disabled man playing guitar

Our Team

PLAN’s service coordinators, trust-administration staff, and executive leadership have extensive experience working with, and on behalf of, disabled individuals and elders with limitations. Our team brings significant passion, knowledge, and commitment to ensuring that beneficiaries who may be physically disabled and/or developmentally disabled are able to protect their assets appropriately and legally. We also ensure our clients have access to the income, public services, and social support services they need throughout the life of the trust. In essence, we serve as financial planners and estate planners for people who have special needs or those who want to make sure their loved ones with special needs or a disability will always have access to what they need to thrive.

Indeed, PLAN is unique in having a veteran team of social-work trained Service Coordinators who support and advise our beneficiaries on a continuing basis.

Executive Team

Joan McGrath, Executive Director: Joan has more than 25 years of experience in professional accounting and finance and has been with PLAN of MA & RI since 2009. Prior to assuming the role of Executive Director, Joan was the Director of Finance at PLAN. She has been an auditor with a “big four” public accounting firm, where she focused on high growth and emerging business clients from start-up to IPO. She also led her own private consulting practice where she worked with nonprofits, service organizations, and venture capital startups. Joan earned her Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Boston University’s Questrom School of Business.

                   

Kathy Vitello, LSW, Director of Operations: Kathy is a Licensed Social Worker with more than 35 years of experience working with seniors, people who are physically challenged, and chronically ill. She has broad experience and insight—drawn from her work in hospitals, in skilled nursing, rehabilitation, and psychiatric facilities, and in-home care and hospice settings. Kathy holds a degree in Mental Health from Northern Essex Community College; has a BA in Applied Mental Health from University of Massachusetts, Amherst; and earned certificates in Suicide Prevention in Older Adults and Mental Health and Aging from the Institute for Geriatric Social Work at Boston University. Kathy has also participated in a week-long training in Thanatology and is a member of the NPA Conference Planning Committee.

Clare F. Keating, CPA, Controller: Clare worked for Keating Brokerage since it began in 2010. A licensed real estate agent and certified public accountant, Clare worked for the brokerage firm as controller. She has more than 30 years of accounting, tax and audit experience in both private and public accounting. Clare is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. A graduate of Northeastern University, Clare received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration, with a major in Accounting. Clare is the Treasurer of her town’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) and a Town Meeting Member.

Administration

Lisa May, Trust Officer. Lisa graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Paralegal Studies from Roger Williams University in 1994 and a J.D. from Southern New England School of Law in 1997. She worked as a Land Title Examiner and Real Estate Paralegal for many years. She then moved on to work in the Trust Department at Bank of America Private Bank as a Trust Administrative Officer, and she was later promoted to Trust Officer.  During her six years as a Trust Officer, she administered Revocable and Irrevocable trusts, IRAs, and Investment Management accounts.