Staff

Staff

As of 2024, our email addresses reflect the change to walkmass.org! While previous walkboston.org email address forward to our walkmass.org addresses, we’d encourage you to use the updated addresses below.


Brendan Kearney (he/him)
Co-Executive Director
Email
Brendan is WalkMassachusetts’ advocacy and communications lead. He is a founding member of the City of Boston’s Vision Zero Task Force, and is an appointed member of the Massachusetts Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board (MABPAB) which serves in an advisory role on advancing bicycle and pedestrian transportation for MassDOT and other State Agencies. Brendan is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross. He lives in Framingham with his wife Hannah and their dog Mavis.


Althea Wong-Achorn (she/her)
Co-Executive Director
Email
Althea is WalkMassachusetts’ head fundraiser and administrator. Prior to joining the organization, Althea oversaw fundraising and events for both the USS Constitution Museum, where she led a record setting gala, and Boston Children’s Museum, where she created new and innovative events while earning a Best of Boston® award from Boston Magazine. Althea lives in Winthrop with her husband Joe and their dog Daphne, and is a graduate of Colby College.


Iolando Spinola (he/him)
Senior Program Manager
Email
Iolando Spinola joined WalkMassachusetts full-time in 2022 as Senior Program Manager. By engaging community groups, municipalities, and other partnering groups, Iolando promotes equitable mobility and improves pedestrian environments. His responsibilities include coordinating WalkMassachusetts’ technical assistance and community-based programs. Through these programs, Iolando assists stakeholders in becoming local champions for walkability. Among his current projects are the WalkMassachusetts Network, Connecting Children and Families to Parks in East Boston, and a community-engaged research program with Boston Medical Center. Previously, Iolando worked on services learning at Bentley University and community engagement at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. He earned a Master’s of Education in Community Engagement from Merrimack College in 2018. He graduated from Bridgewater State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology, Geography, and Political Science in 2012.


Jonny Gomez-Pereira (he/him/el)
Program Manager
Email
Jonny joined WalkMassachusetts as a Program Manager in 2023. He will be leveraging his bilingual grassroot community organizing experience in his home communities of Chelsea and East Boston to work alongside neighbors and residents to increase walkability and pedestrian safety.

Jonny currently holds a Bachelor of Arts in Botany and Anthropology from Connecticut College. His undergraduate studies were guided by themes of social and racial justice. As a homegrown organizer he has worked on Health Equity issues and Housing insecurity in his community. Jonny hopes to collaborate alongside neighbors to engage and advocate in city planning processes that would make communities equitable for all.


Emma Itri
Development and Communications Coordinator (she/her)
Email
Emma is WalkMassachusetts’ Development and Communications Coordinator. For the last eighteen years Emma has been immersed in account management and client relations within Greater Boston including Museum of Science and Boston Children’s Museum. In 2016, Emma started implementing fundraising into a small business and it inspired her to pursue the nonprofit sector. Emma lives in Quincy with her husband Frank and her daughter Melody. Emma is a graduate of Bay State College.