Officers:
Audrey Shelto, Chair Bio
Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of Massachusetts
Giles Li, Vice Chair Bio
The Barr Foundation
Robert Zaccardi, Treasurer Bio
JP Morgan Private Bank
Karen Kelley Gill, Assistant Treasurer Bio
Patrick J. McGovern Foundation
Jay Kim, Clerk Bio
Foundation for MetroWest
Eric Esteves, At Large Executive Committee Bio
Former Executive Director, The Lenny Zakim Fund
Kate Grundy, At Large Executive Committee Bio
The Devonshire Foundation
Jeffrey Poulos, Chief Executive Officer Bio
Philanthropy Massachusetts
Directors:
Kate Carney Bio
Carney Family Charitable Foundation
Josie Greene Bio
Josephine and Louise Crane Family Foundation
Liana Krupp Bio
Krupp Family Foundation
Jamie Maguire Bio
Merck Family Fund
Ali Mathias Bio
MassMutual Foundation
Natanja Craig Oquendo Bio
Boston Women's Fund
Geeta Pradhan Bio
Cambridge Community Foundation
Alexandra Piñeros Shields Bio
The Heller School, Brandeis University
Bryan Spence Bio
Liberty Mutual Foundation
Nancy Stager Bio
Eastern Bank Foundation
Peter Taylor Bio
Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation
Prentice Zinn Bio
GMA Foundations
Bios
Officers:
Audrey Shelto, Chair
Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of Massachusetts
Audrey Shelto is President of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, a private, nonprofit organization created to expand access to health care for low-income and vulnerable people in Massachusetts through grants, research, and policy initiatives. Audrey assumed leadership of the Foundation in August 2013. She served as interim president of the Foundation in 2005, helping to shape its policies including the Roadmap to Coverage initiative that led to Massachusetts' landmark 2006 universal health care law. With more than 30 years of experience in health care, Audrey also served as senior vice president of health management at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, chief operating officer of Neighborhood Health Plan, executive director for the Boston Mayor's Advisory Committee on Health Care, associate commissioner of Massachusetts's Department of Mental Health, and assistant budget director for the Massachusetts Executive Office for Administration and Finance. Audrey holds a master's degree in management of human services from the Heller School at Brandeis University. She serves on the boards of the Justice Resource Institute, the MA Health Policy Forum and Philanthropy Massachusetts. She received the inaugural Art of Healthcare Award from the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center in 2014 and the Thomas M. Menino Award in 2016 from the Disability Policy Consortium. In 2018, Audrey was honored by the Lynn Community Health Center with their annual women’s award and by the Massachusetts Association for Mental Health with their Spirit of Compassion award.
Giles Li, Vice Chair
The Barr Foundation
Giles Li is a Senior Program Officer for Arts and Creativity at the Barr Foundation. Most recently, he served as the Executive Director of Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center. With experience in the non-profit sector at the national and local levels, Giles has a proven track record of direct service, advocacy work, and management experience. Having grown up locally in an immigrant family, he has a life-long connection and commitment to the community in and beyond Chinatown. Giles is a recognized thought leader and public speaker in Asian American communities nationwide. He holds a Master’s degree in Public Affairs from UMass-Boston and is an alumnus of the Institute for Nonprofit Management and Leadership. Giles has also served as adjunct faculty in the Asian American Studies program at UMass-Boston, and is a cross-sector leader who has served on several boards and committees, including the Task Force for Financial Literacy at the Office of the State Treasurer and on the Advisory Board for the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement.
Robert Zaccardi, Treasurer
J.P. Morgan Private Bank
Robert Zaccardi is an Executive Director with the J.P. Morgan Private Bank in Boston, Massachusetts. In this role, Rob advises non-profits, schools, foundations and endowments, ultra-high net worth families, and senior executives across their lending, banking, investing, philanthropic giving and estate planning needs. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan, Rob served as a Vice President for Strategy and Business Development with Eaton Vance Investment Counsel in Boston where he was responsible for developing the firm’s relationships with area nonprofit organizations, including schools, endowments and foundations, while also working with ultra-high net worth families associated with these institutions. He is also the founder of Building Capacity, a boutique consulting firm offering a suite of services to successful social entrepreneurs, non-profit executives, and non-profit boards. He earned dual macro practice MSW and Nonprofit Management MBA from Boston University, and a BA in History from Framingham State University. Civically active in the local Boston community, Rob is also a Board member at Technology Goes Home. Rob formerly worked on the Advisory Board of the Boston University School of Education and is the past Chairman of the Board of Boston based InnerCity Weightlifting. Rob resides on the south shore with his two children.
