Leadership Team

Cheryl joined the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center in March of 2018 as our Grants Specialist and in 2023 stepped into the position of Director of Finance, responsible for all financial operations and compliance at the Center. Cheryl came to us from the private consulting world and has more than three decades of nonprofit policy, research, and management experience. She has a PhD in Sociology from the University of Florida. Cheryl resides in Newburyport, MA with her husband, Bob.

Suzanne Dubus is the CEO of the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center and has led the organization for over 25 years. Suzanne is deeply engaged with a larger community of organizations fighting to end domestic violence, including as former president of the Board of Directors at Jane Doe Inc., the Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence.

Suzanne was named a Champion of Change by the White House in October 2011 and the 2016 Woman of the Year by Delamano, Inc. Under Suzanne’s leadership, the work of the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center has been featured in The New Yorker, CNN and on NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross, and in the award-winning book by Rachel Louise Snyder, No Visible Bruises.

Kelly is the Chief of Operations at the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center and leads the national training and technical assistance work of the Geiger Institute. Kelly has over 25 years of experience in the field and focuses her efforts on working collaboratively with communities to implement intimate partner homicide prevention strategies.

Kelly is responsible for the conceptualization and creation of the nationally acclaimed Domestic Violence High Risk Team Model in 2003 following the murder of one of her clients. The DVHRT Model has received the Mary Byron Celebrating Solutions Award, the National Network to End Domestic Violence Spirit of Advocacy Award and was recognized as a leading promising practice in homicide prevention by President Biden.

In 2006, Kelly was named a Community Unsung Heroine by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women. She has published articles for the Domestic Violence Report and Social Work Research and her work has been featured in numerous publications.

Kate is the Programs Manager for the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center and Coordinator of the Greater Newburyport Domestic Violence High Risk Team (DVHRT), the first-ever DVHRT. She oversees the day to day operations of the Center which serves over 1,300 clients annually providing advocacy, clinical and legal services. 

Kate is a Project Specialist for the Geiger Institute where she uses her nearly twenty years of experience to help support communities implementing homicide reduction strategies. Kate provides training to law enforcement personnel, prosecutors, probation officers and victim services providers nationally.

Kelly is the Director of Philanthropy at the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center. Kelly first joined the Center in 2012 as the Communication and Events Manager, and in 2017 was promoted to director.

She is a seasoned, results-driven professional with over 20 years of experience, including building brands, developing relationships, and creating visibility and mind-share through engaging communications.

Kelly came to Jeanne Geiger from Majestic Communications, which was her own PR and Marketing agency for over 13 years. She holds a B.A in Communications from Simmons College in Boston.

Liz is the Director of Administration of the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center. She joined the team in June 2008 and manages human resources, information technology, office facilities, and often serves as a project manager. Liz came to Jeanne Geiger from Bausch & Lomb, where she spent ten years working in the international marketing department.

Alicia started at the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center in 2019 as Communications Manager, responsible for developing and executing the organization’s marketing and communications strategy.

Alicia has over fifteen years of experience in communications, specializing in public relations, social media marketing and branding. She earned her B.S. in Communications from Champlain College in Vermont, where she also received the state’s 40 under 40 award in 2012.

Andy is the Director of Community Engagement at the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center. He first joined the Center in 2022 as a Youth Empowerment Services Coordinator.

Andy Polanco first began working with survivors as a sexual assault advocate with the YWCA of Greater Lawrence. He then branched out to become a part of the Haverhill Community Violence Prevention Coalition and went on to work at Haverhill High School as a Drop-out Prevention and Student Support Specialist, where he had a chance to work directly with young men.

Andy has been recognized as a White Ribbon Day Ambassador by Jane Doe, Inc. for his work getting men and boys involved in, talking about and taking action to prevent violence against women.