Our Board

Christine & David Phillips

Christine and David Phillips, parents of Aine and Bella, founded Friends of Aine in 2013. Following the sudden death of their eldest daughter Aine in 2010, Christine’s and David’s focus turned to making sure that their youngest daughter Bella could flourish in spite of the trauma of losing her big sister. This led them to the Good Grief program which was one of the factors in their decision to establish a non-profit organization, The Friends of Aine Foundation in 2013. An avid volunteer in the community, Christine is working to raise awareness and advocate for children that have suffered a death. She is the editor for child loss at bellaone.com, a member of the Elliot Hospital Pediatric Bereavement committee and a member of the National Alliance for Grieving Children.

“I serve in honor of my beautiful daughters, Aine and Bella, and for the all the silent and forgotten mourners whose story is left unheard.”

A native of England, David came on assignment to the US in 1999 as Vice President and General Manager of Publishing Solutions North America for Unisys Corporation. Rather than returning to Europe he settled in New Hampshire with Christine and began a new career designing and implementing strategies for clients in a variety of industrial and commercial markets. Now retired, David applies his business experience to develop Friends of Aine, is a member of the NAGC and seeks to raise awareness of the economic impacts due to traumatic death and grief.

“I serve to establish an enduring legacy of Aine that embodies her spirit, personality and kindness by supporting children like Bella so that they do not feel alone after the death of a sibling or parent.”

Joseph Murray

Joseph Murray – Board Chair, is the Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs for Fidelity Investments’ regional center in Merrimack, NH. He leads Fidelity’s external relations work in New Hampshire which includes government relations, community relations, and corporate philanthropy. Joe leads the development committee for Friends of Aine and is working to launch our Capital Campaign. He lives in Bedford with his wife and three children.

“Not everyone is born with the same degree of resiliency. As someone who lost his father at the age of 13, I share Friends of Áine’s goal to create a place of solace and support for New Hampshire children who are coping with death.”

Barbara LaFrance

Barbara LaFrance, RN, FACHE serves as our clinical expert and primary liason to Home Health & Hospice Care (HHHC) in Merrimack, NH. A member of the Senior Management team at HHHC, she oversees the Good Grief Children’s Bereavement program and Teen Topics Support Group as well as the Hospice, Palliative Care and Risk Management divisions. Barbara lives in Brookline, NH with her husband and has two grown children.

“It is a privilege to join the Friends of Aine Board of Directors, who have provided such needed support to so many grieving children and families in our community. It will be a pleasure to support their mission and continued vision for our community.”

Caroline Verow

Caroline Verow is a successful, licensed, full-time Realtor for the State of New Hampshire at Keller Williams Realty Metropolitan in Bedford, NH. Caroline has been a Realtor at Keller Williams since July of 2004 and a consistent top performer. She is currently a member of the Associate Leadership Council, ALC, being in the top 20% of the company. In that capacity she helps develop and deliver trainings, sets office policies and acts as a mentor to new associates. Caroline received her Associate’s Degree in Business Science at Hesser College in Manchester, NH.

“Friends of Aine is near and dear to my heart as I vividly remember Aine’s beautiful and radiant smile and contagious joy of life. Her passing was heartbreaking so I view anything I can do to bring comfort to children and families going through similar circumstances as a way to preserve Aine’s spirit and memory”.

Gina Powers

Gina Powers is the Director of Government Relations for RYP Granite Strategies in Concord, NH, where she works representing a number of businesses and organizations before the New Hampshire Legislative and Executive Branches. In 2010, she began volunteering with Merrimack Home Health and Hospice, where she met Bella while co-facilitating a “Good Grief” group. Gina and her husband now live in Bedford after 12 years in Manchester.

“Having suffered a loss similar to Bella’s at 14 years old, I am eager help grow and expand Friends of Aine so that no child will find themselves without critical bereavement services should they need them.”

Joseph Bator

Joseph Bator is the Regional Vice President at TD Bank. His background in business banking and commercial real estate will be helpful as we finalize our business plan and work towards establishing a Friends of Aine Center for Grieving Children. Joe lives in Bedford with his wife and five boys.

