leadership, staff, and board of directors
As a nonprofit agency, the Board of Directors governs The Children’s Museum of Greater Fall River from a legal and fiduciary perspective. Our Executive Director, Director of Operations, and Office Manager lead the museum and are responsible for all aspects of operations and programming.
The Floor Manager and Museum Associates ensure a safe and rewarding experience for children and their families on a daily basis.
Katie Pascoal, Director of Daily Operations
Katie joined The Children's Museum of Greater Fall River as a volunteer in 2013, and within that year became part of the staff. She became Floor Manager in 2018 and Director of Daily Operations in 2024. Katie’s passion is cooking, and she obtained her associate’s degree in Culinary Arts at Bristol Community College, where she graduated in 2017. Katie has worked many jobs in the hospitality industry as well as in kitchens enjoying every second of that work, however she still has a love for learning and working with children. Her favorite aspect of working at CMGFR is connecting with families and collaborating at events within our community. Her hobbies include reading, nature walks, visiting the beach and spending quality time with my family.
Kariam (Kay) Richards, Office Manager
Kay joined the CMGFR Team in 2023 as our Office Manager. She is a professional and detail-oriented bookkeeper with more than 20 years of experience in finance and accounting. Kay is currently keeping track of the museums’ business transactions and ensuring compliance with established standards and procedures.
She has been a part of the Fall River community for 22 years. Kay is a mother of two daughters and nana of three. She enjoys music, art, cooking, and cherishing moments with her family.
Kay developed a strong sense of devotion to the nonprofit sector as she introduced her children to regularly preparing meals and serving at community shelters. This experience gave her a deep appreciation for how nonprofits seek to improve the quality of life for our region, one program at a time.
Sofia Daestrela, Museum Associate
Sofia joined CMGFR as a part time worker in 2022, eventually becoming a full-time staff member. Her favorite part of working CMGFR is getting to see members grow, develop, and learn new things. Her hobbies include playing with her two dogs, spending time with family, and painting.
Melissa Cardelli, President
Melissa is the President of the Board of Directors and a dedicated board member since 2010. She has a certificate of advanced graduate study in Early Childhood Education, master’s in Parent Education and Support and bachelor’s in Sociology. Melissa is the Department Chair of Early Childhood Education at Bristol Community College. Melissa and her family have volunteered in a variety of ways at the museum and look forward to continuing to support CMGFR. Melissa is committed to fostering excellence in early childhood education and advancing the museum’s mission, cultivating a profound love for learning through purposeful play.
Cheryl Feeney, Vice President
Cheryl is the Vice President on the Board of Directors with a passion for helping all children reach their potential. She is an excited and proud retired teacher from the Fall River community. She received a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Bridgewater State College and completed her graduate work at Bridgewater State University and Lesley University. Before retiring, she taught for 30 years as a first and second grade teacher, literacy coordinator, and a reading interventionist.
Michelle Almeida, Treasurer
Michelle is a CPA who joined the museum as a board member and our Treasurer in 2022. She has a bachelor’s in Accounting and a master’s in Tax from Bryant University. She was one of the first members of the museum when it opened its doors more than 10 years ago and has been a supporter of the museum ever since. She lives in Assonet with her husband and son, and enjoys staying active and getting lost in a good book.
Marion Shaker, Secretary
Marion has been a board member since 2020, and loves being part of a great group advancing the betterment of children in our area. Marion has a bachelor’s in English and Education and an master’s in Educational Psychology and Gifted Education. She is married and has two children and seven grandchildren.
Members
Barbara Terrio
Barbara has been on the Board of Directors since 2018. Barbara started her career as a Social Worker for ten years before going into the field of education. She started teaching third to fifth grade before advancing her education, and served as Principal of the Leontine Lincoln Elementary School until her retirement. A lifelong Fall River resident, Barbara is married with one son and two grandchildren.
Odete Amarelo
Odete is a proud member of the Board of Directors. She is an educator with a tremendous passion for education. She has taught at various institutions such as Bristol Community College, where she taught Portuguese.
Donalda Silva
Donalda has a master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from Boston University and is certified in School Social Work/Adjustment Counseling (K-12) Guidance Counseling (5-12). Originally from the Azores, she has lived in Fall River for the past 42 years. A founding member of the Children’s Museum, she joined the initial CMGFR board of directors in 1999 and remained on the board for 19 years. She returned to the board after a two-year hiatus and is a member of the fundraising committee.
She worked for many years as a diversity and equity specialist at Brown University, analyzing the programming requirements of school districts in New England and providing technical assistance on culturally-responsive, research-based practices.
Currently, she manages Atlantis Charter School Family and Community Resource Center. She has presented in district, state, and national conferences on issues of diversity, culturally-responsive differentiated instruction, and parent/school collaboration. She is a strong advocate for family and children's issues.
Donalda enjoys painting, traveling, and spending time with her grandson.
Jay Chatterton
Jay is a retired professional educator. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Technical Education (Formerly Industrial Arts) with a minor in Technical Theatre. He holds a master’s in Occupational Education Administration with 30 credits beyond. In 1986, he was the founder of the Old Colony & Fall River Railroad Museum and has served as its President since then. Although Jay is in his second year serving on the board of CMGFR, he served 14 years on the board of The Friends of Heritage Park and served one year as President. He also served on the board of the Fall River Fire Museum for 12 years and was the Vice President. Jay has been active in the community helping for many years with Fall River Celebrates America, the Thomas J. Giunta Memorial 5K Road Race, and is an active member of the Fall River Elks Lodge 118.
Ashley DaCunha
Ashley is a commercial construction estimator who joined the museum as a board member in November 2023. She holds a Master of Professional Accountancy from Rhode Island College. She was born and raised in Fall River where she currently resides with her family. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, snuggling with her dog, and spending time with family.