Heidi Sawyer Whear, MPH – Director of Aging Services
Heidi is thrilled to be the Director of Aging Services in her hometown of Swampscott. Heidi holds a Master’s degree in Public Health from Boston University. She has spent her life developing and running programs serving seniors in home settings, adult day health, affordable housing, and assisted living. She has served on Swampscott’s Council on Aging and Swampscott for All Ages Committee. Volunteerism has been prominent throughout her life including Peace Corps, Lifebridge, Rotary, North Shore Hearing Foundation and First Church Congregational, to name a few. Most recently she serves as the founding President on the Board of Directors of Seaglass Village, a non-profit developed to help our aging adults remain in their homes with the help of volunteers. She is happily married to a Marbleheader, Bruce Whear with four sons and two grandsons!
Favorite ice cream: Moosetracks
Favorite book: Where the Wild Things Are
Bucket list destination: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Sonja Nathan – Program & Volunteer Manager
Sonja wakes up every day looking forward to going to work. Every day is different. No day is boring. She feels blessed to work in such a beautiful, welcoming seaside community. Sonja holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from Clark University. She has spent most of her career working with seniors creating programs, recruiting and managing volunteers and responsible for community outreach in a variety of settings including Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Beverly Hospital and several area nursing homes. She is married and the proud mom of a son and daughter.
Favorite team: Red Sox
Favorite book: The Little Engine That Could
Favorite Activities: Movies, Travelling, Dance classes, Watching live music,
Sabrina Clopton, LICSW – Outreach Social Worker
Sabrina received a Master’s degree in Social Work from Tulane University and holds an undergraduate degree in art history from The College of William and Mary. She is originally from the Washington, DC area and her work has encompassed a variety of clinical settings including community mental health on Capitol Hill, in the Emergency Room and Psychiatric Department of Washington Hospital Center, and as the Coordinator of Assessment and Referral for the City of Alexandria, Virginia’s Outpatient Mental Health Services. She has worked with diverse populations across the lifespan. Prior to coming on board at the Senior Center, Sabrina was providing outpatient therapy at a busy North Shore private practice. She is passionate about improving mental health through fostering intergenerational and cultural connections and is thrilled to provide outreach for the Swampscott Senior Center. In her spare time, she loves to hang out with her husband, three teenagers and their St. Bernard, Vivian.
Favorite Book: To Kill a Mockingbird
Bucket List Destination: South Africa
Favorite Food: Chips and Salsa
Diane M. Reynolds – Receptionist/SHINE Coordinator
Diane has been with the Swampscott Senior Center for 6 years. She was born in Boston, MA, grew up on the South Shore and has been a Swampscott resident for 44 years. Diane graduated from Salem State University with a degree in Public Relations and Business. She had a management career at Salem Hospital, North Shore Medical Center and North Shore Physician’s Group for 31 years. Diane enjoys quilting and gardening in her free time.
Favorite Book: A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry
Comfort Food: Pizza & Potato Chips
Favorite Song: Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Kerry O’Shaughnessy – Receptionist
Kerry has been at the center for 4 ½ years. She worked for the Marblehead Public Schools for 40 years before retiring in 2016. She has been married to her husband Paul for 57 years. They have 2 daughters, Tori and Tara, and 3 grandchildren, Marley, Jimmy and Meghan. Despite living in Marblehead for almost all her life, she did live in Swampscott for 6 years attending the Hadley School. Her happy place now is all about family. Every opportunity Kerry and Paul have, they spend with their grandchildren and children. Family trips happen every year, usually New Hampshire or Vermont, but they did just recently return from their 17th trip to Disney World. She says it was her last time….but we’ll have to wait and see.
Favorite Book: All Creatures Great and Small
Bucket List Destination: The Great Barrier Reef
First Concert: James Taylor
Marie Beaupre – Receptionist
Marie joined us at the Swampscott Senior Center in November 2021. She was super excited to be asked to be part of the senior center team. She enjoys her work at the Front Desk and is eager to help the members with their requests. Marie has been a resident of Salem all her life. She attended Salem Public Schools, and then continued with her education after high school at Salem State University, majoring in Business Education. Shortly after graduating, she took a teaching position at Salem High School as a Business Teacher. Being a teacher was her dream job, she truly wanted to go to work every day, helping students be the best they could be. Marie went on to further her education receiving a Master’s degree in Technology in Education at Lesley University. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, going to the beach, shopping, and crafting.
Comfort food: I’m Italian — Pasta & Meatballs, chicken parmesan, of course!
My happy place: The beach – I love living on the coast! How lucky are we?
Favorite Song: Chick-a-Lou (1958 hit! Song written by my dad)
Emery Richard – Van Driver
Emery Richard has worked for the Swampscott Senior Center for 8 years as a driver. He lives in Marblehead with his wife Helen. He enjoys spending time with his daughter and 3 grandchildren and 3 great children!
Favorite sports teams: Patriots and Red Sox
Favorite Activity: Spending time on his boat
Mark Steadman – Van Driver
Mark grew up in Swampscott, was educated in the Swampscott Public Schools. He received an Associates Degree from North Shore Community College in Criminal Justice program and decided to pursue a career in Law Enforcement. He began working for the Swampscott Police Department in 1986, and was appointed full-time in 1991. Before joining the police department, Mark received his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Suffolk University. Later on, while working as a police officer full time, Mark earned a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice at Anna Maria College. Mark retired from the police department in 2019, and shortly after that began working at the Swampscott Senior Center as a Van Driver. Mark loves to travel and has been all over the world, with France being his favorite place.
Favorite Foods: Italian and French (pretty much anything!)
Favorite Movie: Victor, Victoria
Favorite Drink: Gin and tonic
Mohammad “Robi” Islam – Van Driver
Robi is an avid reader, he finished his Bachelor’s degree in Literature at National University in Bangladesh in 2006. Robi came to America in 2008. He enjoys working with the senior population and has been employed working in this field for the past 7 years. He LOVES what he does!
Favorite Movie: Home Alone
Favorite Song: Hotel California
Favorite Book: Romeo and Julie (Shakespeare)