Alex Koch
Director of Emergency Management
Alex Koch joined COF in 2021 the Director of Emergency Management. Alex is an emergency management professional with strong knowledge, skills, and abilities in emergency preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. Coming to COF from Hagerty Consulting, Ms. Koch has supported dozens of state, local, and private sector partners through Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) development, Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) development, HSEEP compliant exercise execution, and the drafting and submitting of high-profile After-Action Reports (AARs). Previously, Ms. Koch served with the federal government in various emergency preparedness and response capacities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Born and raised in Newton, Massachusetts, Ms. Koch is incredibly excited to support COF locally. Ms.Koch will continue developing a world-class emergency management program through collaboration with public safety leaders, faculty and staff, and student communities. Beyond emergency management and the occasional zombie movie, Ms. Koch enjoys volunteering and embroidery.
Allison O’Connor
Director of Collaborative Business Services
Allison O’Connor has over 20 years of experience working in higher education and non-profit organizations, where she has gained experience with strategic planning, project management, and policy development. She has held several leadership roles throughout her career at Curry College, Colleges of the Fenway, Inc., and Boston University. Her previous role at COF was Director of Academic Programs and Professional Development where her work was primarily focused on faculty and staff professional development and shared academic programs. She rejoined Colleges of the Fenway, Inc. in 2024 after having served most recently as the Director of Procurement at Curry College.
Allison is a past board member of the Massachusetts Association of Women in Education, the Association of College Unions International (Region VIII), and most recently served as the co- chair for the Association for Collaborative Leadership 2022 Annual Conference. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts and holds professional memberships in the Project Management Institute Mass Bay and the National Association of Educational Procurement. She has completed both the New York City Marathon (2022) and the Chicago Marathon (2023). She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Assumption University and a Master of Arts in higher education administration from Boston College.
Ashley Scire
Director of Sports and Recreation
Ashley Scire became Director of Sports and Recreation at Colleges of the Fenway (COF) in April 2024, returning to the consortium after serving as Associate Director of Athletics at Wentworth Institute of Technology. She brings extensive experience in collegiate athletics, having previously coached at Princeton University, where she helped lead the Women’s Ice Hockey team to the ECAC Hockey Tournament semifinals twice and an NCAA Division I Tournament appearance in 2019. Prior to that, Scire was Head Coach of Women’s Ice Hockey at Plymouth State University, where she transformed the program and earned ECAC East Coach of the Year honors. She has also served in various administrative roles, including oversight of student-athlete advisory committees, game management, and fundraising initiatives.
A former standout ice hockey player herself, Scire competed at Union College, where she led her team in scoring and was named the team’s Unsung Hero. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in English from Union College and a Master’s degree in Legal Studies from Albany Law School. In addition to her coaching and administrative work, she was appointed to the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey Rules Committee in 2020.
Brenda Huggins
Director of Office of Performing Arts
Brenda Huggins (she/her/hers) joined COF as the Interim Director of the Performing Arts in January 2023. Brenda oversees the COF portfolio of performing arts programs including the COF Orchestra, Jazz Band, Theater Project, Chorus and COF Dance. A graduate of Western Connecticut State University with Bachelors of Arts degrees in Music, and Theatre & Communications, and a Masters of Arts in Theatre Education, from Emerson College, Brenda is very invested in supporting performing arts students and faculty across campuses to build a collaborative and multidisciplinary arts community. She has worked as an independent producer, stage director, dramaturg, and puppetry artist within the arts education sector for over fifteen years. She has held management and leadership positions at the Puppet Showplace Theater, OPERA America, Guerilla Opera, and most recently in the Arts for Learning Massachusetts, and adjunct faculty at the Urban College of Boston. Brenda has a strong commitment to arts for social justice and is currently pursuing an M.F.A. in Applied Theatre at Emerson College. In her free time, Brenda’s interests include exploring the Boston Seaport and Harbor, enjoying live performances, public art, and experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen.
