Editor’s note: Newsmakers is a regular feature spotlighting accomplishments of Newton community members, businesses and organizations.
Cooper Center construction advances as project adds walls
Construction on the Cooper Active Living Center, named for the late local icon Audrey Cooper, is moving along steadily. Public Buildings Commissioner Josh Morse sent out an update showing that the project has started adding walls to what will be 32,000-square-foot facility, set to open in late 2025.
The Cooper Center will have a gymnasium with a suspended walking track, a game room, fitness rooms, activity spaces, an outdoor roof deck and more to keep seniors and their friends active and part of the community.
The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center recently named the currently-in-construction senior community center (which will include spaces for the whole community) named the Cooper Center a runner up in its Embodied Carbon Reduction Challenge. And that runner-up status comes with $30,000.
RealTrends names Sarina Steinmetz one of nation’s best real estate professionals
Sarina Steinmetz, sales vice president with William Raveis, has been named as one of the top 1.5 percent of real estate agents and professionals in the United States for 2023 b RealTrends Verified.
RealTrends Verified gives comprehensive analysis of real estate professionals across the nation.
“I’m incredibly honored to receive this recognition from RealTrends Verified,” Steinmetz said. “This achievement reflects the trust and support of my clients, colleagues at William Raveis, and the entire community. I am committed to continuing to provide the highest level of service and expertise in our real estate market, especially with pending changes that may affect buyers and sellers in the future. For me, it has always been about creating value and trust and providing the best advice and counsel possible.”
Claudia Caroll, Strategic Growth & Sales Manager at William Raveis Newton said, “Sarina Steinmetz’s success is attributed to her many years of experience, deep market knowledge, innovative marketing strategies and coupled with unwavering dedication to her clients. Her ability to navigate complex transactions and consistently deliver outstanding results has set her apart in a highly competitive industry.”
William James College adds two new board members from Newton and Brookline
William James College has two new board members: Sharon Shapiro and Michael Jellinek, MD.
Shapiro, who lives in Brookline, is a registered dietician and has worked for several long-term care facilities in New York and Massachusetts. She currently serves as trustee and community liaison at the Ruderman Family Foundation.
She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Boston University, bachelor’s degree in nutrition from Simmons College and a master’s degree in Nutrition from NYU.
As a community liaison, Shapiro commissioned the publication of several influential white papers, such as “Taking a Leave of Absence: A Guide for College Students” and “Taking a Leave of Absence: A Guide for Campus Leadership, Faculty, & Staff” developed in partnership with the Boston University Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation’s NITEO program.
Jellinek, who lives in Newton, is a physician and was chief of child psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital for 32 years. In 2017, he founded Ulysses Consulting, LLC focused on CEO leadership and executive team development.
Jellinek, along with Michael Murphy, Ed. D, developed the Pediatric Symptom Checklist, which is the most widely used brief screening instrument to help primary care pediatricians identify children with emotional problems. He has written or co-written over 500 original reports, articles and chapters, and served as Editor for the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Bright Futures in Practice: Mental Health.
Jellinek served in several administrative positions at MGH including vice-president for Ambulatory Services, senior vice-president for Hospital Operations and senior vice president for Administration. And he led the hospital’s master-planning process and the construction of the Yawkey Ambulatory Center. In 2000, Dr. Jellinek was named interim, then permanent President of Newton Wellesley Hospital, and he led that hospital for 12 years.
