House with Heart is led by an all-volunteer U.S. Board of Directors that provides governance, financial oversight, and strategic direction for the organization. Board members serve without compensation. They work closely with in-country staff in Nepal to support programs and ensure accountability. The commitment and expertise of the Advisory Council, Honorary Chair, and Nepal Board of Directors strengthen and guide the organization’s work.
Leadership
U.S. Board of Directors
Adam Thorburn
Board Chair
Adam Thorburn is an award-winning playwright and writer with over two decades of experience in nonprofit and arts management. He has extensive expertise in financial oversight and organizational development. Adam became involved with House with Heart soon after its founding, providing financial management and guidance as the organization expanded its programs in Nepal. He holds a BA in English from Earlham College and an MFA in Theater from Sarah Lawrence College. His plays have been presented internationally, including New York City productions at the New School and the Pershing Square Signature Center.
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; Advisory Director, Nepal Operations
Nicola Hayward is a global human resources leader, currently serving as Vice President of HR Business Partnership for AI, Product, and Technology at Circana, Inc. She has a track record of enabling growth and transformation at private equity backed firms navigating M&A and IPO and at large public companies. Her expertise is in leading complex organization design and change initiatives, authoring global talent management strategies, and strengthening operational capability. She received her Bachelor’s in English Literature and Political Science from Montclair State University. Nicola has a long history of charitable service and leadership focused on women’s literacy and helping women survive violence. She began volunteering at House with Heart in 2009 and joined the U.S. Board of Directors after her first visit to Nepal in 2016. After the passing of House with Heart founder Beverly Bronson in 2018, Nicola served as In-Country Director, spending several months a year in Nepal helping to sustain and strengthen the House and build loving relationships with the House Daughters. In 2026 she transitioned to the role of Advisory Director, Nepal Operations, where she continues to travel to Nepal several months a year and remain closely involved, providing guidance, continuity, institutional knowledge, and a consistent U.S. Board presence at the House.
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, where she photographs 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 our connection with supporters.
Advisory Council
- Brian “Scoop” Anthony Photojournalist; Art Photographer
- Daniel Bronson Professional Engineer; Owner, connectPCsupport
- Tom Burchinal Creator and Founder, Grey Gary; Musician
- Dympna Burkhart Humanitarian advocate; former HwH Board Member
- Bonnie Chollet Retired Teacher
- Diwas Gurung Musician; Singer/Songwriter; Recording Artist; Music Producer
- Lisa Hartmann Retired non-profit professional; former HwH Board Member
- Beth Hayward Retired Registered Nurse
- Natasha Low-Kefford Artist
- Lyn Pentecost, Ph.D. Executive Director, The Lower Eastside Girls Club of NY
- Dave Popple, Ph.D. Founder and Managing Director, Psynet
- Jody Popple, Ph.D. Clinical and Corporate Psychologist, Founder of pSymphony Women’s Leadership Development
- Dick Puccio Former owner, Marich Music, Inc.; past President, Rotary Club of Corning, NY
- Martine Schroeter Nonprofit Advocate; HwH Benefactor
- Lou Seitchik Computer Programmer
- Aarti Shah McTimoney Chiropractor
- Kunga Sherpa Former Board Chair, Ghar Sita Mutu
- Emma Skalka Vice President and General Manager of Victor Stanley, Inc.
- Elena Stonebraker Retired Government Employee
- Kanani Titchen, M.D. Adolescent Medicine and Co-founder, Physicians Against the Trafficking of Humans
- Pauline Turley Vice Chair, Irish Arts Center (New York City)
- Susan Young Conceptual Artist; Production Consultant; Garment Manufacturing and Sourcing Executive (retired)
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.
Nepal Board of Directors (Ghar Sita Mutu)
Ghar Sita Mutu is a Nepali non-governmental organization (NGO) that provides local governance and oversight for House with Heart’s programs in Nepal. Ghar Sita Mutu and House with Heart’s U.S.-based nonprofit are distinct organizations with separate boards and governing structures.
- Tashi Gurung President
- D.B. Ranapal Vice President
- Birendra Kumar Singh Secretary
- Binda Dhakal Treasurer
- Rachana Banepali
- Dil Kumar Karki
- Ram Chandra Kilambu
- Kamala Lama
- Mina Kumari Shrestha