Meet the Team

Lauren Lele
Senior Director, Community Benefits and Volunteer Services

Lauren Lele, MPA, CAVS, is the Senior Director of Community Health and Volunteer Services at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Massachusetts and has served in hospital management for over 30 years.  She leads the eight councils within the NWH Community Collaborative—a 200+ plus member group focused on substance use, youth mental health, heart health, elder care, maternal health, workforce development, domestic and sexual abuse, and palliative care. 

Lauren has spearheaded multiple NWH Community Health Needs Assessments and accompanying Strategic Implementation Plans and has successfully conducted Determination of Need/Community Health Initiatives processes that have awarded $3.5M to community-based organizations.  One such award resulted in the establishment of a Wrap-Around class and curriculum and a multi-lingual community Welcome Center for newly arrived families in Waltham. 

Most recently, Lauren launched, and continues to lead, the NWH New Arrivals Work Group comprised of a multidisciplinary team to establish patient flows and processes, provide wrap around services, build community partnerships, and develop trauma-informed staff resources.

Committed to establishing trusted relationships and growing collaboration, Lauren is focused on fostering partnerships and regularly convenes community groups that include NWH/Departments of Public Health Connect; the Nutrition Security and Equity Community Network; and the NWH Senior Living Community Forum.   

Lauren is currently co-leading and providing a community-lens on the Mass General Brigham health care system level work to establish an integrated enterprise strategy for community health.  She also holds leadership positions on multiple community, civic, and business boards - the Waltham Chamber of Commerce, the WATCH CDC Advisory Board, and the Newton Food Pantry Advisory Council, where she also actively volunteers. She is a member of the American Hospital Association for Community Health Improvement and the Beryl Institute and is a Fellow of The Advisory Board Company.

Emily DeMariano, Senior Project Manager, Community Health

Emily DeMariano is the Senior Project Manager for Community Health at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, and is responsible for collaborating with the eight Councils within the NWH Community Collaborative to develop, execute, evaluate and track Collaborative strategic priorities, and build and nurture relationships with community members and organizations to advance the work of the Councils. Emily has been in nonprofit management for nearly 25 years, serving in a variety of roles from CEO to Development Director, and has a passion for helping organizations and programs reach their potential for meaningful and sustainable impact.

Prior to joining Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Emily held senior leadership positions at several Massachusetts nonprofits and educational institutions, including Calmer Choice, Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries, Cristo Rey Boston High School, McLean Hospital, Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston and the Harvard School of Public Health. She received her undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Maryland, and holds several certificates in nonprofit management. In 2022, she was invited to speak on the TEDx stage about her personal and professional journey through trauma, substance use recovery, parenthood and mindfulness. She lives in Raynham with her husband and two teenagers.

Steve Dautruche, Community Health Program Manager

Steve was born in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, and moved to the U.S. at the age of 11. His early passion for health and wellness led him to pursue a degree in Public Health.

For over three years, Steve excelled as a Community Health Worker in the iCMP department at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, where he provided crucial support and advocacy for his patients. He focused on addressing social determinants of health and eliminating barriers to care, forging partnerships with local organizations to enhance living conditions through food programs, transportation services, and financial and housing assistance.

Steve transitioned to the role of Community Health Program Manager at NWH, to expand his impact and address community needs on a broader scale.

Outside of work, Steve enjoys cooking and staying physically active.