Our Team
Ellen Dalton – Founder & CEO
Ellen Dalton has more than 30 years of experience in the human services and mental health fields as a senior administrator for Eliot Community Human Services (a large, Massachusetts based, non-profit). Ellen has a bachelor’s degree from Colgate University and a master’s degree in Social Education from Boston University.
Most importantly, Ellen has gained experience and expertise in the area of youth suicide through the tragic and untimely death of her daughter, Nan. Ellen had nowhere to turn and she and her family were confronted with the stigma surrounding depression and suicide. She is working to transform her pain into finding answers and addressing gaps in the mental health system, gaps that had allowed Nan to slip through.
Realizing that most people are unwilling or unable to talk about suicide, she launched a campaign to open up the conversation and advocate for those whose voices rarely rise above a whisper. Telling the story of her family and Nan on WBUR and Chronicle, Ellen realized how prevalent depression and suicide were throughout families and communities. Using the unrelenting “what ifs” that consumed her daily quest to understand, Ellen established The NAN Project to bring awareness to schools, and hope to young people struggling with depression and thoughts of suicide. She has become a well-respected advocate for those grappling with the darkness of suicide.
Ellen is the proud mother of four children, and currently resides on the North Shore of Massachusetts.
Jake Cavanaugh – Executive Director
Jake Cavanaugh is Nan’s older brother and the co-founder of The NAN Project. Jake and Ellen started brainstorming ideas about how to promote mental health awareness way back in mid-2015, and officially launched The NAN Project at the start of 2016. Nowadays, Jake is the Executive Director of The NAN Project, heading up much of the outreach and training, with the help of an amazing, ever-growing team. His daily activities revolve around connecting with schools around Massachusetts, providing professional development workshops, recruiting Peer Mentors, presenting to students, and everything in between.
Jake graduated from Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School in 2000, where Nan also attended. Upon graduating from the University of Miami, with a double major in Political Science and International Studies in 2004, Jake went to work on a presidential political campaign in Florida. Jake moved to China in 2005, where he soon met his wife and adopted a mangy street dog named Marley. He spent nearly 10 years living in the tiny metropolis of Suzhou just outside of Shanghai, working at a boutique market research firm. Jake returned to Massachusetts in 2015 and now resides in Beverly with his wife, Marley, and their newest family member, a Golden Retriever named Jasper.
Lizzie MacLellan – Assistant Director
Diagnosed with an anxiety disorder during her most turbulent year of high school, Lizzie MacLellan sees a lot of herself in many of the young adults she meets while working for The Nan Project. Whether she is presenting her own story or helping others to do the same, Lizzie strives to destigmatize mental health and empower those like her to use their lived experience to make a difference in their own lives and in their communities.
Lizzie graduated with honors from the University of Massachusetts Boston with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, with a minor in Human Rights. The combination of these two fields has led to an understanding of mental health that is person focused, evidence based, and considerate of intersectional identities.
In her free time, you can probably find Lizzie visiting her family in Wareham, Massachusetts or at home in Waltham.
Donna Kausek – Clinical Director
Donna Kausek, LMHC, is a seasoned professional in the field of mental health counseling, community-based clinical services and mental health and domestic violence training, with over 25 years of experience. Donna has served as the Program Director of the Mobile Crisis Intervention Program at Eliot Community Human Services where she supervised emergency, mobile, psychiatric evaluations and dispositions of children under 21 years old.
Donna has previous experience with Partners HealthCare, where she performed as the Employee Assistance Program Domestic Violence Specialist where she developed educational and training programs for health care providers responding to victims of domestic violence and/or sexual assault. She currently serves as the Clinical Director of The Nan Project at Eliot Community Human Services, where she offers support to peer mentors and provides a variety of mental health trainings for teachers, staff, and community stakeholders.
In her free time, Donna enjoys walking the beach, reading mysteries and watching the Red Sox, as well as spending time with her family in their home north of Boston.
Liza Tierney – School Counselor
Liza Tierney joined The NAN Project in September of 2022, bringing her experience in the education system and her dedication to youth mental health. With a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from UMass Lowell and Master of Science in school counseling from Fitchburg State, she has spent about 20 years working with students of all ages in many capacities. In her over ten years of experience as a middle school guidance counselor, she has assisted students and their support systems learn about and manage all that comes with the pre-teen and teen developmental stages.
Originally from Connecticut, she has lived in Massachusetts since college. She lives in Clinton with her husband, teenage son, and four year old Australian Cattle dog named Fiona. Besides playing indoor and outdoor games with her family and friends, you can find her enjoying live music.
Shilpa Thirukkovalur – Recruitment and Training Coordinator
Shilpa Thirukkovalur joined The NAN Project as a Peer Coordinator in March 2020 after graduating from UMass Boston in 2019 with a double major in Psychology and Women’s and Gender Studies. As someone who deals with mental health challenges, Shilpa has experienced firsthand the cultural stigma that surrounds being open about mental health and understands the importance of having access to support. Being a part of TNP’s team has allowed her the opportunity to listen and learn from the lived experiences of other Peer Mentors, and share with young adults what she wished she knew in high school about mental health: it’s okay to ask for help when you are struggling.