Claire Ramsbottom
Executive Director
Hired in 1996 to help develop the newly formed COF, today Claire works closely with the member presidents and senior leadership in identifying and implementing opportunities to strengthen the individual institutions and the collective through collaboration.
Prior to joining COF, Claire worked in higher education administration for 15 years at SUNY Cortland, Simmons University and Wheaton College and as a recruiter in private industry. While at Wheaton she was extensively involved in the college’s transition from an all-women’s college to a coeducational institution.
She earned a BA from Framingham State University and M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration from Springfield College (MA). She served for over 25 years as a staff associate focused on organizational development and planning for her local church. She is certified in mediation, DiSC Indra and the Myers Briggs Type Inventory.
Claire is currently a member of the Board of Trustees at Framingham State, chairing the Student Experience Committee. She also serves on the Board Directors of the Association for Collaborative Leadership (ACL). Claire served that organization for eight years as president. She co-authored chapters in two ACL publications including Best Practices in Higher Education Consortia: How Institutions Can Work Together and Pushing the Boundaries of Collaboration: What Consortia Can Accomplish. She is a founding faculty member of the ACL Summer Leadership Institute and frequently consults on collaboration and higher ed. consortia. An avid cook and travel lover, she and her husband have three grown children and two grandchildren.
Jessica Williams
Director of Programs, Student Events and Communications
Jessie started with Colleges of the Fenway in September 2022. In this role, she provides strategic leadership and program support to all areas of Admissions, Student Affairs, and Communications. Wearing many hats, Jessie convenes representatives from all five campuses in committees in Admissions, Counselor Tours, High School Tours, Student Engagement, Residence Life, Student Events & Programs, Student Leadership, Student Clubs, Marketing and Communications, Joint Sponsorship, Veterans, LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and Food Insecurity issues. Additionally, she sits on the Coordinating Council, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Senior Student Affairs Officers (SSAOs), and Enrollment Management Committee.
Jessie has worked in non-profits and education throughout her career. She was the Director of Camp Hayward and the Marketing Director for the South Shore YMCA: Camp Burgess & Hayward for five years before transitioning to higher education. She first ran the pre-college program at Northwestern University, before leading Residential Operations at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine for five years. Looking to be closer to family and have new challenges, Jessie now combines her programming, communications, and higher education administration background in her work at COF.
Jessie attended Westfield State College earning a B.A. in History and a B.S. in Criminal Justice. She later completed a post baccalaureate at Bridgewater State University and is a licensed 8-12th grade history and social sciences teacher. Jessie went on to earn her M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration from Northeastern University. In her free time, you can find Jessie exploring different towns with her wife, making friends with every cat, crafting, or visiting friends and family across the US and UK.
Khadija Mboup
Assistant Director of Global Education Opportunities (GEO) Center
Khadija Mboup joined COF in March 2022. Khadija works with several students and faculty across the consortium, navigating the Visa and Study abroad processes for International Students, Faculty, and Study Abroad Students. Khadija has a strong connection with studying abroad, and it has had a considerable influence on her professional and personal mission. She attended Northeastern University and holds a Dual Bachelor of Arts in Language, Literature, Culture & International Affairs with a minor in Fine Art and a Master of Science in International Relations with a concentration in Diplomacy. Through her International concentrations and Language study, she was able to study abroad in France, Morocco, Spain, and Ireland. Khadija is committed to Global Experience and Social Justice work. She seeks to combine the two through macro-level policy restructuring and education.
Lavinia Paul
Office Manager/Special Projects Coordinator
Lavinia Paul joined Colleges of the Fenway in 2022, initially through Professional Staffing Group before becoming a full-time member of the team. In her current role, she manages office operations, event coordination, and provides essential administrative support to staff. She also works closely with the Admissions Committee to organize the annual counselor tour and high school visits, helping to strengthen relationships with prospective students and counselors.
