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.
Jenna Krysko, RN – Case Manager
Jenna joined Assisting Hands with 10 years of experience working with the elderly community. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Fitchburg State University. She has worked in various settings including hospital, skilled rehab, home care, outpatient wound care, and foot care. Her most eye-opening role was that of nurse manager in a long-term care facility through peak COVID-19 pandemic times, where she learned the importance of being a strong and confident patient advocate.
Across all settings, Jenna has experienced how overwhelming the healthcare system can feel for older adults and their families to navigate, and she’s made a commitment to helping. Her top priority is ensuring that clients/patients and their support systems are treated with respect and dignity. She’s often been called an “old soul” and absolutely loves getting to know about the lives and interests of those she cares for.
Outside of nursing, Jenna enjoys time with her family and dog, being outdoors, and going to the movies. She also loves yoga and is a certified instructor. She’s excited to join the team and community!
Travis O’Brien – Talent Acquisition and Scheduling Coordinator
Travis brings a strong foundation in leadership and team development to Assisting Hands, backed by a Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Management from Mount Ida College. With a lifelong involvement in competitive sports as both a player and a coach he embodies a team-first mindset, strategic thinking, and effective leadership.
His experiences on and off the field have honed his ability to assess talent, build cohesive teams, and adapt quickly to changing situations. These strengths enable him to align the right people with the right opportunities while maintaining smooth and efficient operations.
Outside of work, Travis enjoys watching and playing sports, spending time with his dogs, and being with family.
Rachel Cunningham – Community Liaison
Rachel Cunningham has over twenty-five years in business support roles within healthcare. Primarily, Rachel worked in start-ups, such as: Skylark Bio with gene therapy; Cerevel Therapeutics (acquired by AbbVie, spun-out of Pfizer) with neuroscience; WuXi NextCODE (now Genuity Sciences) in genomic tech; Boston Children’s Hospital to support business strategy, Ironwood Pharmaceuticals (gastrointestinal disorders), and before start-ups, she was with the Harvard School of Public Health communications office.
Early on, Rachel worked for the Condell Medical Center, a community hospital in suburban Illinois, where she first developed an interest in health. Making connections with different people has been her favorite part of working in healthcare, along with a strong desire to help others.
A creative person, Rachel is also a writer and has a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Through UMass, she spent a year in northern England at the University of Leeds. Rachel is working on a novel, recently took a class in stand-up comedy writing, and was on PBS’s ‘Stories from the Stage’ as a storyteller. From both the Chicago and Denver area, Rachel likes to visit to see family.
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.
John Wizboski- Clinical Case Manager
John holds two bachelor’s degrees in Health Science and Philosophy with a concentration in Ethics. His academic journey was enriched with community engagement including volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity, and local food service programs. These experiences aided in a broad approach to the field of public health and human wellness, which continue to be his professional practice and personal mission.
John is certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine for personal training which has gained him professional experience working with clients of many ages and backgrounds. He also has professional experience working in a clinical setting as a physical therapy aide, where he worked collaboratively to aid in the journey of wellness.
Outside of his professional life, John enjoys hiking, gardening, traveling, and guitar.
Binta Diallo – Home Care Scheduling Specialist
Binta Diallo is a Home Care Scheduling Specialist at Assisting Hands Home Care, where she coordinates caregiver schedules to ensure reliable, high-quality client support. With previous experience as a Direct Support Professional, she brings valuable firsthand understanding of caregiver needs and client care dynamics.
Binta also has a background as a Human Resources Generalist with strong HRIS systems experience, allowing her to blend people-centered care with efficient operational processes. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and is completing her Master’s degree in Information Technology this year.
By combining her hands-on care experience, HR expertise, and technology background, Binta is committed to enhancing communication, streamlining scheduling, and supporting a positive experience for both clients and staff.