Shilpa came on board at a period of transition with The NAN Project pivoting to provide mental health education programming virtually. Some of her main responsibilities have been to develop short videos, webinars, and other virtual resources around topics like coping skills, social isolation, and how to identify warning signs and risk factors for suicide in young adults.
You can find Shilpa exploring Boston, visiting museums, especially the Museum of Fine Arts, or reading in a cafe. She currently resides in Somerville, MA, with her cat, Marlowe Raju.
April Darcy – Peer Development Coordinator
April joined The Nan Project as a Peer Coordinator in September of 2022, bringing her skills in peer development and passion in changing the conversation around mental health. She has worked in the behavioral health field since 2016 in a community outreach setting where she supervised peer specialists and provided one-on-one support to young adults. As part of this work, she helped youth navigate barriers and build the strength and resilience needed for recovery. As a member of the research advisory board at one of the nation’s top psychiatric care hospitals, she helps ensure that the research approaches taken are recovery-oriented and trauma-informed.
April is passionate and excited to use her lived experience with mental health challenges to break down stigma in schools, youth serving organizations, and for all those that work to support young people.
In her free time she likes to be active by doing yoga, boxing classes and snowboarding.
Nissa Bisguier – Program Development Coordinator
Nissa joined The NAN Project in February of 2021 as a Peer Mentor, applying her lived experience with mental health challenges to help support young adults in schools across Massachusetts. In June of 2021, she assumed the position of Peer Coordinator, and later Program Development Coordinator, taking on more of the scheduling and presentation roles on The NAN Project Team.
Nissa is originally from New York City and graduated Summa Cum Laude from the State University of New Paltz with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Spanish, and a minor in Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies. She is passionate about improving social conditions for historically excluded communities and addressing the mental health challenges that are prevalent within them.
Outside of work, Nissa volunteers as a Rape Crisis Counselor and enjoys live music, reading, and spending quality time with friends.
Erica Tangney – College Program Coordinator
Erica Tangney joined The NAN Project as a Peer Coordinator in February 2022. Erica graduated from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. While a student, Erica volunteered for a local rape crisis center’s free hotline service, and learned about providing support through a trauma-informed lens. Post-grad they moved to Boston and worked at a hospital conducting clinical research.
Erica is excited to provide mental health education to youth and other community members. They hope to destigmatize conversations surrounding mental health so that young people can feel comfortable and empowered to find support early.
In their free time, Erica enjoys playing ultimate frisbee, practicing mindfulness meditation, tending to houseplants, and caring for their cat.
Karla Flores- Bilingual Outreach Coordinator
Karla Flores joined The NAN Project as a Bilingual Outreach Coordinator in September 2022. Karla received her Bachelor’s in Social Work at The University of Houston-Downtown in 2018, being the first in her family to attend and graduate college. After graduating, she pursued her Masters in Social Work at The University of Houston and graduated in 2019. Karla’s previous role at United Way of Greater Houston with 211 helped connect individuals and families to resources in their communities. She also has previous experience working with at-risk youth, human trafficking organizations, and community engagement efforts.
Applying her personal experiences with mental health, she is very excited to work with hispanic communities addressing mental health.
Outside of work Karla enjoys hiking, climbing, and traveling the world.
Sarojini Schutt – Office Coordinator
Sarojini joined The NAN Project in September 2022 as the Office Coordinator applying her organizational skill set and trauma-informed lens to the project’s overall sustainability. Sarojini grew up in Canton, MA, has her Bachelor of Arts in Peace Studies and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Goucher College, and her Master’s in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence from Brandeis University.
Sarojini deeply believes in restorative and transformative justice models to address and repair harm within the interpersonal, family, community, and societal levels. She believes there is vast power in utilizing a trauma-informed lens to foster safety and compassion for all, ultimately ensuring a world allowing all to thrive.
In Sarojini’s free time, you can find her reading, hiking with her dog Gracie, or hanging out with her friends and family!
Shannon Stamps – Communications Coordinator
Shannon joined The NAN Project in June of 2023 as the Communications Coordinator. Shannon graduated from Endicott College in 2023 with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. While attending Endicott College, Shannon interned at a non-profit called Amirah Inc., which focuses on rehabilitating survivors of sex trafficking. At her internship with Amirah Inc., she realized her passion for non-profit work and helping others through her expertise in Communication skills. At her college, Shannon also co-founded and led her school’s chapter of SURJ: Showing Up for Racial Justice, a club focused on spreading awareness around racial issues.
Shannon is passionate about mentoring others and helping to increase recognition around social issues that are important to her. She has a deeply personal connection to mental health and hopes to work towards reducing the stigma, especially within P.O.C communities.
During her free time, Shannon enjoys creative writing, going to see live music, and exploring local parks with her dogs.
David Pires – DYS Coordinator
David Pires joined The NAN Project as a Peer Coordinator for DYS in January 2024. He has dedicated over a decade of his career to working with youth. David is passionate about using his experience to make a positive impact. Determined to spread awareness and break down stigma around mental health.
In his free time, David enjoys traveling, spending time with his family, and volunteering with youth sports programs in his community.