“I serve on the board of Friends of Aine because I cannot think of anything worse than a grieving child. Any help we can give them is worth it.”

Kristen Kraunelis

Kristen Kraunelis, RN,BC,LICSW is the Director of Quality Improvement at The Mental Health of Greater Manchester where she has gratefully worked for the past 24 years. She is a hospice volunteer through The Visiting Nurse Association of Manchester and Southern New Hampshire and has experience working with individuals and families as they journey through the grief process. Kristen is involved in many community-based coalitions and councils, and is dedicated to building partnerships that promote recovery and community wellness.

“I am truly honored to be part of Friend’s of Aine and feel the mission of this inspiring organization is perfectly aligned with my personal and professional values and interests. I look forward to doing whatever I can to help further our mission and promote hope and healing for the children and families we serve”.

Kelli Rafferty

Kelli Rafferty, MPA is the Executive Director of Philanthropy and Community Engagement for the Mary & John Elliot Charitable Foundation and Elliot Health System/SolutionHealth in Manchester, NH. Kelli has nearly 30 years of nonprofit management, community health, and philanthropy experience. In her current role at Elliot Health System/SolutionHealth, Kelli provides strategic planning and leadership for the philanthropy programs and community engagement/community benefit programs of SolutionHealth, Elliot Hospital and Southern NH Health. Kelli received her B.A. in Politics from Saint Anselm College (Manchester, NH) and her M.A. in Public Administration from American International College (Springfield, MA). Kelli lives in Manchester, NH with her husband and black lab Molly and is originally from western Massachusetts.

"It is an honor to be a part of Friends of Aine. I believe strongly in the spirit of caring support provided to children and families as they navigate the challenging journey of grief. The staff and volunteers at Friends of Aine are compassionate and dedicated to service and I am proud to support this spirit."

Nathan Fink

Nathan Fink is the Director of Advancement at New Hampshire Children's Trust, and has 20 years’ experience in education, development, marketing, and narration. Nathan received a Master of Fine Arts in writing from the University of New Hampshire. His work in academia, community mental health, and advocacy focuses on elevating the stories of everyday people striving to build community. Nathan can be found forever (re)hammering the floor nail of his old house in Durham, NH, where he lives with his wife and two feral sons.

“I joined the Friend's of Aine Board of Directors because all children--no matter where they live, no matter what their life circumstances--deserve happy, healthy childhoods. And there is no better example of that effort than Friend's of Aine envisioning a world where no child is left to grieve alone.”

Lisa Wallace

Lisa Wallace is a founding board member and currently works at EVR Advertising in Manchester. With a background in creative direction and marketing strategy, she leads our Marketing and Communications committee. An avid volunteer for children’s programs, Lisa coaches soccer for the Bedford Athletic Club and manages a Destination Imagination Team for students at Bedford High School. She lives in Bedford with her husband and two daughters.

“We had the privilege of knowing Aine as a dear family friend. Working to create a legacy for Aine by helping other children is an honor.”

Jeff Nicholas

Jeffrey Nicholas was co-owner of Liberty International Trucks until December of 2020. After selling the business, Jeff volunteered with the Red Cross where he continues to help with administrative duties. Jeff and his wife, Carol, live in north Manchester along with their nine-year-old son, Aaron. They met David and Christine at a Compassionate Friends meeting. Jeff and Carol lost their three-year-old son, Ryan, in 2011.

"So happy to be involved with this amazing organization! As a bereaved parent, I know firsthand the importance of grief support. Children need to know they are not alone in grieving the loss of a loved one. Friends of Aine gives grieving children the opportunity to be around other kids in their situation and discuss their feelings in front of trained professionals."

Aimee Kereage

"It is an honor to serve on the board of Friends of Aine. The support families and children receive at the center IS LIKE nothing I've ever seen. Children are supported and surrounded by caring adults and other children with similar loss experiences - every week is an opportunity for a child to not feel alone."