Our Board of Directors

Lisa Battiston

Lisa Battiston (she/her) is a Boston-based writer and communications veteran with a passion for the written word. Dedicating her professional career to public service, Battiston has served as Deputy Press Secretary at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) for eight years with a strong commitment to best serving the riding public through transparent communications in media responses and promoting Agency initiatives. Previous to her work with press and the media, Battiston managed the MBTA’s social media presence for five years as the first Public Information Officer, leading an effort to proactively engage with the public through friendly, informative, and creative postings. Lisa’s previous written work has also been published in a number of mediums, including Boston Hassle, Allston Pudding, and others. Lisa completed her Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (Nonfiction) at Emerson College and Bachelor of Arts at Butler University in English (Creative Writing).

Lisa is an avid reader, a first-time beekeeper, a fan of punk music, and a passable bass player. She is also very excited to be part of the Writers Inc. team and promote its critical mission of creative expression for children and families coping with tremendous circumstances. 

Julie Markarian

Julie Markiarian (she/her) is a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) with a B.A. in English Language and Literature, and a M.S. in Child Life and Family-Centered Care. She has worked as a CCLS in various inpatient and outpatient settings throughout Boston, and currently works for a non-profit organization north of Boston. She is passionate about helping kids be kids, and making sure that everyone she is able to support through her work can feel seen, heard, and celebrated for who they are.

In her free time, Julie loves reading, baking, flipping furniture, going on outdoor adventures with her husband and loved ones, and spoiling her cat Butters.

Maxwell Svec

Max Svec (he/him) is an accomplished nonprofit professional with well over a decade of experience in the pediatric healthcare space. Throughout his career, he has been let into the stories of countless patients and families, often during their most vulnerable moments—something he considers the privilege of a lifetime. He holds a B.A. in Film, Video, and Interactive Media and is well-versed in program development and management, event operations, community building and engagement, and marketing and communications. He is the Manager of Strategic Programs & Events at One Summit, a nonprofit based north of Boston. Max loves working with purpose and is on a mission to leave the world better than he found it.

In his free time, he enjoys hiking and camping, exploring our National Parks with his wife, and sharing laughter over joyful meals and game nights with family and friends.

Ginny Lewis

Ginny Lewis (she/her) is a writer and an educator with 10 years of experience working on hospital-based writing programming, and 20 years of experience working with children in classroom, residential and medical settings. She holds a BA in English, an MA in child development, a CPA in narrative medicine, and is a Certified Child Life Specialist. She is currently a senior art specialist at Boston Children’s Hospital—she founded and runs the hospital’s Open Art Studio program.

Ginny is an avid runner and loves going to live music with her husband. She also enjoys cooking, globetrotting, ice skating, and spending time in the Berkshires.

Carly REAGAN

Carly Reagan (she/her) has been working with young children for nearly 20 years. With a B.S. in Early Childhood Education and an M.A. in Children’s Literature, Carly recognizes the joy and power that literature and storytelling have for children (and adults) as we build an understanding of ourselves and compassion for others. She is currently working as an early childhood educator in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Apart from learning about the world alongside children, Carly enjoys experimenting with printmaking, puppetry and textile arts, and volunteering with/for local and global neighbors.

Our Student-Intern

Writers Inc. is thrilled to welcome aboard our first-ever intern, Sarah Rojas! Sarah will be working with us beginning in January of 2025. Sarah (she/her) is a student at Harvard College pursuing her B.A. in Neuroscience. She currently works at the Broad Institute within the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research where she is writing her senior thesis on the effect of environmental stress on patients with schizophrenia, using stem cell models. Outside of science research, she loves to read and write; she is an Editor At Large and the Previous Book Executive of the Arts Section of The Harvard Crimson. In addition to editing, she enjoys profiling her favorite authors to share their creative process with readers of the newspaper. She also enjoys spending her time volunteering; she is a helpline volunteer and mentor for Samaritans, a crisis hotline based out of Boston. 

In her free time, Sarah loves running (she recently completed her dream of running the Boston Marathon by fundraising for the Boston Public Library), participating in the club tennis team, playing piano, finding the best matcha latte in the area, and going to campus musicals and productions.

Our Board of Advisors

Butters Markarian-Svec

Butters is the very best rescue cat who was adopted by his humans in 2020. He enjoys eating, asking for food, pretending he hasn’t eaten in years, playing fetch, and showing off his little face smudge. He also enjoys snuggling his humans, Julie & Max.

NICO BATTISTON-KLEINFELDT

Nico Battiston-Kleinfeldt spends most of her day as a fuzzy calico cat snoozing in warm patches of sunlight, awaiting the evening where she moonlights as a raucous goblin, leaving curious clues of her nighttime adventures (suspiciously open windows, door chain locks undone, rodent carcasses) for her people to discover when they awake each morning. Nico shares both her name and striking lyrical singing style with a notable German musician of the same moniker. She is a serious cat with a serious life who also possesses very adorable strawberry-chocolate jellybean toes. Likes: the water from a can of tuna, butt scratches, a warm radiator. Dislikes: her carrier, being held for too long (all time being held is too long), tyranny. She currently hopes to be considered for an honorary doctorate in litter-ature.

Charlie Lewis

Charlie’s online dating profile says it all: he’s unemployed, still lives with his parents, and is terrified of shiny pinwheels. He is especially fond of manchego cheese, listening to Big Star and scrambling around Acadia National Park. He adores children, particularly his niece and nephew.

Charlie is well-traveled and always appreciates a good road trip, but he’s not keen on poodles.

Captain REAGAN

Captain is a wise and dignified (and only mildly domesticated) Bengal cat.  She loves belly rubs, chasing ping pong balls, and sharing her operatic gift of song with her humans each night.