Our Staff & Board

Founding Executive Director

The Advocacy Bridge

Grey is a nationally recognized advocate, change maker, and creator. With over 15 years of nonprofit leadership, Grey has dedicated their career to authentic youth engagement, elevating the voices of those most impacted by systems, and providing training and technical consultation to organizations within and outside of child welfare systems. Grey also brings the invaluable perspective of an adult with lived experience in the foster care system. 

In the spring of 2020, Grey began as a volunteer, leading a committee of volunteers, both allies and individuals with lived experience, to conduct a feasibility study. This effort identified Bristol County as one of the highest-need areas in the country that did not yet have a volunteer GAL services program. After over 1,300 volunteer capacity-building hours, Grey transitioned to a consultant for the Massachusetts CASA statewide organization, which became The Advocacy Bridge’s fiscal agent. Under Grey’s leadership, The Advocacy Bridge incorporated as a freestanding nonprofit in November 2022 and received 501(c)(3) status in January 2023. Grey mobilized and transformed a dedicated group of volunteers into the founding board of The Advocacy Bridge. Their cultivation of partnerships with the Bristol County Juvenile Court System led The Advocacy Bridge to create the CARE Advocate program which is the first program providing volunteer GAL services in Massachusetts in over 20 years and the first ever program of this kind in southeast Massachusetts. 

Prior to their current role, Grey served for 12 years as the Program Manager for the New England Association of Child Welfare Commissioners and Directors (NEACWCD). In this role, Grey managed three key projects: data collection for the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD) for Massachusetts, coordination of the New England Youth Coalition (NEYC), and building the Massachusetts Network of Foster Care Alumni (MassNFCA). Since 2008, Grey has delivered legislative research and testimony, designed workshops, co-authored publications, and presented at regional and national conferences. Their impact has been featured in publications such as Children’s Review and the Child Welfare League of America’s journal. Grey is an active member of the Emerging Leaders Committee of the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA). Several of these projects address the importance of maintaining sibling visitation and supporting normalcy and permanency throughout all stages of out-of-home placement. In 2021, Grey was honored to be named a Re-Envisioning Foster Care in America (REFCA) Champion by the Treehouse Foundation. 

In January 2024, Grey became the Founding Executive Director of The Advocacy Bridge. They are passionate about ensuring that children and families have their needs met and their rights protected while navigating opaque and challenging systems. Grey believes collaboration with public systems and community organizations is essential to achieving our mission. Grey welcomes allies and individuals with lived experience to support our mission and build infrastructure, ensuring that as we grow, our staff, volunteer base, and board are representative of those most experiencing the child welfare system in Bristol County. 

Grey lives with their wife and fur babies: a dog named Bear and a bunny named T3tea. They are a skilled Metalsmith, love archery, baking bread, and can never have enough plants.

Michael Ramos has dedicated his career to public service, holding key positions with the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, the Department of Education, and currently serving as the Director of Community Engagement for the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office. His expertise as a professional trainer, presenter, and speaker has taken him to international platforms, where he has worked with nonprofits, state governments, and even conducted trainings for the Department of Justice abroad. Michael is the co-author of The Dad Bag and a certified Nurturing Fathers Facilitator, Trainer, and Consultant. He has led Nurturing Fathers Programs in multiple Houses of Correction and within communities, shaping fatherhood engagement efforts over the past two decades. As a father of four, he takes great pride in mentoring others, navigating blended families and co-parenting, drawing from both his personal experiences and professional expertise.

Terry has been a child welfare advocate for the past 13 years. Her roles have included being a CASA in Mississippi, Peer Support Specialist for children’s mental health and actively involved in making changes in Domestic Violence and Racial Equity. Personally, she has adopted from foster care which allowed her to see the disparity, damage and trauma that exists when a child is removed from their home. She is fully committed to ensuring that children and families receive the resources, transparency to their legal rights and the support that they need. The quote that she lives by is, “If they don’t invite you to the table, bring a folding chair.” – Shirley Chishom

Margaret C. Toner is a dedicated legal advocate and mediator with extensive experience in supporting families, navigating complex systems, and promoting equity and justice. With academic degrees in Criminal Justice, Legal and Social Studies, and Deaf Studies, she integrates her expertise in American Sign Language and cross-cultural sensitivity into her work. Margaret serves as a CARE Advocate (Child Advocate for Resources and Empowerment), a Systems Navigator, a Permanency Mediator, a Psychological Enhanced Response Liaison, and a community consultant, demonstrating her commitment to empowering families and children through personalized support and advocacy.

Her professional aspirations include pursuing dual graduate degrees in Social Work (MSW) and Law (JD) to deepen her impact as a future Guardian Ad Litem. A proud mother of seven, Margaret balances her career and family life while volunteering in youth sports and fostering community connections. She is driven by a passion for addressing systemic inequities and ensuring every child and family can access the resources and support they need to thrive.