Meet the Leadership

As an organization that centers community voices, teaches community organizing, and challenges oppressive systems, St. Stephen’s Youth Programs has never been afraid to lean into what works in practice while staying grounded in our community’s values. This fall, our staff, board, volunteers, participants, and community partners embarked on a strategic planning process, thoughtfully facilitated by Kemarah Sika of Sika Consulting. Through this process, we will be piloting an Executive Leadership Team in place of a traditional Executive Director model. This shift positions SSYP for long-term organizational sustainability and aligns our leadership structure with our mission-driven, collaborative approach to our work.

Inés Palmarin’s forward thinking leadership over the past two years has brought us to this moment. She stabilized SSYP financially and programmatically, strengthened staff engagement and workplace culture, and prepared a strong bench of senior leaders for this transition. Inés has been deeply involved in planning this next chapter and fully supports the Executive Leadership Team model. As she steps back to care for her aging parents and support her son as he heads to college, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for her extraordinary contributions to SSYP.

The leadership model we are piloting emerged directly from our strategic planning process as the most effective way to sustain and strengthen SSYP’s capacity. It reflects evidence-based nonprofit management practices and mirrors how our programs already operate—through distributed leadership, collaboration, and community voice. A shared leadership model allows leaders to remain closely connected to programs, share responsibility and risk, and reduce burnout associated with traditional executive roles. All programs, partnerships, and funding commitments will continue uninterrupted throughout this transition.

SSYP will be led by three experienced and dedicated senior leaders whose work reflects the mission, values, and vision of the organization. Each has already played a central role in SSYP’s success, and this model allows them to continue and deepen that impact. Together, they bring the full range of skills needed to guide the organization forward. Members of the Executive Leadership Team will serve in defined roles: Tyler Cavanagh will oversee Youth Development and Resource Development; Ari Branz will lead Community Organizing and implementation of the new strategic plan; and Rev. Eva Ortez will provide Operational and Spiritual Leadership. Together, the team will share major organizational decisions through a collaborative governance process.

We are embracing this opportunity with excitement and energy, and invite you to join us on this journey. SSYP wouldn’t be such a unique place without each person who has walked through our doors over the last 25 years– from youth and families, to staff and volunteers, to community partners and funders.  As we enter this new chapter, your partnership is more vital than ever. Take a moment to connect with our new leadership team via email, or schedule a time to join us for a site visit and see firsthand how shared leadership is helping SSYP enter the next phase of our programs. 

Happy Holidays,

Dasan Harrington

Executive Committee Chair

THE REV. EVA ORTEZ - Priest-in-Charge

The Rev. Eva Ortez began her tenure at SSYP in October 2023 as curate for St. Stephen’s Church and chaplain for the Youth Program. Shortly after, she was called to serve as the priest-in-charge. This leadership change also led to deeper work with the social-emotional care department in the youth program. Since then, she has worked to develop and lead the Social-Emotional Spiritual Care department alongside the program social worker. This department strives to provide emotional and spiritual resources for our organization, serving staff, children, parents, and teens. Eva holds a bachelor's degree in International & Global Studies and French from Sewanee: The University of the South in Tennessee and Masters of Divinity from Boston University with a focus on Global and Community Engagement. 

Her greatest teachers, however, have been the communities she has served and those that have served her. In particular, the five years she spent on the pastoral care team with the MANNA Community, a ministry of The Cathedral Church of St. Paul, serving unhoused people in downtown Boston. She lives in Jamaica Plain with her sister and dog nephew. The things that bring her the most joy are enjoying a good cafecito, listening to music, and spending time with her loved ones. 

ARI BRANZ - Senior Director of Organizing 

Ari began at SSYP in 2015, where they built the Family Organizing department from scratch. In 2017, they launched SSYP’s Parent Mentor Program, and in 2024, they launched SSYP’s Ladders of Opportunity economic mobility program. Ari is passionate about advancing racial, class, immigrant, and language justice, is a self-proclaimed “data nerd,” and believes in the leadership potential of everyone they meet. They are an encyclopedia of knowledge about the Boston Public Schools system, having previously worked as an Organizer at the Boston Teachers Union. Trained in Community Organizing through the Jewish Organizing Institute for Justice (JOIN), Ari graduated Summa Cum Laude from Tufts University with a Bachelor's degree in Community Health and International Relations and received a Masters’ degree in Labor Studies from UMass Amherst, as well as a Certificate in Interpretation for Social Justice from the Boston Interpreters’ Collective. Ari lives in Mattapan with their wife, dog, cats, and backyard chickens. They can often be found biking, gardening, drinking tea, or cheering on the brilliant 8-year-old in their household.

Tyler Cavanagh - Deputy Director of Programs and Operations

Tyler joined the SSYP as a Development Associate in September 2019.  Throughout his time at SSYP, Tyler has helped to grow the Development and Communications systems internally, and in 2024, took the leap to leading our Youth Development programs.  

Tyler brings more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit youth development programming, having worked for the YMCA for 15 years leading EEC Licensed School Aged Child Care programs, summer camps, teen programs, and arts and education programs.  During this time, he served on the management team for North East Leaders School, as an advisor to the MA Youth In Government program, and two regional teen leadership development programs.  In 2013, Tyler helped launch Laura’s Center for the Arts at the YMCA, where he developed and led programming in Music, Theatre, Dance, and Visual Arts, including 28 program offerings for ArtsCamp during the summer.  Most notably, Tyler led the LCA Youth Theatre Company, an inclusive theatre program that focused on building community and confidence through performance.  Outside of his work at SSYP, Tyler is on both the faculty and the board of Spotlight Music and Theater Academy in Scituate.  

Tyler holds a BA in Music Performance from Westfield State University and received a certificate in Social Impact Management and Leadership from the Tisch School of Civic Life at Tufts University through the Institute for Non-Profit Practice in 2023.  In his free time, Tyler loves to be in the theater, whether it’s performing, teaching, or in the audience, and likes to spend time in antique stores with his boyfriend. He currently lives in Quincy, MA.