Lavinia began her career in the energy management sector at Constellation Energy, where she advanced from Administrative Assistant to Business Analyst in the Major/National Accounts department. There, she worked alongside the Business Development team to secure multi-state power supply deals and monetized energy portfolios by selling excess energy back to the grid. Her role also involved collaborating with Product Development to create automated data analytics solutions and ensuring regulatory compliance.
After deciding to focus on family, Lavinia transitioned into entrepreneurship, founding Lavinia Paul Events in 2016. Her skills in project management, organization, and problem-solving proved invaluable as she navigated the wedding and event planning industry. Now, she combines her expertise in operations, event management, and project coordination to further the mission of Colleges of the Fenway. Lavinia holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from York College and enjoys reading, relaxing, and spending time with her family in her free time.
Sandy Occil
Assistant Director of Collaborative Business Services
Sandy Occil started with Colleges of the Fenway in May 2021, where she supports the logistical, accounting and data tracking needs of the organization and five member institutions.
Sandy started her career in higher education as Assistant Program Manager in the Office of Educational Research and Evaluation at the BU School of Dental Medicine. Sandy transitioned to working with children in elementary education as the Upper Elementary Summer School Director and Assistant to the Upper Elementary Principal at Prospect Hill Academy Charter School in Somerville, MA.
After a move to Colorado, she took a corporate role in the Risk Management Department of Discovery Natural Resources, working as an Environmental Health and Safety Specialist. In that role, Sandy created and implemented systems to track data related to safety and environmental accountability and develop procedures and training to improve worker safety. Another move further west to California created the opportunity to work as a Customer Service Manager with Canteen Vending. Providing office pantry services to dozens of large organizations, tech corps, and small businesses in the greater Los Angeles area. In this role Sandy managed a team of 14, warehouse inventory, and 8 truck routes.
Throughout her career, Sandy has worked to streamline processes and improve communication in the workplace using innovative technologies. Sandy has a passion for learning, developing, and implementing processes and procedures that reduce redundancies and increase a healthy work/ life balance. She is committed to working with organizations that pride themselves on being a positive contribution to local communities. In her free time Sandy enjoys music, comedy, being with family and friends, and tending to her plants.
Sarah Biggers
Director of Professional Development and Academic Programs
Sarah Biggers joined COF in April 2023 as the Director of Professional Development and Academic Programs. Prior to joining Colleges of the Fenway, Sarah served as Associate Director of Continuing Education for Tufts University’s School of the Museum of Fine Arts where she managed a portfolio of courses, workshops, certificates, and pre-college programs. Prior to her position with Tufts University, Sarah served in various admissions, marketing, and operations roles for Wentworth Institute of Technology’s College of Professional and Continuing Education. Sarah holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Stonehill College and a master’s degree in educational policy and leadership studies from Boston University. Sarah’s professional passions surround educational access, principles of adult learning, and strategic planning for institutional effectiveness. Outside of work, you can find Sarah running, enjoying a good book, or exploring the city by way of restaurants and music venues.
Sondra Schreiber
Director of Global Education Opportunities (GEO) Center
Sondra Schreiber joined COF in September 2024 as the Director of the Global Education Opportunities (GEO) Center. Sondra has more than 15 years of experience in international education, and has worked in International Student and Scholar Services, Education Abroad and Intensive English Programs in U.S. institutions. She also taught English in China. Prior to joining Colleges of the Fenway, Sondra was the Director of Global Health at Des Moines University, a medical and health sciences university in Des Moines, Iowa, for nearly eight years. In that role she created and facilitated global opportunities for medical and health sciences students, hosted exchange students, and developed international partnerships with universities, hospitals and organizations. Sondra has also held positions in international education at Virginia Tech and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has an MA in Educational Administration with a concentration in Student Affairs from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. In her free time, Sondra enjoys traveling, cycling, hiking, live music, theatre, and is an avid fan of women’s basketball.
Colleges of the Fenway Central Office
Physical Address: Simmons University, One Palace Road Building Suite B-108, 300 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02215
Mailing Address: Colleges of the Fenway, c/o Simmons University, 300 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02215