Our Board
Our dedicated board at The Cord Foundation works tirelessly to support our community. With diverse backgrounds and skills, we are united in our mission to make a positive impact.
Leigh Simmons, MD
She is a graduate of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she served as a chief resident in 2007-08. Dr. Simmons is a medical student educator and directs the internal medicine clerkship for Harvard Medical School students at Massachusetts General Hospital. Her clinical practice is with the Internal Medicine Associates, where she actively engages medical students in practicing primary care.
Senator Lydia Edwards
She is an attorney, public servant, and passionate about helping people. Lydia graduated from American University Washington College of Law and received an LLM in taxation from Boston University School of Law. Lydia also serves as a first Lieutenant in the Massachusetts Army National Guard as Judge Advocate General.
Attorney Niles A. Welch
He is a founding member of Beantown Law Group, LLC. A graduate of Suffolk University Law School, Niles brings a vast amount of experience from his time working in various capacities throughout the Boston area.
President - Crystal Jaramillo
Crystal Jaramillo is the President and founder of The Cord Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to improving perinatal health outcomes. With a deep passion for maternal and newborn wellness, Crystal brings extensive experience in human services and her own personal experience with adverse perinatal health outcomes to the foundation. Crystal experienced a traumatic birth that could have been prevented by more attentive prenatal care. This traumatic birth experience triggered the development of postpartum psychosis.
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“I started this foundation to offer a safe space to survivors of traumatic perinatal experiences, like me and to support initiatives that create better outcomes for others in that space. People like me have been stigmatized, and branded as broken due to difficult and unique perinatal outcomes. Through education, awareness, and advocacy, people like me can use their stories to offer hope and reassurance that things can be okay after a difficult start.” - C. Jaramillo