Karen Kelley Gill
The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation
Karen Kelley Gill serves as the Director of Finance and Operations for the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation. With more than twenty-five years of experience in the non-profit and philanthropic arena, Karen’s primary expertise is in the area of non-profit finance, operations and strategy. Prior to joining the McGovern Foundation, Karen served as Director of Operations and Administration at the Klarman Family Foundation, as Deputy Director and Chief Financial Officer for the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC), and its affiliated organization, the Children’s Investment Fund. Karen has also held finance positions at the National Arts Stabilization Fund (now National Arts Strategies) and at Arena Stage as well as an adjunct faculty position in the Department of Urban and Environmental Policy at Tufts University. Karen currently serves on the board of directors of the Boston Center for the Arts. Karen holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from the Catholic University of America and a Master of Business Administration in Public and Nonprofit Management and Finance from Boston University.
Jay Kim, Clerk
Foundation for MetroWest
Jay Kim is the Executive Director at the Foundation for MetroWest, previously leading the day to day operations as the Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining the Foundation, Jay led fundraising and development work for nonprofit organizations in the Greater Boston area. He has spent time fundraising for specific programs at The Boston Foundation and has also worked in corporate philanthropy at Target Corporation. Jay spent a few years at the Fannie Mae Foundation working on homelessness initiatives and worked for Public Allies – a national AmeriCorps program. He began his career as a Corps Member at City Year Boston. He has a bachelor of arts degree from Brandeis University and currently lives in Sherborn with his wife and two kids.
Eric Esteves, At Large Executive Committee
The Lenny Zakim Foundation
Eric Esteves is the former Executive Director of the Lenny Zakim Fund, a public charity that provides grants and capacity-building support to grassroots organizations addressing social, racial, and economic justice. Previously, Eric was Director of the Social Innovation Fund at the Boston Foundation, where he led the scaling of the Success Boston college completion initiative. He has served as a consultant and coach for Root Cause, Harvard Business School’s Interpersonal Skills Development Lab, and the Boston Impact Initiative. In 2019, Eric co-directed LeadBoston, an experiential professional development program focused on socially responsible leadership, based at YW Boston. He spent the early part of his career in educational technology, including leadership roles at Lesley University and Boston Public Schools. Eric earned both his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Northeastern University and lives in Roxbury with his wife and two sons.
Kate Grundy, At Large Executive Committee
The Devonshire Foundation
Kate Grundy has served as Executive Director of The Devonshire Foundation, a Boston-based private family foundation, since 2014. In this role, Kate collaborates with the board to address systemic issues affecting inner city youth and to affect climate change by encouraging people to live more sustainably. The Devonshire Foundation works to achieve its goals primarily through targeted capacity-building funding. Kate also serves as the Vice President of Foundation Services at Howland Capital Management, where she provides a broad range of grantmaking and management services to foundation clients. Prior, Kate worked in nonprofit management, both as an independent management consultant and as an organizational staff member. She has worked with client innovators through the Social Innovation Forum and Root Cause. Kate also worked at Rosie’s Place, a Boston shelter for poor and homeless women, as Director of Foundation and Corporate Relations and as a senior manager overseeing direct service programs. She continues to volunteer there as a member of the Program and Evaluation Committee. Kate has also held positions at the National Center on Family Homelessness and Women’s Policy, Inc., a national organization that tracks federal legislation affecting women and families. Kate holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Yale School of Management and Bachelor’s degree in English from Mount Holyoke College.
