Bob Johnson
President & CEO

Robert Johnson is the current President and CEO of Special Olympics Massachusetts (SOMA). Mr. Johnson has devoted his entire professional career, over 35 years, working to serve and improve the lives of those with intellectual disabilities. He started at SOMA in 1989 as the organizations Vice President for Marketing and Development until 1998 when he was promoted to SOMA President and CEO.


Prior to joining Special Olympics, Mr. Johnson dedicated 19 years to serving children and adults with special needs through his work in various capacities in public education. He was a Special Education Teacher for six years, a Special Education Administrator for nine years and he acted as Massachusetts’ Chief Compliance Officer for Special Education for four years. Mr. Johnson left his mark through his contributions to the development of C. 766, Massachusetts’ comprehensive special education law and in 1987, he authored the state’s regulations for the approval of private school serving publicly funded special needs children.


Mr. Johnson is a graduate of the 1970 class of Westfield State College where he also received his Masters Degree in Special Education Administration in 1972. He has also completed advanced graduate studies in the field of school law and management at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Mr. Johnson has been a guest lecturer at numerous area colleges and universities. Mr. Johnson has been married 34 years, has four grown children and five grandchildren. He lives with his wife, Ellen, in Haverhill, Massachusetts.





Terry Keilty
Vice President for Program

Terry Keilty not only has a long history with Special Olympics Massachusetts, she has also had the opportunity to make history with the organization. The Georgetown resident graduated with an associate's degree from Westbrook College in Maine and received an additional degree in Therapeutic Recreation from Arizona State University in 1980.


Keilty began her career with Special Olympics as a volunteer coach serving North Shore athletes, she then became the Section Director for the Northeast Section and was eventually promoted to Vice President of Program and Area Support. In 1984, the Unified Sports Program (program where someone without intellectual disabilities who partners with intellectually disabled athletes) started in Massachusetts. Keilty helped make history when she competed as a Unified Partner on the very first unified softball team and at the time had no idea what a significant impact the Unified Sports Program would have on the organization.
In her spare time, Keilty enjoys traveling, movies, decorating her home and watching her son and daughter play sports.


Board of Directors - 2008

Geoffrey Nothnagle, Chair
MKA Executive Benefits Management

 

John Cahill, 1st Vice
Vice Chair, O'Neill & Assoc.



Peter Bakkala, 2nd Vice Chair
Citizens Bank


Stephen Snow, CPA, Treasurer
Leonard, Mulherin & Greene, PC


Douglas Keith, Secretary
GMO/SOMA Parent


John Bogosian
King & Bishop


Christopher Bramley
TD Banknorth (Retired)


Karen Brann
Newburyport School


Denise Carriere
SOMA Athlete


Katharine Chandler
Sterling, MA


Virginia Davidson
Boston Bio Medical Associates/SOMA Parent


Robert Goddard
Citizens Bank (Retired)


Joanne Y. Jaxtimer
The Bank of New York Mellon


Charles Johnson, Esq.
Choate Hall & Stewart, LLP


Robert A. Johnson
President/CEO, Special Olympics Massachusetts, Inc.


Kevin Leonard
Proprietor, Interior Details


Neal Lyons
President/CEO, Lyons Wolivar Investigations


Paula Mello
TD Banknorth


Frank Quigley
Principal, F.D. Quigley & Associates


Patrick Riley
President/CEO, Braver & Company, P.C.


John Smolak, Esq.
Smolak & Vaughn, Attorneys at Law

 

 

F. Peter Waystack, Esq.
The Law Office of Peter Waystack

 


Honorary Board of Directors - 2008



William Allard
President, Marquis Jets

 

David M. Barrett, MD
CEO, Lahey Clinic



James Brett
President/CEO, The New England Council


Dr. Wayne Burton
President, North Shore Community College


James Conway, III
Courier Corporation


Dr. Allen Crocker
Children’s Hospital


Edward Davis Commissioner,
Boston Police Department


Gene DeFilippo
Athletic Director, Boston College


Dr. David Driscoll
Commissioner Massachusetts Department of Education


Ted English CEO,
Bob’s Discount Furniture


Neal Finnegan
Director of the Board, Citizens Capital, Inc.


Vincent Rumasuglia
State Deputy, Knights of Columbus


Philip W. Johnston
Philip W. Johnston & Associates


Stephen LeDuc
State Representative


Alan Macdonald
Massachusetts Business Roundtable


Tom Martin
Cramer Integrated Marketing Solutions


Thomas O’Neill, III
O’Neill & Associates


Dr. Steven Perlman,
Founder Special Olympics, Special Smiles


David Porter
Founder & President, Baystate Financial


Ronald Sargent
President/CEO


David Silk

 

Nicola Sauvage Tsongas
State Representative

 

Daniel Wolfe
President/CEO, Cape Air/Nantucket Airlines