The Hamilton-Wenham Human Rights Coalition empowers everyday activists in our community through education, conversation, and action.
Together with our neighbors we challenge systemic injustice, demand equality, and celebrate diversity. We strive to build a more equitable society and a sustainable world through the power of universal human rights.
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Our Coalition formed after the Solidarity March in Support of the Victims of Racial Violence that took place in Hamilton, MA on June 2, 2020. More than 700 people marched.
Board of Directors
Anna Siedzik (she/her)
Anna is a lifelong social justice activist with a career rooted in nonprofit management and civic engagement. She earned a B.A. in History from Yale University and a M.A. in Museology from the University of Washington. She currently works for Harborlight Homes, a nonprofit affordable housing developer. Originally from Seattle, Anna lives in Hamilton with her family. Her passions include backpacking, sports of many kinds, collecting passport stamps, and completely disrupting the status quo.
Katie Knudsen (she/her)
Katie has lived in Hamilton for the past 25 years and raised four children here, while also housing a number of international students. Members of her household have, unfortunately, experienced the differential treatment often experienced by people of color, immigrants, and LGBT+ people, while living in Hamilton-Wenham. Katie also works as an adjustment counselor in public schools and is often distressed by the treatment her LGBT, differently-abled, and students of color have received, but also amazed at their resilience. She's hoping to be a voice for young people like these on the Board.
Dana Clayton (she/her)
With two decades of experience in healthcare operations and technology, Dana is currently the Chief Operating Officer at FOLX Health, a Telehealth company that serves the LGBTQ+ community. She moved to Wenham with her wife in 2017, returning to her wife’s hometown to raise their family. She is Mommy to two incredible humans, an obsessive researcher, lover of good coffee, neutrals and soft lighting. As a queer person with a family in the HW community, Dana is incredibly grateful to the founding members of the HWHRC and excited to support diversity and inclusion efforts in our town.
Viola Fazio (she/her)
Viola is a current freshman at the Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School who plays for the varsity field hockey and softball team. She also plays for a club ice hockey team. With her morals rooted in social justice, she was a part of the Social Justice Club and GSA in middle school. Being a part of the LGBTQ+ community has made her an even stronger advocate for human rights and determined to help end any form of discrimination. Viola loves sports, reading, science and animals.
Melissa Fazio (she/her)
Melissa Fazio is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who lives in Wenham with her husband, four children and two crazy dogs. She received a B.A. in Psychology at Hamilton College and a M.S.S.W. at Columbia University. She has worked in various public and private settings as a family therapist, community organizer, stay-at-home mom and preschool teacher in New York City and here in Massachusetts. Melissa currently works as a Behavior Specialist in a social emotional learning classroom in Topsfield. She is passionate about supporting children and their families, learning to advocate for equity and inclusion for all, and teaching kindness whenever it is needed (which is always.) Her personal passions lie with whatever her children may be doing at the moment.
Marg Brown (they/them)
Marg is a recent graduate of Skidmore College with a BA in Psychology. They are passionate about helping and advocating for people on both macro and micro levels. In their short post collegiate career, Marg has worked in municipal government and is learning the importance of getting involved on a local level. Marg grew up in Hamilton and is a proud graduate of Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School. Marg is motivated by their experience growing up in this community as a queer neurodivergent youth and hopes to work with this organization to create the safe spaces that were few and far between for them in their adolescence.
Hillary Covington (she/her)
Hillary grew up in the North Shore and moved back to the area in 2020, where she currently resides in Hamilton with her spouse and dog Bianca. She earned a B.A. from Wesleyan University and Master of Social Work degree from NYU. Throughout her life, Hillary has been a staunch advocate for women’s rights, serving as the leader of Wesleyan’s clinic escort group defending reproductive freedoms and the right to choose, volunteering as a victim services advocate in support of survivors of gender-based violence and participating in and fundraising for the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center’s annual Walk Against Domestic Violence. As a licensed clinical social worker, Hillary has experience working in community mental health with diverse populations, where she has deepened her understanding of how systemic injustice can impact an individual’s mental health. She looks forward to translating this knowledge and passion for human rights and social justice into action within her community.
Abigail Kolesar (she/her)
Abigail, a sophomore at Hamilton-Wenham High School, has lived in Hamilton for most of her life and has loved the community she has found. Abigail loves learning about all subjects in school. After school, she is part of many extracurricular activities. She plays two varsity sports and spends as much time as she can outside. Abigail also spends her free time with her friends and family. She is excited to make a difference in her community by contributing to the HWHRC.
James Goudie-Murray
James is a recent graduate of Syracuse University and a proud former resident of Wenham, Massachusetts. He has spent his short career working in municipal government. Most recently, he started work in the Belmont Town Hall as an Administrative Coordinator. He hopes to bring his love of organization and community building to a non-profit whose work inspires him everyday.
Olivia Soolman (she/her)
Olivia is a Wenham resident and a student at UMass Amherst pursuing a dual degree in Public Policy and Sustainable Community Development. She has been involved with the HWHRC since its inception in 2020, first serving as Youth Director. Olivia is excited to be bringing her perspective as a young person, her experiences with political organizing and community service, and her passion for social justice to the HWHRC.
Jacob Goliti-Chase (he/him)
Jacob is a high school educator and human rights advocate who views education as a powerful tool for advancing equity and social justice. With twenty years in education and lived experience as a parent of a neurodivergent child, he brings both professional and personal perspectives to questions of access, dignity, and belonging in schools. Teaching in the Middle East after studying in Latin America and Spain shaped his international outlook and deepened his commitment to cultural understanding and global awareness. His work centers access to culture through language, disability inclusion, and support for historically marginalized voices. Outside of work, Jacob enjoys cooking, cycling, swimming, reading novels, listening to music, watching films, and playing games with his kid. Jacob holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Macalester College in Minnesota and a Master’s degree in Teaching Spanish from the University of San Francisco in California. Originally from Massachusetts, Jacob returned to the North Shore and lives in Wenham with his wife and son.