Jeffrey Poulos, Chief Executive Officer
Philanthropy Massachusetts
Since mid-2010, Jeff has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Philanthropy Massachusetts. Jeff is currently the Treasurer of the board of the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network and Vice Chair of the board of the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers. Prior to joining Philanthropy MA, Jeff served for ten years as Executive Director of StageSource, the Greater Boston Theatre Alliance, a regional association for theatre artists and organizations. Jeff has also worked at the Huntington Theatre Company in a number of positions and as General Manager at the New Repertory Theatre. Additionally, Jeff has served on the Leadership Team of the national D5 Coalition on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Philanthropy, as Chair of the Arts Services Coalition of Boston, as Board Treasurer of Massachusetts Advocates for Arts Sciences and Humanities, and as a member of The Boston Foundation Arts and Culture Advisory Committee and the Massachusetts Cultural Council's Advisor Corps. In 2007, Jeff was one of 56 arts leaders to attend the Executive Program for Nonprofit Leadership-Arts at Stanford University Graduate School of Business Center for Social Innovation. In 2011, Jeff was awarded the StageSource Theatre Hero Award for his long-time service to the Greater Boston theatre community. Jeff is a resident of Watertown, Massachusetts and a graduate of Ithaca College.
Directors:
Kathleen Carney
Carney Family Charitable Foundation
Kathleen Carney began her career in human services counseling women and families with Boston’s Healthcare for the Homeless, the City of Boston Public Health Commission and the MA Department of Corrections. Later she practiced in community mental health on a multidisciplinary outpatient treatment team and eventually launched a private psychotherapy practice in East Providence, RI focusing on mindfulness and meditation inspired by the teachings of Dr. Herbert Benson. In 2006, Kate began an unplanned career in philanthropy as the first staff person for the Carney Family Charitable Foundation (CFCF) as Executive Director. She now serves as a Trustee of CFCF and guides her family’s grantmaking to increase the capacity and strength of those organizations in New Bedford, MA serving children and human service needs. She continues to work with her family on their philanthropic strategy and supports many New Bedford based nonprofit organizations with their fundraising and philanthropic partnerships. She has served on various boards and committees in the region to enhance educational opportunities, work with homeless initiatives and most recent work in United Way of New Bedford’s United Women Council for women and girls. Kate is a lifelong resident of the Southcoast and keeps active with her 3 children and enjoys running and playing pickleball.
Josie Greene
Josephine and Louise Crane Family Foundation
Josie is the President of the Josephine and Louise Crane Foundation, a fourth-generation private family foundation established in 1956 which supports nonprofit organizations throughout Massachusetts. Josie's background in the mental health field informs her philanthropic work, and she has a particular interest in the impact of systems and trauma on communities and identity development. Prior to becoming involved with her family foundation, Josie was the Assistant Director of Counseling at Mount Ida College in Newton. Among her current interests is identifying ways the philanthropic community can talk about and help address root causes of social inequalities through understanding structural and cultural barriers to equity and how they impact our most historically excluded communities. Josie serves on the Board of Overseers at Boston Children's Hospital and is a member of the McLean Hospital National Council. She received her B.A. In Psychology from American University, in Washington, D.C., and a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology from Lesley College in Cambridge, MA. She lives in Newton, with her husband Glenn and has two college-aged children.
Liana Krupp
Krupp Family Foundation
Liana Krupp (she/her) is President of the Krupp Family Foundation, which focuses on building strong organizations that support equitable, thriving communities. In her work, Krupp finds ways of connecting racial and economic justice to a variety of sectors including the arts, food access, civic engagement, and new ways of Jewish life. She actively organizes with other funders to foster liberatory practices in grantmaking and challenge the status quo of philanthropy. Krupp’s role has empowered her to step beyond the traditional role of a grant maker, to become an active ally and adviser to the partners the Foundation supports. Previous to her career in philanthropy, Krupp worked in the fashion and digital media worlds for 15 years. Outside of her work, Krupp is deeply engaged in the arts, serving as a supporter, steward and advocate for socially engaged visual and performative work across North America. Krupp serves on the Board of Directors of Keshet, Board of Trustees of Ballroom Marfa, Advisory Board of Los Angeles Nomadic Division, Advisory Board Co-Chair for the New England Foundation for the Arts, Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s Leadership Council, Hammer Circle at the Hammer Museum (CA), Chinati Contemporary Council (TX), and is co-facilitator of the Social Justice Funders Network's White Affinity Group. Additionally, she has served on CJP's Strategic Planning Group in 2017, Arts & Culture Task Force in 2019, and currently, its inaugural Equity Task Force. Krupp lives between Los Angeles and the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts with her husband and daughter.
