Our Team

Kathleen Shine-O’Brien, LMHC, has a private practice specializing in grief counseling and is the lead clinician at Sharing Kindness. In her former roles as the assistant director of health services at Massachusetts Maritime Academy and the program director for the Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention Grant, she found suicide prevention work to be one of her passions. Kathleen facilitates peer support groups and co-facilitates movement and journaling workshops for grieving families. Our programs reflect Kathleen’s training in The Dougy Center Model, an internationally recognized peer grief support program for children, teens, young adults, and their families. Kathleen has a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from Elms College and a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Lesley University.

Lannan is a local freelance writer, editor and social media manager whose work has appeared in magazines and newspapers throughout Massachusetts and New England. As digital marketing manager, Lannan curates content on the Sharing Kindness website and social media pages, sharing the nonprofit’s message and promoting its work in suicide, grief and mental health awareness and support. 

A native Cape Codder, Tracy Taylor earned her undergraduate degree from UMass Boston, and today is an assistant vice president at Cape Cod 5 Cents Savings Bank. Outside of work, she can be found walking beaches near and far, collecting sea glass and supporting her favorite musicians. Tracy also supports her community as a foster mom, and acknowledges the importance of providing a safe place for children in crisis. One of Sharing Kindness’s founding board members, Tracy has a personal connection to the cause: she survived the death by suicide of her brother Chris as a young adult, and knows the devastation associated with Chris’ death was worsened by the stigma associated with suicide. She is thankful to be a part of this organization as it actively works to decrease the stigma that surrounds mental health, suicide and grief.

Steve Garran is a native Cape Codder and graduate of the former Provincetown High School. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University, and an MBA in Accounting from Suffolk University. Today, Steve owns and manages a CPA firm on Cape Cod, and serves on the boards of numerous community organizations, including the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod Baseball League, the Orleans Athletic Association (if you are fortunate enough to see a home game, he’ll be the announcer!), the Eastham BSA Troop 83, the Provincetown Lions Club and the Masonic Building Association of Provincetown, to name a few. He and his wife, Rhonda, have raised three children and in their spare time, enjoy traveling around the globe. Steve brings his strong fundraising skills and financial acumen to the board, and feels honored to be a part of Sharing Kindness and working toward the common goal of making the world a better place.

Melissa was raised in Watertown, New York, but has called the Cape home for many years. She attended the State University of New York (SUNY) Oswego, and obtained a certificate in accounting from Cape Cod Community College. Currently Melissa works as a bookkeeper for Nauset Marine. Melissa loves spending time with her family, especially her nephew and twin nieces. Melissa joined Sharing Kindness as a volunteer, serving as the youth coordinator of the annual Cape & Islands Suicide Awareness Walk, and became a board member in 2018. Melissa’s involvement was inspired by the death of her best friend Paul by suicide, and she is humbled and honored to be a part of such an incredible organization.

Michelle is a financial advisor with Edward Jones with over 20 years in the banking industry. Originally from the Philippines, Michelle has called Cape Cod home for over 22 years. She says, “It has given me so much – I want to give back in return. I choose to volunteer with Sharing Kindness to pay forward the blessings I’ve received and to share my journey of grace, grief and gratitude. Even in grieving there is always something to be grateful for, and if my story can help even one or two people, then I know I’ve left this place better than I found it.”

Michelle also serves on the Steering Committee of the YMCA Teen Achievers and the Financial Empowerment program of WE CAN.

Gwynne Guzzeau, J.D., M.S., was raised on the Cape, and graduated from Wellesley College in 1988 and Georgetown Law School in 1999. Gwynne is the executive director of Helping Our Women (HOW), a nonprofit serving women with chronic or life-threatening health conditions in the Outer Cape towns of Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown. In addition, her nonprofit positions have included: executive director of the Gestalt International Study Center in Wellfleet; research associate at the Wellesley Centers for Women, where she served on a national work group focused on issues of diversity, equity and inclusion for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services; and consultant for the Barnstable County Healthy Aging Project. Gwynne’s legal career started in Washington, D.C., then transitioned to Cape Cod where she ran her own estate planning and elder law practice. Previously, she worked as a teacher, director, researcher and consultant to school-age childcare programs in urban and rural settings. Gwynne lives in Orleans and is adjusting to life as an empty nester. A founding board member of Sharing Kindness, Gwynne contributes her strong and diverse skillset to the board, along with a commitment to our community to establish a grief and healing center for families.

Originally from Philadelphia, Christian attended UMASS Amherst, where he majored in Physics and was a member of the nationally ranked UMASS Cycling Team. He gained an early understanding of business and customer service, in addition to physics, when he developed a small, high-end bicycle manufacturing company, Rhygin, that he founded as an entrepreneurial college senior.

With over 25 years in real estate — mainly in Cambridge Massachusetts — Christian has been featured in national and local media, including segments on “This Old House” on PBS and in the New York Times and The Boston Globe, among others.  Christian has lived in the Boston area since 1993. He and his wife Marni love their trips to the Cape. When not working, Christian can be found coaching his son Isaiah’s soccer team or tinkering in the garage on a vintage car or motorcycle. Christian brings his business acumen to the Board to support Sharing Kindness as we work towards developing our Grief and Healing Center.

David Samuel was born and raised in Scranton, Pennsylvania and graduated from Syracuse University in 1984 with a B.A. in History. Dave spent his college summers living and working on the Cape, and has continued to visit as often as he can since. While his friends and colleagues appreciate his incredible fund of knowledge, particularly history, Dave’s day job is as a gaffer (on a set, that’s an electrician!) for movies and commercials. His work is frequently based in New York City, but has taken him around the world. Dave and his wife, Maura, have an adult son, Dylan, and love spending time together reading, cooking and traveling. Dave has been a supporter of Sharing Kindness since its inception and a board member since 2020. Looking through the lens of his own life story, Dave acknowledges the traumatic loss of friends and aquaintances to suicide and is committed to the nonprofit’s mission and vision.

Having lost his young brother-in-law to the public health crisis of youth suicide, Jason has been an involved with Sharing Kindness as a volunteer since 2017. A professional baseball player at the time, Jason carried his devotion to suicide awareness into his career by launching a successful suicide awareness event at his AAA ballpark. After a call to the big leagues, followed by a season in the Korean Baseball League, he returned stateside and started law school. Graduating from Boston College Law School in 2021, he joined Holland & Knight in Boston, where he has provided pro bono work for nonprofit organizations. Jason and his wife, Maddie, often visit family on the Cape with their two sons. As a member of the board of directors, Jason hopes to reach young Cape Codders, including student athletes, to raise awareness of suicide.

Matthew White is a former U.S. Army Ranger (dog handler) dedicated to supporting veterans and their families. Born on Cape Cod, his life was shaped by tragedy when his father died by suicide at age nine. Lacking support, he struggled before finding purpose in the military, where he built resilience, discipline, and a drive to give back to others. Now he channels his experience into advocating for mental health awareness and suicide prevention, particularly among veterans and their families. Committed to ensuring no family endures the pain his did, Matthew is a passionate leader in the fight for veteran support, hope, and healing.