MEET THE STAFF
Deborah Backus
Executive Director
Deborah has over 27 years of experience strengthing communities. Specializing in nonprofit, her expertise lays in asset management, leadership development, refinancing and renovations, community visioning, and social and educational program development.
Irene Matos-Chan
Senior IT Program Manager
ichan@cstoboston.org
Xiaoping Wang has been working at Castle Square, as the community coordinator, since 2008. Her job focuses on: managing senior programs and activities; supervising events; and providing daily intake services to residents who are seeking assistance. Some services include Chinese translation, resources referrals, applying for electricity discount program, phone lifeline program, food stamp program, and senior health plan, etc.
Irene Matos Chan Square Tech Training & Senior Administrative Systems Manager, was born and raised in Boston’s south end Irene comes from an enriching Irish and Puerto Rican culture. She is a former Castle Square resident and has been employed at CSTO for over 10 years. Irene is certified in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint , A+/Net+ certification, CTT certificate which is the international board of standards for training performance and instruction (IBSTPI) core competencies for technical trainers and certificate for software application specialist. She is also certified through the BEST Initiative run by Health Resources in Action.
She has become an innovative manager of the Square Tech Program. Her passion is to mentor youth and to inspire the passion for community service and to educate them on the use of technology to improve access, promote opportunity and engage learners is the way forward for relevant 21st century learning.
Thi Tran
Square Roots Program Manager
ttran@cstoboston.org
Thi Tran, Square Roots Program Coordinator, was born and raised in Dorchester. Thi earned her Bachelors of Science in Natural Resources Conservation at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She has been involved with Square Roots as a Group Leader since 2018.
Thi has been working with youths (ages 6-18) since 2009 as a leader and educator through local non-profits in South Boston and Charlestown to raise environmental awareness and creating youth-led action projects. Through her experience working in day schools, afterschools, and enrichment workshop programs, she joined Square Roots to empower young people to excel, find their place in their community, and work towards a passion.
Letissia Scott is an IT Technician at Square Tech she has been with the Square Tech program for two and half years. She graduated from Bunker Hill Community College with an Associate Degree in Computer Networking and Administration in May of 2016. She first came to Square Tech June 2014 as a Summer Intern from Bunker Hill for a 3 credit course. Along with working in Square Tech that summer, she taught three Power Point classes a week for the Square Roots program ages 5-12.
She remained with the program afterwards as a Volunteer and then Work Study through Bunker Hill. During that time she continued to learn and work at Square Tech and gave her time helping the teens and Square Roots when needed. She was officially hired upon graduating in the summer of 2016. She now uses what she learned to teach teens Computer about Networking and help Square Tech with all computers and no-computer issues.
Stephanie Mei
Square Roots Coordinator
stephaniemei@cstoboston.org
Stephanie Mei is the Square Roots Program Coordinator. She was born and raised in Boston (Chinatown!) and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science from the University of Massachusetts - Boston in 2021. She has been involved with the CSTO community and programs since 2008.
Stephanie has been growing up with Castle Square - from being a youth participant in YEP, to becoming a volunteer, to an Assistant Group Leader by high school, to Group Leader in college, and now stepping into the administrative role of Program Coordinator. Through her experience working with youth since high school in CSTO’s programs, she has also worked with the New England Aquarium, bringing sea animals to different communities, and educating youth about the ocean. She hopes to lead different activities and community collaborations to create opportunities for the youth to experience new opportunities and a chance to learn about different ideas, cultures, and activities.
Monique Blocker
Square Tech IT Coordinator
mblocker@cstoboston.org
Monique Blocker, IT Training Coordinator for Square Tech. I
am an accomplished IT end user supporter and engineer, and I enjoy using my skills to contribute to the exciting technological advances that happen every day at Square Tech. I graduated from the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology in 2020 with an associate degree in computer science with minors in Audio Visual.
While in school, I participated in Women in Tech Programs. I would say I’m a powerful force in the workplace and uses my positive attitude and tireless energy to encourage others to
work hard and succeed. What inspires me daily is being a first-generation college graduate and the desire to keep going. In my free time, I like to hike, direct product. commercials and play video games with my nephew.
Maria Fong
Media Makers Coordinator
mfong@cstoboston.org
Media Makers is led, Maria Fong, who is an artist from Berkeley, California, and has lived in the Boston area for 5 years. A 2021 graduate of the BFA program at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University,
Maria works in hand drawn and stop motion animation, drawing, performance art, and bookmaking. Maria's collaborative artworks explore racialized and politicized spaces, community building, and participatory storytelling.
Alex Drumm Jr.
Change Creators Coordinator
adrumm@cstoboston.org
Change Creators is led by Alex Drumm Jr., who is a creative artist that creates stories through dance, poetry, film and photography. Alex graduated from Denison University in the spring of 2020 where he majored in Cinematography and
Sociology with a concentration of Black Studies.
After college, he worked as a Literature, Algebra and Film teacher for youth in Boston. Alex has always been passionate about telling stories that can evoke a deeper meaning below the surface while trying to hook his audience on a newfound journey. Alex had one of his poems that was performed as a dance to be featured on the Boston Globe’s website. Alex continues to make an impact in every community he steps in while also uplifting unique stories that have yet to see the spotlight.