Leadership

Colleen Boland, Founding Member, Board Chair: 2015 – 2023

Colleen Boland is a military retiree who served in the U.S. Army and Air Force. Her assignments included extensive domestic and worldwide travel while supporting a high-ranking military official on diplomatic visits and concluded with a tour at the White House National Space Council. Throughout her career, she provided high-level administrative support, professional writing, and event planning—interfacing with top-level U.S. government, industry, and entertainment officials; foreign dignitaries; and members of the national media and academia. After retiring, Colleen earned a BS in Human Development at Cornell University and supported a World Food Prize Laureate until she reconnected with longtime friend and House with Heart founder Beverly Bronson. She has been a loyal volunteer with the House since 2008 and is a committed environmental and social justice activist.

Nicola Hayward, Treasurer & In-country Director

Francesca Mirenda, Acting Secretary

Francesca “Frankie” Mirenda is a fashion designer with more than a decade of experience in women’s ready-to-wear across the American and European markets. Her work focuses on creative direction, textile development, and strategic product leadership, and she brings a strong record of building and scaling apparel categories through thoughtful design and cross-functional collaboration. She currently serves as the Design Director of Apparel at Lane Bryant, guiding brand vision and overseeing product development across multiple departments. Francesca began volunteering with House with Heart in 2018 and joined the U.S. Board of Directors in early 2025. She contributes her skills in visual storytelling by traveling to Nepal regularly, documenting daily life at the House with Heart residence, the girls in the home, the surrounding community, and the workplaces of local families. Her work helps illuminate the organization’s mission and deepen its connection with supporters.

Philip Glass, Honorary Chair of the U.S. Board of Directors

In 2019, American composer Philip Glass formally joined House with Heart as our Honorary Chair, a role that reflects his longstanding commitment to our mission. Philip and our founder, Beverly Bronson, became friends in the 1970s, and during that time he became an early supporter of her work in Kathmandu; his encouragement and advocacy played a formative role in the organization’s development. Philip’s commitment has continued across decades. In 2015, he performed a benefit concert at the David Zwirner Gallery in New York City to raise critical funds for rebuilding our facilities after Nepal’s devastating earthquake. His partnership remains an enduring part of our history.