Mary Pauline Diaz-Frasene

Executive Director, Denver, she/her

MP (short for Mary Pauline) grew up in a Pilipinx immigrant family with that “Did you eat yet?” kind of love, where hospitality is forefront and tangible, where the labor that nourishes us is never just for ourselves. She has been with The Dinner Party since 2021, supporting external partnerships and leading our Workplace Resilience program before being named Executive Director. She brings to TDP a range of nonprofit and community service experience, from managing low-barrier resources with people experiencing homelessness to supporting patients, their communities, and staff as a hospital chaplain during the first year of COVID-19. She’s been integral in building programs in their beginning and emerging stages, including developing staff care programming and resources for the largest social services non-profit in Washington state; creating a poetry workshop for men in substance addiction recovery; and partnerships between churches and nonprofits. She has a Master of Arts in Theology & Culture, where her culminating work explored grief as a practice in collective resistance to unjust and dehumanizing systems.

Tommy O’Neil, LMSW

Senior Product & Operations Manager, Brooklyn, he/him

Tommy grew up along the Central Coast of California, but he calls Brooklyn home these days. He’s a former medical student and elementary science educator, and as an LMSW, he’s passionate about de-stigmatizing men’s mental health and expanding access to bereavement support services.

His father, Rich, brings him to The Dinner Party. When he was a teenager, his father’s sudden death terraformed his life. He finds his grief to be a beautifully complex companion, a continuation of the relationship he has with his dad. He loves connecting with fellow grievers to hold space for the complexities of our losses and our lives after, co-hosting an Affinity Table for male-identifying grievers.

Outside of The Dinner Party, you’ll find Tommy bopping around New York City as he frequents his favorite parks, coffee shops, restaurants, and bars. His simple pleasures include listening to music, writing poetry, gardening, photography, reading on the train, and seeing live shows—Broadway, jazz, comedy, ballet, and his favorite bands. And when the weather permits, he loves to bike around Brooklyn and soak up the sun at Rockaway Beach!

Aggie Fitch

Senior Communications & Development Manager, Brooklyn, she/her

Raised in a home that continually held spontaneous dinner parties of all sizes, Aggie learned about emotional intimacy, community, and joy around a table. So, three years after the death of her older brother, Sam, in a motorcycle accident, it was only fitting that she finally found a voice to talk about her brother and her grief over his loss at The Dinner Party table. After graduating with a degree in Urban and Environmental Policy she went looking for mission-driven organizations she cared about. She is grateful to be given the opportunity to work on a cause so close to her heart.

Shavonne Bell

Senior Community Support Coordinator, New York City, she/her

Since losing her mother at age 18, Shavonne’s been on a journey of deep healing and remembrance. She has come to realize how precious life is and is moved by explorations of the human condition – joy, grief, and all of the mess in-between. She believes in the transformative power of vulnerability, emotional alchemy, open hearts, and learning from the shadow aspects of ourselves that often go unloved. Shavonne’s excited to be on-board, helping to collectively nurture such a sacred mission. Bubble tea, candles, and inside jokes with her inner child are just a few things that also spark joy for her.