Our Team
Our board is comprised of talented local people driven to make a difference in the lives of adults fighting cancer.
Becky Beckman
Board President
Becky Beckman is happy to be returning as President of the Board of Directors for Grateful Friends and commends the excellent job done by Julie Low during the past two years.
Becky remains passionate about the mission of Grateful Friends to support local cancer patients. She is excited to see the recent interest of incredible new board members.
Her plans for going forward include celebrating successes, and bringing the fun back to fundraising. Becky looks to expand our donor base through new pathways of engagement.
As always, Becky says her motivation to support cancer patients is to honor her husband's late wife, Mary Beckman.
Walter Hartford
Board Vice President
Walter Hartford is a lifelong Massachusetts resident and a wealth manager serving individuals and families across the North Shore. He lives in Ipswich with his wife, Marianne, and their children, Anthony and Amelia.
As Vice President of the Board of Grateful Friends, he is deeply committed to helping generosity translate into meaningful impact through thoughtful giving and community involvement.
Personally affected by cancer, Walter is proud to support Grateful Friends' mission of bringing comfort, dignity, and stability to individuals and families during some of life's most challenging moments.
Lee Miraglia
Co-Founder & Board Secretary
Lee co-founded Grateful Friends because she wanted to give back after being blessed with wonderful support from her family and friends during her own cancer experience.
Lee is especially grateful to her late husband, Steve, for providing his love, strength and encouragement through her cancer diagnosis and the beginnings of Grateful Friends!
She has a wide variety of experiences that she brings to the organization such as starting a business from the ground up, working as a cost accountant in a manufacturing facility and being involved in her children’s PTO as a Member and President.
She lives in Peabody, has four great kids, a wonderful son-in-law and two grandchildren that she absolutely adores.
Al Temkin
Events Chair & Board Member
Alan worked in the Financial Services Industry for over 40 years with a focus on estate and retirement planning. He is now the owner of Al Temkin Productions which provides live auctioneer and Emcee services to local non-profits and businesses.
Al has been involved with Grateful Friends for over 10 years and has served in several positions. He now serves as Chair of our events committee.
He has lived in Beverly for 40 years with his wife, Francine. He has two daughters, two son-in-laws, and five grandchildren.
Steve Vesey
Board Treasurer
Stephen T. Vesey brings more than four decades of financial expertise to his role as Treasurer of the Grateful Friends Board of Directors. A CPA for 45 years, Steve sold his 10-person accounting practice in 2016 to focus on business valuation and exit planning for closely held companies.
He holds advanced credentials as a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) and Certified Business Exit Consultant (CBEC), and has extensive experience with valuations, financial oversight, and complex financial matters—skills that directly support Grateful Friends’ fiscal stewardship.
Steve is currently a partner at Exit Boston, working with lower middle market businesses on transition and value creation strategies. He resides in Danvers with his wife of 46 years, Michele, and is the proud parent of six children and grandparent to thirteen grandchildren.
Debi Bright
Programs Director & Board Member
After retiring, Debi discovered Grateful Friends and immediately felt a strong connection to its mission. As Programs Director, she plays a key role in helping ease the financial stress faced by adults living with cancer and in delivering comfort and joy through Grateful Friends’ Comfort Baskets™. Her work is deeply personal and dedicated to the memory of a close friend who passed away from pancreatic cancer.
Debi’s commitment to service extends beyond Grateful Friends. She also volunteers with Historic Beverly and stays active, cheering on her grandsons at sporting events, playing pickleball, and enjoying hobbies such as reading, gardening, and quilting.
Debi lives in Beverly with her husband, Michael, and is the proud mother of three adult children and “Grammy” and “Mimi” to four energetic grandsons.
Robin Foster
Board Member
Robin Foster recently retired after 14 years as Assistant Director at the Greater Beverly Chamber of Commerce. Previous to that she was employed with TDBank and the North Shore Music Theatre.
In addition to her work with Grateful Friends, Robin is also on the board of Beverly Homecoming.
Robin graduated from Salem State University with a B.S. in Business Administration. A native of Philadelphia and South Jersey, she has lived in Massachusetts for over 50 years.
Robin and her husband Mark raised two daughters in Beverly, and have been blessed with four amazing grandchildren.
Jon Gray
Board Member
Jon Gray is President & CEO of J Barrett & Company, an independent real estate brokerage with 6 offices in Essex County.
His philanthropic background includes having sat on numerous boards, including The YMCA of the Northshore, ECTA, Montserrat College of Art, and currently The Cabot Theatre. Jon resides in Beverly with his spouse and 2 Yellow Labs.
Jill Michaud
Board Member
Jill Michaud is a Real Estate Advisor with Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty in Manchester-by-the-Sea. She brings a strong foundation in client service and community connection to her work.
Jill and her husband, Kevin Michaud, are owners of Michaud Mitsubishi in Danvers, a family-run dealership that has proudly served the community for over 15 years. Together, they have six adult children and value family at the center of their lives.
Jill is deeply committed to giving back and considers community involvement a core part of her purpose. She serves on the Board of Directors for Grateful Friends and is honored to support its mission. In her personal time, Jill enjoys fine dining, traveling, golf, staying active at the gym, and attending fitness classes.