About Us
NECLP, Inc. board members are elected to a two-year term by the NECLP membership. Our President, Secretary, and Member-at-Large A are elected in even numbered years, and Vice President, Treasurer, and Member-at-Large B are elected in odd numbered years. Nominations are collected in the summer and elections occur in the fall. If you are a current NECLP, Inc. member and you would like to serve the child life community in New England, please consider nominating yourself!
NECLP, Inc. is governed by our by-laws which were reviewed and approved by the membership in 2017.
View the NECLP, Inc. By-Laws
Board Members
Meet the Board
Rachel Alley, BS, CCLS
President
Baystate Children's Hospital
Springfield, MA
Rachel received her BS degree in Rehabilitation Services with a concentration in pediatrics from Springfield College. She has worked at Baystate Children's Hospital since 1992. She originally started the in-hospital school program, co-facilitated a school-age bereavement group for 7 years, and primarily works inpatient with the infant/toddler population. Rachel also coordinates the student internship program at Baystate and is a Certified Infant Massage Instructor.
Lynne Long, BA, CCLS, CEIM
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Vice President
Boston Children’s Hospital
Boston, MA
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Lynne is a Certified Child Life Specialist who received her Bachelors degree in Child Life and Theater Arts from Wheelock College. Lynne has worked at Boston Children's Hospital as a Child Life Specialist since 2006. She began on the inpatient cardiology floor where she stayed for 10 years. She now works throughout the hospital in both inpatient and outpatient settings creating art with patients and families as a way of coping with the hospital experience. Lynne is also a Certified Educator of Infant Massage and Certified Playmaker.
Karen Swartz, MS, CCLS, CEIM
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Secretary
Hasbro Children's Hospital
Providence, RI
Karen Swartz is a Certified Child Life Specialist. She received both her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from Wheelock College: a BS in Human Development with a concentration in Child Life and a MS in Child Life and Family-Centered Care. She has worked at Hasbro since 1999, starting as the Child Life Specialist coordinating the STARBRIGHT World Computer Program. She now works in the Pediatric GI and Nutrition Clinic, the Cystic Fibrosis, Asthma/Allergy Clinic, and the Cardiac Clinic, as well as coordinating the IBD patient support group. In addition, Karen is a member of the Medical Board of Advisors for Team IMPACT, and is a Certified Educator of Infant Massage.
Micaela Cotas, MS, CCLS
Treasurer
UMass Memorial Children's Medical Center
Worcester, MA
Micaela received both her Bachelors and Master’s degrees in Child Life at Wheelock College, Boston, MA. She previously worked in the Pediatric Department at Joslin Diabetes Center for over seven years and per diem in the Emergency Department at UMass Memorial Children’s Medical Center. In July 2017, Micaela became the CCLS in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at UMass. Micaela presented at the 2017 ACLP National Conference and has participated in the ACLP mentorship program.
Sarah Framarin, M.Ed, CCLS, CTRS
Member at Large (A)
Baystate Children's Hospital
Springfield, MA
Sarah has served as a child life specialist in the Pediatric Procedure Unit at Baystate Children's Hospital since 2012. In addition to her patient care responsibilities at Baystate, she is the Child Life Practicum Coordinator, is a member of the hospital-wide Patient Experience Committee and the Infant Safe Sleep Committee and is responsible for interviewing incoming Pedi Pal volunteers. She is a member of ACLP's Child Life Certification Commission, currently serving on the Communications Committee. Sarah has been an adjunct professor of child life courses at Springfield College since 2015 and at Southern Connecticut State University since 2018.
Meghan Landry, MS, CCLS
Member at Large (B)
UMass Memorial
Children's Medical Center
Worcester, MA
Meghan has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Siena College and a Master’s Degree in Child Life & Family Studies from Wheelock College. She started as a Certified Child Life Specialist in the Pediatric Subspecialty Clinics at The Children’s Hospital at Albany Medical Center in Albany NY in 2014 which included Pediatric Pulmonary, Endocrine, Rheumatology, GI, and many others as well as two infusion centers and dialysis. She was also part of a research study regarding utilization of Child Life during continuous glucose monitor insertions. Meghan transitioned to the Pediatric Emergency Department at UMass Memorial Children’s Medical Center in Worcester, MA in 2018 and is now currently in the Pediatric Outpatient Clinics as the Animal Assisted Therapy Facility Dog Handler/Child Life Specialist.