grew up in Duxbury and lives there with his wife Erin where they have raised five young
children, including their 6-year-old daughter Laney who they lost unexpectedly in December of 2022.
After graduating from Duxbury High School in 2000, Jeff attended prep school at Bridgton Academy,
followed by The University of New Hampshire where he received his bachelor’s degree in Business
Administration with a minor in Psychology.
Jeff has worked in the medical device industry for over 20 years where he has held various roles in sales,
marketing, management and strategic accounts. Jeff also co-owns a small commercial fishing business in
Duxbury and serves on the Board of Directors at The Love for Laney Foundation and Save Duxbury
Beach.
The days, weeks and months after the unexpected loss of our daughter Laney were impossibly hard for
us, as can be expected. The support from our family, friends and community was amazing and gave us
time to adjust to our new reality. Despite the overwhelming support we received, what we weren’t
prepared for was how isolating the loss of a child can be. It wasn’t until we met other bereaved parents
at Hope Floats that have walked this path before us that we felt that we could in fact do this too. Hope
Floats is a truly special place that has inspired me to help other bereaved families find the support they
need navigate their grief journey successfully. I am humbled and honored to support Hope Floats as
they continue their important work for our community.
Mary MacKinnon’s connection to Hope Floats is deeply personal — born from the losses of Michael Brack and her brother, Peter (P.J.) Shaughnessy. That experience shapes the care and commitment she brings to the board, which she joined in 2025.
Mary serves as Finance Director for the Town of Duxbury, where she oversees a $100 million operating budget. Her career spans decades of municipal finance and technology work across both public and private sectors, giving her a broad perspective on organizational leadership.
A graduate of the University of New Hampshire and a lifelong South Shore resident, Mary lives in Kingston with her husband and two sons. She has long been active in her community, contributing to boards including the Finance Committee, Capital Planning Committee, Community Preservation Committee, and Technology Committee.
She brings to Hope Floats what she brings everywhere: an investment in the people around her and the communities they call home.
Vedna has been involved in various forms of community service, advocacy, and social activism. Her exposure to mission trips and her family’s influence helped shape her commitment to making a positive impact.
Her background as a Surgical Trauma ICU nurse and her work in implementing a trauma program for students after the Parkland shooting demonstrate her commitment to making a difference in people’s lives.
After the loss of two children during late pregnancy, she became certified in Thanatology. Her focus on supporting those who have experienced trauma and loss shows her compassion and dedication to helping others during difficult times. She was a bereavement specialist for BMC Child Loss Center, often going into people’s homes after the loss of their children and she co-leads a Perinatal & Infant loss group at Hope Floats. She credits this work to assisting in her healing. She is currently pursuing her MSN degree in the Simmons Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program.
Vedna enjoys being civically engaged and her involvement in the League of Women Voters in D.C. as a national board Director and Trustee showcases her dedication to promoting democracy and civic engagement. In this role, she serves as the Advocacy and Litigation Co-chair and U.N. Observer Liaison, amplifying the voices of women and the underserved in the political process.
In addition to her work with the League of Women Voters, She is also an elected school board member in Plymouth, chairs the Engagement Committee at Beth Israel Lahey Hospital in Plymouth, and sits on the Community Advisory Benefits Committee and the Advisory Board.
Her leadership and community service have been recognized with multiple state and local awards, reflecting her dedication to improving various aspects of society.
Teresa joined the Hope Floats family in 2010. A Master of Acupuncture, she maintained a private practice here for many years before retiring. In 2014, she unexpectedly lost her son, Michael, and came to understand that she had been led to this wonderful place of healing not just to help others, but to be supported herself in her grief journey.
Teresa has co-facilitated various support groups for other moms and parents who have lost children over the years and volunteers at other events, especially enjoying playing her harp at the different retreats held throughout the year.
An avid animal lover, she also volunteers with a local dog rescue that works to place abandoned dogs from the south to forever homes in the Massachusetts area. She and her husband continue to honor their son with an annual motorcycle ride that raises funds for scholarships and charitable donations in his memory.
Her free time is spent reading, writing, traveling, walking her three rescue dogs and spending time with her new granddaughter.
Denise has been the co-founder and Executive Director of Hope Floats since 2008. After the devastating loss of her oldest son Michael, she and her husband Ken, founded the nonprofit bereavement and education center as a way to support other families and adults who are dealing with loss and grief.
She is responsible for over-seeing all support programs, events, and workshops at the center. She a contact person for individuals seeking support services and counseling and for doing the delicate work of in-takes, both over the phone and in person, for individuals and families who wish to attend support groups, retreats, or our family program, Mike’s Club. She also organizes various fundraisers, seeks out strategic partners and sponsors. She overseas financial operations and manages correspondence with private donors, business sponsors and grant providers.
