Senior Center Summit: Mental Wellness Session 2

Grant Merrell, MDiv came to LivingWorks Education following a five-year career in higher education and a fifteen-year career in nonprofit management that included places of worship, preschools, and community foundations. Passionate about suicide prevention, he brings the strength of being a connector – connecting people and organizations to resources and connecting individuals to their own roles in helping to create communities that are suicide-safer. Outside his role as the LivingWorks Suicide Prevention Manager for the Northeast quarter of the United States, Grant loves hiking, swimming, baking, and lives in Indianapolis, Indiana, with his husband, two children, and two senior rescue dogs.

Dr. Nicole Cadovius is a visionary leader in nonprofit, healthcare, and public sector transformation, driven by a deep passion for advancing mission-oriented work. She places people at the center of her approach, focusing on quality of life and empowering communities to thrive. Her dedication is reflected in her commitment to developing equitable systems that foster stability, growth, and opportunity. By blending strategic expertise with genuine personal connection, Dr. Cadovius ensures that every initiative not only achieves organizational goals but also enhances individual and community well-being, underscoring her belief in the transformative power of purpose-driven leadership. 

Core Expertise

• Enterprise transformation and change leadership
• Strategy-to-execution program design and delivery
• Cross-sector partnerships and stakeholder alignment
• Portfolio and performance management (data-driven outcomes)
• Equity-centered systems improvement
• Revenue diversification and sustainable program growth

Current Role
At the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, Dr. Cadovius leads national initiatives including strategic initiatives for Mental Health First Aid, aligning strategy, partnerships, and implementation to advance scalable, data-driven programming. Her leadership has strengthened stakeholder engagement, diversified revenue, and improved program performance at scale. 

Leadership & Impact
Proven track record leading complex, cross-sector transformation efforts, advising executive leadership, and building high-performing teams. Recognized for aligning diverse stakeholders, embedding accountability and equity into strategy, and delivering sustainable, mission-driven results.

She is deeply committed to advancing systems that support growth, stability, well-being, and opportunity, bringing both professional expertise and personal connection to mission-driven work.   Dr. Cadovius has more than 30 years of volunteer experience with national and international non-profits and boards.

Bronwyn Keefe is Boston University School of Social Work’s (BUSSW) Assistant Dean of Workforce and Professional Development, Research Associate Professor, and Director of BUSSW’s Center for Aging and Disability Education and Research (CADER). She is dedicated to expanding access to high-quality educational programming for people who work in the aging and disability networks. Through CADER, Keefe is committed to strengthening the workforce that provides home and community-based support and services to older adults and people with disabilities through developing innovative, competency-based, practice-informed online training. Keefe has been funded on many behavioral health projects, focusing on building the capacity of providers and communities in understanding the importance of mental health, substance use, and developing age-friendly initiatives to improve the lives of older adults.