A scholarship foundation for people seeking recovery through sober living

About The Foundation

The Curran J Tierney Foundation (dba Curran’s Calling) began as an idea between Karen and Jim Tierney and Samantha and Derek Quirke in 2020 on how to help people seeking recovery afford to get into sober living while avoiding the long wait times associated with insurance-paid care. One way to begin treatment earlier is when sober homes / recovery centers offer grace to those in need, either through a promise-to-pay arrangement, or when care is funded by donations. Karen and Jim’s son, Curran, had benefited from the grace of getting into recovery through both methods, but they knew this wasn’t the norm, nor was it readily available to everyone. So, they saw an opportunity to help others get into treatment more easily and agreed to begin working on a scholarship foundation.

Tragically, while exploring how to make this happen, Curran died from an overdose in April 2022, leaving behind a fiancé, an infant daughter, and a shattered family. Through faith in God, Curran’s death affirmed everyone’s desire to address this financial need, they decided to start the foundation in honor of Curran. Jen Macneil, a friend, and mentor to Curran, joined our team in late 2022. The Foundation received its 501(3)(c) approval in March 2023 and officially launched in April 2023, with the first scholarships being awarded in June 2023.

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness shall not overcome it." John 1.5 ESV

Curran — A Beautiful Boy Taken From Us Too Soon
Read Curran's Story

The Team

JIm Tierney

Jim Tierney
Co-Founder

A Boston native, Jim lived and worked in the Boston MetroWest area, spending 16 years at the US Army Soldier System Center, Natick, MA. While there, he earned an engineering degree at Northeastern University and an MBA at Babson College. After meeting his soulmate, Karen Burke in 1998, he changed career paths, leaving the government for private industry. In 2005 he started his own consulting business, eventually co-founding ClientView Consulting. He served on the Framingham Government Steering Committee, volunteered at Curran’s schools, and eventually joined the Board of Trustees for the Christa McAuliffe Charter School in Framingham, MA, and then again for the McAuliffe Charter School Foundation. Yet, these endeavors never took him away from the center of his world – his only son Curran. Jim was always seen at Curran’s swim meets, karate lessons, drum performances, meeting with teachers, etc. Self-employment allowed him to meet Curran when he got off the bus and be there at every opportunity. Losing Curran to substance abuse was the single worst thing Jim could ever imagine. Yet, drawing upon faith, he and Karen, decided to start this Foundation to honor Curran’s memory and to try to make something good come from their loss.

Mike Romikitis

Mike Romikitis
Scholarship & Outreach

Born and raised in South Boston, Michael Romikitis is a Recovery Coach and Peer Support Specialist at the Plymouth Recovery Center in Plymouth, MA. As an Outreach Coordinator for Currans Calling, he takes great pride in broadcasting our cause, reaching out to potential recovery partners to help expand our scholarship opportunities, and offering hope to those seeking recovery. He loves getting hands-on experience at events and seeing how we can be more effective. To Mike, there are plenty of people who need help and that’s what we are here to do … allowing a broader spectrum of avenues for help and to guide people in their recovery. Mike says that being asked to join Curran’s Calling was very humbling and it reinvigorated his strength and determination to helping others. His sobriety started at Revelations Recovery in Kingston, MA in the summer of 2021 and he was fortunate to have landed at such an amazing house with the right owners, house management, and the residents, as well. After beginning recovery, he stopped thinking that he knew and could handle everything and now realizes that he knew nothing and needed help. While not an easy journey, Mike says it was worth it every step of the way and now only hopes to help others the way he was helped … giving back to others that which was giving to him so freely.
Image

Rodney Brown
Scholarship & Outreach

Rodney Brown Jr. is an Outreach Coordinator for Curran’s Calling. As a grateful person in recovery, he works as a Volunteer Coordinator at the Plymouth Recovery Center downtown Plymouth, MA. Rodney started as a walk-in, became a member, Peer Leader, and worked his way up to a full-time employee. He is a full-time student at Quincy College’s Plymouth campus/online and is in his last year studying for his Human Service degree. He is also an active member and leader at Faith Community Church. Dedicating his life and work to serving God and others, Rodney exuberates compassion for everyone and is passionate about helping others reach success on their recovery journey. After hearing about Curran’s story, he felt compassion and wanted to be a part of this movement. He is honored and a proud board member of Currans Calling.
Doug Hines

Doug Hines
Scholarship & Outreach

Born and raised in Greater Boston, Doug is a man whose adult life has been immersed in the recovery community. He spent many years developing and managing multiple men’s 12-step recovery homes and has many additional years’ experience working with those in early recovery. As a staunch recovery advocate, Doug can often be found leading a book study or mentoring those in early sobriety as they find their way to a new life. A tireless champion of all things recovery, Doug knew Curran personally and is proudly representing Currans Calling as a Member of this incredible mission and foundation.

