Helen Gibson Uguccioni

Founder & President 
1st Term: June 2023 to June 2026

2nd Term: June 2026 to June 2029

---

Helen Gibson Uguccioni has called Montague home for 40 years. With more than three decades dedicated to public education, Helen has always believed in the power of learning, connection, and community.

She began her career as a science teacher in Greenfield, where she taught for 10 years. She then returned to college to earn her doctoral degree in Science Education and went on to serve as Science Administrator for the Holyoke Public Schools.

In retirement, Helen found a new way to serve her community. For more than six years, she volunteered with Meals-on-Wheels, delivering meals to local residents while also building meaningful relationships with people who were experiencing isolation. Those connections reinforced for Helen how important it is to look out for one another and create a strong, caring community.

Helen is one of the founders of Montague Neighbors and brings tremendous energy, enthusiasm, and heart to the organization. She loves meeting people, making connections, and helping neighbors build relationships with one another.

“Meaningful relationships with others give me energy.”

When she’s not volunteering with Montague Neighbors, Helen enjoys gardening, quilting, walking with her husband, and spending time with her family, granddaughter, and friends.

Helen’s lifelong commitment to education, service, and community makes her an important part of the Montague Neighbors family.

Kristi A. Bodin

Clerk
Term May 2024 to May 2027

---

Kristi A. Bodin, who lives in Turners Falls, says she is interested in supporting her town and community through volunteer service. She has lived in Montague for twenty-two years, is a town meeting member for Precinct 3, and is currently on the Montague Cable Advisory Committee and the Finance Committee. She is the current Vice President and an active member of the Rotary Club of Amherst, and a past president of the Rotary Club of Franklin County. She has served on the Boards of Directors of the Greenfield Community College Foundation and the Franklin County Community Development Corporation.

Kristi recently retired after thirty years as an attorney, and has worked in the areas of small business law, commercial real estate, municipal law, zoning and land use, construction law, and civil litigation. She started her legal career as an Assistant Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Prior to attending law school, Kristi worked in manufacturing management for several large Massachusetts companies which produced industrial and consumer products for domestic and international markets. She grew up in Amherst, and is a graduate of Greenfield Community College, the University of Massachusetts, and Western New England College School of Law. She lives with her black lab, Marty. She enjoys weightlifting, swimming, and indoor rowing. She also a student of Russian iconography.

Roberta Potter

Treasurer

Term May 2024 to May 2027

 

---

Roberta Potter who has lived in from Turners Falls for forty-five year is the Director of the Montague Council of Aging and an individual who has supported Montague Villages from the very beginning. She has welcomed Montague Villages to hold its monthly meetings at the Gill Montague Senior Center and also made the center available for informational meetings for those who want to know more about the organization. She is a representative linking the Montague COA and older adults in the community.  

She said, “I joined the Board hoping to contribute whatever I can personally or on behalf of the Montague COA and to help this venture succeed and involve a large number of Montage older adults as members and volunteers.”

She is hoping that that membership grows to include everyone who needs help as well as those who have help to offer. When she is not working, she enjoys gardening, knitting, and hanging out with her dogs.
 

Mary Averill

Term February 2026 to 2029

---

 Recently retired, Mary Averill left a position as the Senior Manager of Integrated Behavioral Health at Commonwealth Care Alliance (CCA). CCA is a health plan serving dual eligible (Medicare and Medicaid) citizens of Massachusetts ages 21+. In her role, Mary managed the building and implementation of a team of Clinical Social Workers and Community Health Outreach Workers into CCA’s medical model of care with a focus on in-home care for Seniors and people under 65 across the state of Massachusetts.  Prior to CCA, Mary has worked in Higher Education Finance Policy, state government, private practice and as a public-school teacher.

 

In addition, Mary is a mother, photographer, printmaker and an outdoor and travel enthusiast. She has served on many non-profit human service boards and has just stepped down from Chair of the Ama Ghar Home and Foundation, a children’s home in Nepal for children without a home. 

She said, “I look forward to getting more involved in Montague Neighbors. I cannot think of a more important and rewarding volunteer opportunity --keeping our elderly neighbors living at home with support as long as they are able.” 

Linda Emond

Term December 2025 to 2028

---

Norma Mackey-Bovat

Term December 2025 to 2028

---

Barbara White

Term December 2025 to 2028

---

 

Barbara White has lived in Montague Center for the past 25 years.  She says, “I am so happy to call Montague “my home.” I’ve laughed many times when I came into town and read the sign “Slow Village Ahead”. That’s my town and I love it! “ 

She says she is honored to be on the Board of Montague Neighbors and looks forward to sharing her past experiences and skills in any way she can to promote the organization. Barbara has had a few different careers in her life including public school teaching, counselor to teenagers and adults, mental health administrator, and private school administrator and fund raiser. Many people in the area know her as the co-owner of the Blue Heron Restaurant which she and her wife, Deborah Snow, opened and ran for 25 years. 

Explaining her interest in Montague Neighbors, she says, “I have been retired for quite a while now and I know and understand some of the issues we all deal with as we age. During this time, I have volunteered at the Amherst Survival Center and served on their Board of Directors, helped to organize a group called Bridge for Unity and contributed to other local community organizations. My interest in Montague Neighbors centers around my own desire to stay in my beloved town and in my beloved home for as long as possible but I also know that we, as we age, need lots of support in different ways.  To “age in place” most of us need help.  Montague Neighbors is a great way to assist seniors to stay in their homes for as long as possible.  We, as a group of neighbors, have many skills and more free time at this point in our lives to give to others. "I am looking forward to helping to promote and grow this most worthwhile organization.”

She said, “I joined the Board hoping to contribute whatever I can personally or on behalf of the Montague COA and to help this venture succeed and involve a large number of Montage older adults as members and volunteers.”

She is hoping that that membership grows to include everyone who needs help as well as those who have help to offer. When she is not working, she enjoys gardening, knitting, and hanging out with her dogs.
 

Former Board Members

 

The existence of Montague Neighbors is a result of caring people in our community who put in countless hours to realize the organization's goals. We are grateful to all of our former board members who will always be a part of Montague Neighbors.