Boston Shriners Hospital Elects New Chairman of the Board of Governors

Dean M. Whalen, Esq., of South Hadley, Massachusetts, has been elected chair of the Board of Governors for Shriners Hospitals for Children — Boston. Mr. Whalen has been a member of the hospital board for more than nine years, most recently serving as vice chair. He succeeds Robert L. Turner.

Mr. Whalen is vice president of legal services for Infraware, Inc., a documentation technology and transcription services company. He previously served as director of the legal division and in-house counsel for Catuongo Court Reporting and StenTel Transcription. Mr. Whalen has also been an assistant district attorney and a public defender.

Mr. Whalen’s journey as a Shriner began in 2006 when he joined the Springfield Melha Shrine Center. He was inspired to join the Boston Board of Governors after a former patient who became a Shriner himself, Dan Caro, gave a presentation to the Melha Shriners. Dan is a motivational speaker and an accomplished drummer. “After I heard Dan’s story I knew I wanted to become more involved at the hospital level. Once I visited the Boston Shriners Hospital and saw for myself the great work being done, I was eager to contribute,” Mr. Whalen said.

Mr. Whalen graduated from Saint Anselm College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. He earned a law degree from Western New England College School of Law and is licensed to practice in Massachusetts.

Mr. Whalen is active in his community as a member of Mount Holyoke Lodge of Masons. He has also coached football and basketball through the South Hadley Recreation Department. Mr. Whalen is on the board of trustees for Trinity Health of New England. He won the 2019 Alumni Association Humanitarian Award from Saint Anselm College as well as Mercy Medical Center’s Caritas Award for philanthropic efforts.

Along with his brother Dan, Mr. Whalen has helped organize Rock the House, a musical fundraising event that benefits the Boston and Springfield Shriners Hospitals. In six years, this event has raised over $80,000 for the hospitals.

As he begins his tenure as chairman, Mr. Whalen is committed to guiding the Boston Shriners Hospital as it carries on its mission to provide the highest quality of care to more children in more places in the areas of burn care, cleft lip and palate care, and reconstructive and laser plastic surgery. One of his goals as chair is to assist with the hospital’s facility transformation, a renovation and refreshing of the building’s current space.

He looks forward to the opportunity to attend on-site events at the hospital once again, recalling a fond memory of a beloved holiday tradition. “It was a special treat to visit with patients and families in 2019 during a holiday party featuring Santa and Mrs. Claus and the Boston Firefighters Burn Foundation,” Mr. Whalen said.

Mr. Whalen and his wife, Susan, have four adult children, Katie, Megan, Joseph and Jillian, as well as a granddaughter, Avery.