Who we are

Survivors Say is a nonprofit organization launched in 2021 by David Guarino, a longtime communications advisor and former newspaper reporter. It has since grown significantly, with a group of more than 40 dedicated volunteers and hundreds of donors and supporters worldwide.

David Guarino

David Guarino

Founder & President

  • David Guarino is the founder of Survivors Say and serves as President and Chair of the Board of Directors. David is a trusted strategic communications, political and business adviser to leaders, nonprofits, associations and corporations. David brings significant hands-on media relations and crisis management experience to Survivors Say, both as a longtime former newspaper reporter and a strategic communications adviser.

    As a reporter, David covered high-profile events including the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the 1994 mass shootings at women’s health clinics and many other violent crimes and accidents that led him to interview and work with survivors, victims and families. As a communicator, David directed all communications for the state’s chief law enforcement official in the Office of the Attorney General for two years. He later worked with Boston Marathon bombing survivor Adrianne Haslet, families who lost loved ones in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and other high-profile incidents.

    With the support of countless friends and allies and his colleagues from Melwood Global, the strategic communications firm he co-owns, David officially founded Survivors Say in 2021 and, since then, has worked with dozens of survivors and their families to have a say in if, when and how their stories are told.

    David graduated from Northeastern University in Boston and lives in Salem, Massachusetts with his family. 

Carly Roth

Communications & Engagement Manager

  • Carly Roth is the Communications & Engagement Manager at Survivors Say. She joined Survivors Say in January 2025 as a Co-Op and continued to work with us through her senior year at Northeastern University. Graduating in April 2026 with a Bachelor's in Communications, Carly came to work with us full-time—becoming Survivors Say’s first-ever full-time employee. 

    At Northeastern, Carly found her niche in crisis communications and public relations, drawn to the challenge of how communications can shape and define any moment, especially difficult ones. That interest led her to Survivors Say, where she now helps to lead the organization's outreach, storytelling and communications.

    Carly lives in Boston with her two roommates.

Survivors Say Board of Directors

Survivors Say is led by a diverse and dynamic volunteer Board of Directors with deep experience in media, strategic communications, nonprofit organization, victim and survivor advocacy and other fields. Members of our board are also survivors themselves, ensuring our work is always survivor focused and informed.