Executive Director

Originally from Jamaica, West Indies, Marcia joins Shooting Touch with a passion for service to others and building stronger communities. A lifelong optimist and creative thinker, she has over 25 years of diverse corporate and non-profit management experience.

Marcia’s career can be defined by her commitment to youth development and creating access to opportunities in underserved communities. Most recently, she has worked with organizations like Foundation to be Named Later, Project 351, Ripples of Hope, Three Squares New England as well as over 10 years of corporate experience working for John Hancock.

“I feel incredibly blessed to have worked with incredible organizations making positive change in their communities both locally and around the globe and look forward to continuing the legacy of growth and impact with the Shooting Touch Family.”

In her spare time, Marcia enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling to new destinations, and discovering new cuisines.

CO-FOUNDER / CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER

After 14 years serving as the Executive Director, Lindsey in her new role as Chief Advancement Officer will be primarily responsible for leading all development, fundraising and global strategy efforts for the organization. Under her leadership, Shooting Touch has grown from a small grassroots basketball program in Boston into an international sport-for-development organization impacting well over 50,000 youth and women since inception. She has raised over $6.5M for the organization, secured global speaking engagements, press exposure and various NPO awards, deeply advocating for Shooting Touch’s work at every turn.

After an international 10-year career in public relations and real estate marketing, Lindsey realized her career path needed to pivot to be able to utilize her passion to help others through the power of sport and its ability to make life-changing impacts within underserved communities. As a two-time mother and marathoner, Lindsey played Division I lacrosse at the University of Vermont where she received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Child Development and Nutrition.

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Ashley Walenta is the Director of Operations at Shooting Touch with the primary responsibility of supporting the Executive Director to oversee operations, finances, donor management, and major fundraising events.

Prior to Shooting Touch, Ashley served as the Development Manager of The Sports Museum where she established and defined development functions, formal marketing initiatives, and fundraising programs - including planning and executing on fundraising activities for major events. Additionally, she was the Event Coordinator at Blue Sky Sports & Entertainment, LLC, where she developed and facilitated large scale events for a variety of non-profit organizations in addition to maintaining corporate and athlete/celebrity client relationships while coordinating all aspects of marketing deals.

Ashley received her Bachelor of Science in Sports Management from Endicott College where she was a member and Captain of the Endicott Women's Basketball team.

Ashley additionally owns her own event planning company, Ashley Irene Events, LLC.

DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING

Chloe graduated with a degree in Sports Medicine from Merrimack College in 2015. Chloe was not only a standout basketball player for her school, but an exceptional student and admired person. One of Chloe's many strengths, that makes her a special individual, is her ability to connect with others. She started her own "Humans of Merrimack" (mimicking the Human of New York platform) which served as a safe space for students to divulge personal narratives. She interviewed over 150 individuals, all while running the platform anonymously. It was no surprise when Chloe was chosen to give the commencement speech at her graduation.
Upon graduating, Chloe played professional basketball in Israel for one season. After the season, she spent some time volunteering with refugees in Greece. There, she realized that playing basketball was not enough to fulfill her passion of making a difference in the world.
Upon her return to Boston, she met with Lindsey to talk about the BHC fellowship and shortly after Chloe was selected as one of the fellows for the 2016/2017 year.
The rest is history. Chloe made an immediate impact by leading the expansion of the women's and girls program and is a crowd favorite both on and off the court.

As a result of her prodigious performance as a fellow, Chloe has now taken on the role as the In Country Program Director in Rwanda! In this role she is responsible for all international partnerships, roles and corporate responsibilities throughout Rwanda.

MARKETING AND DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

Jackie Lyons served as the Head Coach of the Milton Academy’s Girl’s Basketball Team for five consecutive seasons, while also working full-time as the institution's PE Coordinator and an Academic Advisor. Prior to working at Milton Academy, Jackie worked for the Adidas Select Basketball Circuit, where she directed all grassroots exposure events in the Northeast Region. She created their brand image and marketing strategy for Adidas branded events. After graduating from Merrimack College, Jackie worked for the innovative footwear company, ISlide, as their lead graphic designer.

Jackie is currently the co-owner of Hardwood Hustle, a female-owned and operated basketball skills company located in Middleton, MA. Hardwood Hustle’s mission is to support athletes as they work towards their potential, while empowering them throughout their journey. Jackie is deeply committed to the game. She strives to help all of her clients reach their goals through individual skillwork and mentorship.