Eric Lesser, Senior Counsel at the law firm WilmerHale and former Massachusetts State Senator, and Vanessa Ruiz, Assistant Director of Budget at Western New England University, were recently appointed to CHD’s Board of Directors.

Eric Lesser

As a State Senator, Lesser championed the human services sector and was a recipient of CHD’s Ascent Award in 2019 for his work authoring advocacy a new student-loan repayment program for human-service workers. As an attorney in private practice, Lesser draws on his experience as a former Massachusetts state senator and Obama White House aide to advise clients facing challenges at the intersection of law, business and public policy issues touching the life sciences, technology, financial services, healthcare, higher education, transportation and manufacturing industries.

Lesser, as a State Senator in Massachusetts’ First Hampden and Hampshire districts from 2015 to 2022, chaired the Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, where he championed measures to improve the economy in Western Massachusetts through improved job training, transportation infrastructure, and support for small business development. He also co-authored and led negotiations for new laws regarding life sciences, zoning reform, consumer protection, and substance abuse treatment and prevention.

Lesser served as chair of the Massachusetts Senate Committee on Ethics, and co-chaired the Massachusetts Commission on the Future of Work, the Manufacturing Caucus, and the Gateway Cities Caucus, and he was vice chair of both the Transportation Committee and Judiciary Committee.

At the White House, Lesser was special assistant to Senior Advisor David Axelrod, one of President Obama’s closest aides. Lesser assisted in developing strategy around the passage of the Affordable Care Act, the Dodd/Frank Wall Street Reform Act, and the federal response to the Great Recession. He also served as director of strategic planning for the President’s Council of Economic Advisers. Lesser began his career as one of the original members of Obama’s presidential campaign, traveling extensively with Obama and his senior staff through both the primary and general elections.

Vanessa Ruiz

Ruiz has served as assistant director of budget at Western New England University since 2021. She leads university’s annual budgeting process, working closely with division heads to ensure the operating budget of $110 million aligns with the institution’s strategic goals and initiatives.

Her duties at the university include building dynamic budget models used for enrollment tracking, streamlining financial analysis reports for senior leadership, providing internal control for the staff recruiting process, training fiscal stewards on budget management best practices, and mentoring several employees in her office.

Prior to her present position, Ruiz worked at Gandara Mental Health Center from 2015 to 2021, beginning as a staff accountant before being promoted to senior accountant and then director of fiscal operations. In her last role at Gandara she supervised all finance departments, including Accounting, Payroll, Accounts Payable, and Purchasing, developed the agency operating budget of $55 million, analyzed monthly financial results for the CFO, and was the lead for the annual single audit and development of the Uniform Financial Report.

At Gandara, Ruiz was also responsible for external reporting to U.S. Census Bureau, SAMSHA, CDC, and state/local government agencies. She provided financial oversight and guidance for procurement of state, federal and private grant funding, and monitored weekly cash requirements, liquidity, and banking transactions.

Ruiz received her BBA in accounting at American International College, where she also earned her master’s in Accounting and Taxation and played on the women’s varsity volleyball team.

“We are delighted to welcome our two new Board members, who are remarkably accomplished professionals,” said CHD President and CEO Jim Goodwin. “Eric and Vanessa are leaders in their respective fields who bring much political, legal, and business insight to CHD. They are longtime supporters of the mission and values of community behavioral health and equal opportunity, they complement our Board’s skills and experiences nicely, and we are confident they will provide valuable perspectives. We look forward to working with them to advance our agency and its mission.”