Denise holds a Master’s Degree from Lesley University. She is a long-time educator and entrepreneur. She taught elementary school, primarily as an inclusion teacher, for 13 years and while she has left public schools, she continues to teach in new ways at Hope Floats. She strives to apply her skills and her life experience to support adults, children and their families who are grieving.
Mike and his wife learned of Hope Floats after the loss of their twins Caden and Colby in 2015. It was here that they found like minded parents who, like them, were learning the process of grief. Mike felt that he had received an amazing gift when he learned how to take control of his grief process with the help of Hope Floats. In 2019, Mike was invited to join the board and knew it would be the perfect way to give back and be a part of this wonderful organization.
Mike graduated from New England College where he earned his undergraduate and master’s degree. He is now owner of the residential appraisal company Pilgrim Property Group
Ken supports Hope Floats’ outreach and operations as board treasurer and also as caretaker of the grounds and buildings. Alongside Denise, he spearheads financial planning, grant writing, and networking. Since 2018, Ken has also helped facilitate a support group for Dads who have lost a child.
A nonfiction author who has also worked as a journalist, in business publishing, and as a teacher, Ken has a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from Northeastern University. He taught high school English at TechBoston Academy in Dorchester, Ma.
His second book, Especially For You, tells the uplifting stories of people who find a new purpose after unspeakable loss and how people grow through their catastrophic trials. He also wrote Closer By The Mile, the story of the Pan-Mass Challenge bike-a-thon for cancer research. Ken contributes a blog for Psychology Today’s website and on his author’s site, https://www.kenbrack.com.
Janet grew up in South Boston as part of a large family. She attended Boston State College and then moved to Kingston to raise her kids in this community. She has always been involved in youth sports, the local schools and community issues and she loves Hope Floats.
She has raised five great kids, one who is a Paralegal, an FBI Agent, Graphic Designer, Special Needs Behaviorist and a Sales Rep. She is currently a sales manager at Macy’s in Kingston and she loves that Macy’s is involved in supporting Hope Floats.
Elizabeth Binari has been involved with Hope Floats Healing & Wellness Center shortly after its opening in 2008. Having recently graduated as a massage therapist, she was looking for an environment in which to offer massage that was holistic and healing. During a snowy, Luminary, night in Kingston she was walking down Elm Street and looked up to see Hope Floats for the first time. She felt an immediate connection. Shortly after, she met with Denise who offered her a practitioner position at the Center. Elizabeth knew that this was the beginning of a life changing journey. She is often heard saying she receives much more from Hope Floats than she could ever give back.
Elizabeth provides individual massage therapy sessions at Hope Floats, in addition to being an ad hoc practitioner for our retreats. As a practitioner, she offers her time to the Healing Circle. She is also a co-facilitator for the Pet Loss Support Group. She is an active member of the Fundraising Committee and has been involved with the annual Memory Walk and Barn Sale. Having recently obtained certification in Equine Massage, she also volunteers at the Bridge Center, in Bridgewater MA, where she provides massage to horses in the in the equine assisted therapy programs.
Elizabeth is a Registered Nurse, who also earned a BA from Suffolk University and a Masters in Health Care Administration from Simmons College. Having spent 30 years in the health care industry, she has held positions in both the business and hospital setting; to include PricewaterHouseCoopers, McKesson Corporation and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She is currently employed as a Program Manager at the Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital – Plymouth.
Jane Corr became involved with Hope Floats Healing & Wellness Center several years ago when a sudden, personal loss affected her life. The caring, compassionate atmosphere at Hope Floats, as well as the staff and practitioners with whom she came into contact, impressed her so much that Jane was eager to give back. Jane knew from her own, first-hand, experience the positive impact that Hope Floats could have on a person’s life.
A retired Boston Public School educator for thirty-six years, Jane also served on several educational leadership teams. During her many years in Boston, she served as a mentor to aspiring teachers. She holds a Bachelor degree, in Education and Psychology, from Emmanuel College and a Master in Education and Administration, from the former Boston State College.
In addition to her work with Hope Floats, Jane volunteers at the Kingston Elementary School, attended by her grandchildren. She also volunteers with the Kiwanis Club of Kingston and Duxbury who service many community projects throughout the year.
Kingston has been Jane’s home for seventeen years. She has a great love for the ocean and spending time with her children, Amy and Tim, and their families. Jane enjoys traveling and watching her grandchildren play sports.