Image

Jennifer Macneil
Scholarship & Outreach

Jennifer Macneil was raised and still currently resides in Massachusetts. She attended general education and nursing pre-requisites at Quincy College and Massasoit Community College. After working as a Recovery Specialist at High Point Treatment Center, a well known hospital for the treatment of alocohol and drug addiction, she decided to pursue her desire to work in the nursing field and obtained her Licensed Practical Nurse degree in 2017 at Southeastern Technical Institute. She got licensed to practice nursing in the state of Massachusetts and she started her nursing career in private duty nursing. In 2018, she obtained A License to practice in the state of Florida and spent two years traveling between the two states working as a nurse. In 2021 she became a private nursing contactor for Medicaid and six months later was the first nurse to form a private duty contract with Boston Public Schools to provide nursing services for children with complex medical needs. In 2022, Jennifer became Co-owner & Business Development of Second Chances, a men’s structured sober home. In 2023 Co-founded Currans Calling, a non-profit foundation that provides funding for scholar shipping men and woman seeking treatment for alcohol and drug addiction. Jennifer is presently on the foundation of Curran’s calling as the Director of Operations.

In addition to her experience working in the treatment field, she is also a person in long term recovery. After a long battle with addiction during her younger years she sought treatment and has dedicated much time doing service work in the community. Her heart’s desire to be part of Curran’s Calling comes not only from her personal history with Curran in his attempts to seek recovery, but her witness to all the lives that have been tragically lost due to the addiction epidemic.

Paul Smith

Paul Smith
Scholarship & Outreach

Paul was raised in Easton, MA and has lived in the Boston community all his life. As a person who struggled for many years with addiction, Paul found his way through by putting recovery first and has seen the impact sober living has on himself and others. Through sober living, recovery, and service work, he was able to build a foundation to live a new and better life. Paul lives his life based upon the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous today and he believes the steps and a sober living community can change people’s lives. Because of this, he did not hesitate when asked to join the Curran’s Calling team because it allows him to give back what was so freely given to him. Paul is honored to be part of the team and will do whatever is asked of him to help others struggling with this illness of addiction.
Tommy Coulstring

Tommy Coulstring
Scholarship & Outreach

Thomas Coulstring was born and raised on the south shore of Massachusetts. Extremely grateful for Alcoholics Anonymous and the 12 steps, he takes pride in the life it has given him and try's to give back in any way that he can. Having had the privilege to join the Curran’s Calling team, he saw as the perfect opportunity to be able to help people seeking a better life. Being a recipient of a scholarship himself he “doesn’t know where he would without people and organizations like Currans Calling.”
Allie fitzpatrick

Allie Fitzpatrick
Scholarship & Outreach

Allie was raised in Bridgewater, MA where she was in and out of treatment programs for over a decade before finding lasting recovery through long term treatment and the practice of the 12 Steps. After residential treatment, Allie lived in a highly structured sober living house for women. It was there, in the capacity of house manager, that she fell in love with working with addicts and alcoholics in early recovery. Allie currently works at a treatment facility on the south shore and is thrilled to join Curran's Calling and extend her service work.
Image

Cherie Vernon
Scholarship & Outreach

I was born in Boston, MA and raised on the South Shore. My battle with addiction started early and went late into my 30s. In April of 2017, while living in Bridgewater, I found the strength to ask for help. Knowing that trying to control my own life had become unmanageable, I willingly entered Recovery Centers of America in Westminster, thus starting my journey of recovery and my spiritual journey through the 12 Steps.

While I have felt many losses along the way, recovery has also shown me much joy, love, laughter, & peace. Through the process of the 12 Steps, I have met many selfless people who thankfully helped me. It was with the help of these people that I was able to connect with my Higher Power and accept who I truly am. I’m humbly grateful for The Recovery Centers of America. I also have much appreciation for the good people who acknowledge the addiction epidemic & are doing their part to help.

