Meet the Leadership Team
Dave Tasto, CDP – President/Owner
Assisting Hands – Boston Northwest was launched after Dave saw the value of high quality, individualized care through a family experience – having been inspired by those caring for his grandmother. His experience in program and product management with a personal interest to directly impact people’s lives fuels his passion to offer others the same level of care his grandmother received. He holds an engineering degree from Boston University, an MBA from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst and is also a Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP).
Dave is active in the local community serving on the Executive Committee of Board of Directors for the Bedford, MA Chamber of Commerce, supporting local schools and veteran’s programs, and being involved in his church.
His commitment to helping families keep loved ones healthy at home is evident in his published book: Thriving at Home – A Handbook for Preventing Hospital Stays. He grew up in Minnesota before moving to Boston where he met his wife of 20 years, Urszula. Dave and Urszula have two children – a son and a daughter. He loves hiking, sailing, and skiing – all with family and friends.
Lori Fitzgerald, MS, OTR/L, Vice President of Operations and Client Services
Lori joins Assisting Hands with over two decades of experience as a healthcare clinician and team leader. Lori has spent her entire career in healthcare, both in direct care roles and in management. Through this mixture of focuses, she is able to visualize how to best provide optimal care models while delivering positive business impacts.
Prior to joining Assisting Hands, Lori led a home care team of case managers responsible for an entire business line of private pay management, including growth and maintenance of current partnerships and new acquisitions. Utilizing her background as an Occupational Therapist and Case Manager, Lori initiated in-depth and clinician-led caregiver training platforms for the company, as well as created the Geriatric Care Manager service line in response to a need she identified within the business model.
Lori values her clinical roots and maintains her clinical licensure with an active caseload. In her role at Assisting Hands, she leverages her clinical perspective to foster continued business growth, while ensuring the highest quality of care for our clients. Her passion for supporting and training others will further strengthen the skills of our caregivers and leadership team.
Lori lives North of Boston with her husband, two teenage sons and two dogs. She enjoys travel, reading and hiking.
Victoria Nakiyaga, CDP – Director of Operations
Victoria has a post-graduate diploma in human resource management and holds a bachelor’s degree in social work. Her passion for helping others derives from growing up with her grandparents and ensuring they received the best care. She joined Assisting Hands in 2020 as a Caregiver. Victoria demonstrated her commitment to high-quality of care and was invited to share her experience and education as an office team member.
She takes pride in providing the best services to our clients and their families. As Director of Operations, Victoria is focused on raising the bar and making the best matches for our clients and caregivers, bearing in mind their unique needs. In her free time, Victoria loves to spend time with her family and participates in implementing programs at her church.
Lessley Columna – Community Liaison
Lessley holds a Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Studies from Salem State University. Her professional journey began as a Community Health Worker, where she spent over a year working directly with diverse populations to improve access to care and connect them with essential resources. This experience sparked a deep commitment to health equity and community support.
She later served as a Care Coordinator at a veterinary clinic for nearly three years, where she expanded her administrative and customer service skills all while providing a welcoming and supportive experience for clients.
With a deep commitment to community connection and equitable access to services, Lessley is proud to support the mission of Assisting Hands.
Outside of work, Lessley enjoys painting and spending time outdoors, often exploring local trails and parks through walks and hikes.