I have a strong desire to give back what was so freely given to me. As such, I am working towards becoming a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC), while also working as a restaurant manager. When I heard about Curran’s Calling, I was deeply touched by the family's story. It’s truly inspiring to see the family continue to fight the good fight to try and save others. As a person in recovery, who once found myself temporarily homeless, I’m deeply grateful for the organization of Curran’s Calling. I’m honored to be welcomed to join their team

Trustees

Steve Cagnetta

Steve Cagnetta
   Board Chair

Steve’s journey to the CJTF started in November 2003 when he joined the Board of Trustees of the Christa McAuliffe Charter School in Framingham. As a corporate attorney, he was invited to join the Board to help provide some legal structure. One of Steve’s early memories was meeting Jim Tierney and his son, Curran, who was a student at McAuliffe. Jim and Steve served together on the Board of Trustees for over ten years. Over that time, they helped guide the school through the early stage struggles of small enrollment and tight budgets, through several leadership changes and eventually through the purchase and construction of a new building. They worked closely together and spent many hours talking about careers and family life. Steve gained a deep respect for Jim’s ability to get things done and dedication to what he believed in. It was a remarkable experience and working with Jim was a huge part of what made that great.

In Steve’s day job, he helps run a small outsourced general counsel firm called Company Counsel, LLC, which is focused on representing emerging companies. Steve’s co-founder and he have spent the past 20+ years advising entrepreneurs and startups through the challenges that arise when building companies. Their clients span a range of industries, including medical device, software (i.e., fintech, crypto, healthcare IT), robotics and consulting. Steve also volunteers as a Lawyer-in-Residence at the Arthur Rock Center for Entrepreneurship, at Harvard Business School, where he provides counseling to entrepreneurial students. Prior to Company Counsel, Steve worked at Hutchins, Wheeler & Ditmar, in Boston and at O’Connor, Broude and Aronson, in Waltham. He began his career as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps.

jim tierney

Jim Tierney
Vice-Chair and Co-Founder

A Boston native, Jim lived and worked in the Boston MetroWest area, spending 16 years at the US Army Soldier System Center, Natick, MA. While there, he earned an engineering degree at Northeastern University and an MBA at Babson College. After meeting his soulmate, Karen Burke in 1998, he changed career paths, leaving the government for private industry. In 2005 he started his own consulting business, eventually co-founding ClientView Consulting. He served on the Framingham Government Steering Committee, volunteered at Curran’s schools, and eventually joined the Board of Trustees for the Christa McAuliffe Charter School in Framingham, MA, and then again for the McAuliffe Charter School Foundation. Yet, these endeavors never took him away from the center of his world – his only son Curran. Jim was always seen at Curran’s swim meets, karate lessons, drum performances, meeting with teachers, etc. Self-employment allowed him to meet Curran when he got off the bus and be there at every opportunity. Losing Curran to substance abuse was the single worst thing Jim could ever imagine. Yet, drawing upon faith, he and Karen, along with friends Derek and Samantha, decided to start this Foundation to honor Curran’s memory and to try to make something good come from their loss.
Karen Burke

Karen Burke Tierney
Board Secretary and Co-Founder

A native of the Massachusetts South Shore, Karen grew up with a large, fun, and close family. She lived and worked in the Boston MetroWest area following college, until she moved to Virginia in 2017 to advance her career and broaden her horizons. Karen has worked for the U.S. Army for over twenty years in multiple roles and locations, following a ten-year career with private technology companies. She met and married her love and partner-in-mischief Jim Tierney and had the honor and blessing to be a stepmom to Curran from the time was a young boy. Karen served on the Town of Framingham’s Government Steering Committee as a way to better understand the unique community and be involved. She also supported the Christa McAuliffe Charter School in Framingham, MA, because of the respect she has for its committed teachers & staff, and their ability to foster curiosity and teamwork in young people. Years prior to losing Curran to opioid addiction in 2022, she got to know remarkable people from the recovery community and are in awe of their kindness, commitment, and dedication to helping people beat addiction. By starting this Foundation in honor of Curran’s memory, and through a desire to help others, Karen and Jim seek to continue the fight against the drug epidemic to help as many people as possible reclaim their lives and know that they are supported.
Darrin McCullough

Darrin McCullough

In-Memoria: Darrin McCullough was a native of Columbia, South Carolina, spent most of his life in Georgia, and spent his years living in Arlington, Virginia with his wife Patti. Darrin was the proud father of two children – Connor and Maura. He and Patti are close friends of Co-Founders Jim Tierney and Karen Burke, whom they met in 2015. Darrin and Patti felt fortunate to have met and spent time with Curran at a time when he was the smart, exceedingly kind, polite, and sociable man he was when his addiction was not in control.

Darrin brought a unique perspective to the foundation. As a career federal drug prosecutor, he was a passionate advocate for pursuing and punishing the criminals who bring and distribute illegal drugs into the United States for profit, which he had done for over 25 years. At the same time, he believed firmly in working to combat both supply and demand, and that compassion, understanding, and applying appropriate resources and out-of-the-box thinking to the problem of addiction is the best way to stop our country’s overwhelming drug problem. He was the recipient of numerous awards, serves frequently as an instructor on various aspects of criminal law, and was excited about the prospects and opportunities Curran’s Calling presents. Darrin was taken from us far too early in March 2025; however, he left a lasting mark on our Foundation. In June 2025 the Board approved renaming a scholarship in his honor. 

Jane DePalma

Jane DePalma
Finance Chair

Jane was born and raised in Massachusetts and now resides in the Boston Metro West area. She and her beloved husband and best friend, Jim, were married on 12/12/12 – their 20th da􀆟ng anniversary. MA. She is mother to a kind, funny, giant of a man, Ryan who is a successful project manager for a large construction company. Jane knew Curran from an early age, and he often reached out to her for advice, and she happily counseled him many times throughout the years. She was honored to have been a trusted advisor to Curran through good times and bad. Jane is an attorney licensed to practice in Massachusetts and Florida. She currently has her own law practice with a focus on small business matters and estate planning for young families. In addition, she is one of only three consulting attorneys in Massachusetts for LegalZoom, a large online legal service provider. Prior to starting her own law practice she worked as corporation counsel for the Boston Police Department and was an Administrative Law Judge for the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. Jane received her bachelor’s degree from Suffolk University with a double major in Sociology/Criminology and Legal Studies. She received her JD from Northeastern University School of Law.
Jim Bryant

James Bryant
Trustee

Jim is a lifelong resident of Massachusetts, born in Brockton, MA and now resides in Westwood. He is both a stepdad, and good friend, to Jane’s son Ryan, since he was just five years old. Jim is a martial artist, with a teaching career spanning more than 40 years. He has owned multiple karate schools and taught thousands of students of every age level during his career. In recent years, he has taylored his practice to teaching only blackbelt level students through private lessons. Jim is a lifelong friend to Jim Tierney and remembers back when Curran was born. He knows how important this mission is to Jim and Karen and looks forward to helping in any way he can to make this a success.
Bridget Madden

Bridget Madden
Trustee

Bridget Madden is from Milford Massachusetts. She attended Westfield State University in Westfield Massachusetts where she graduated with a BS in Criminal Justice and a BA in Psychology. During her senior year, she completed a Senior Honors Project, a yearlong thesis relating to the overlap of mental health with the Criminal Justice system. She researched the Co-Response model of mental health calls carried out by police departments. Her research was based on literature reviews and personal interviews with police officers and crisis clinicians from Northampton Massachusetts and Springfield Massachusetts. Through her studies and personal research, Bridget has found a passion for criminal justice reform and rehabilitation efforts in areas relating to criminal justice as well as mental health, addiction, and homelessness.
Deanna Brunt

Deanna Brunt
Trustee

A lifelong resident of Massachusetts and now residing in Hopedale, a small town in Central MA, Deanna is married to her husband Jerry of 28 years and proud mother to their 3 now adult children. Deanna has a long history of supporting people in need of assistance. After college, Deanna worked for 11 Years as a Residential Teacher / Counselor and later Residential Program Manager for adults with intellectual disabilities. There she helped foster a sense of community integration as the residents were encouraged to create lasting relationships with neighbors and friends. They visited local restaurants, stores, libraries, and other community sites, and often participated in special town events. Deanna took some time off from her career to be a stay-at-home Mom for her children and loved every moment. During that time, she decided to obtain her Real Estate License and has been practicing since 2005. Deanna was also passionately involved with The American cancer Society’s Signature fundraiser, The Relay for Life. She volunteered for 11 years at the Ashland event and was an immensely proud member of the top fundraising team ‘Cooking Up a Cure’. She loved the sense of community and family all working together to celebrate cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost, and raise funds to improve the lives of people with cancer. For the past 2 years, Deanna has participated on Curran’s Calling’s team for the Adult and Teen Challenge 5K: Run to End Addiction in Memory of her cousin Jim’s Son Curran. Participating for the last two years has rekindled her desire to be of service to others and seeks to do so through Curran’s Calling.