Jamie Maguire
Merck Family Fund
Jamie Maguire joined Merck Family Fund in 2004, attracted to the organization’s long history of environmental leadership. In the years since, he has worked alongside the Fund’s Audit and Finance Committees. He has engaged portfolio companies and investment managers in ongoing ESG focused dialogs, and helped transition the endowment to fossil fuel free. Jamie has served as CFO since 2016. Most recently, his focus has been on executing commitments to the Fund’s Mission Related Investment portfolio. A resident of Jamaica Plain since 2001, Jamie has engaged with local groups including Hyde Square Task Force, Community Servings, The Eliot School, Jamaica Pond Association, and Emerald Necklace Conservancy.
Ali Mathias
MassMutual Foundation
Ali Mathias has dedicated the majority of her career to leveraging corporate assets for the greater social good, driving towards positive outcomes for the community at large, a greater sense of purpose for fellow employees, and improving the sustainability of the business she serves. As the leader of MassMutual’s community investment strategy, Ali developed, and directs the Live Mutual Project, which is MassMutual Foundation’s signature initiative. This holistic approach to addressing financial well-being hinges on the intersection of financial capital and social capital, emphasizing the value of community connections in one’s ability to achieve success. The idea of pooling resources towards shared community goals, which are prioritized by the community itself, is at the forefront of a shift in the role corporate funders can play in communities. Ali is helping shape the national conversation through industry affiliations and relationships with national platforms, such as the Impact Genome Project, Financial Health Network, CSR Board.org and Philanthropy Massachusetts. Ali joined MassMutual in 2014 to re-shape the company’s national volunteer strategy, and subsequently initiated and supports the development of an integrated Corporate Sustainability framework for MassMutual, aligning key initiatives across internal environmental, social and governance practices. Ali began her career as a public-school teacher in the Philadelphia area. She holds a master’s degree in education from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree in history from Lafayette College. Ali continues to support education as a member of the Board of Directors of Teach Western Mass.
Natanja Craig Oquendo
Boston Women's Fund
Natanja Craig Oquendo has a deep passion for grassroots organizations and over 20 years of Non-profit experience with the majority of her professional career being spent in the philanthropic sector. Natanja is the Executive Director of the Boston Women’s Fund (BWF). Founded in 1984, BWF is a leader in supporting community-based grassroots organizations and initiatives led by *women+ and girls with the least access to resources. BWF has invested close to $7 million in 344 grassroots organizations and projects led by women+ and girls+ (those who identify as women, nonbinary, or gender fluid) working to achieve racial, economic, and gender justice in Greater Boston and beyond. Prior to BWF, Natanja used her grit, passion and personal life experience to help define and shape the Boston Foundation’s Grassroots Strategy–a unique strategy she built from the ground up. As Vice President of Community Partnerships for The Possible Project, Natanja led outreach efforts to ensure deep engagement with local leaders, families, and organizations. Natanja believes in a philanthropy which seeks out leaders making positive changes in their communities centering their knowledge, expertise and solutions. At the core of Natanja’s work and beliefs is the concept “do nothing about me without me.” Natanja is committed to working in partnership with the full diversity of our communities particularly *women+ and girls of color (*those who identify as women, nonbinary and/or genderfluid) and the LGBTQIA+ community to build a better future for everyone. She believes in giving back by sharing her knowledge and expertise to create positive change within the community. She is a Board Member of Harvard’s Phillips Brooks House and is on the Leadership Council of the Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School. Natanja also has an active family life with her five children and husband Jason.
Geeta Pradhan
Cambridge Community Foundation
Geeta, President & CEO, draws on her deep experience in philanthropy, urban planning and economic development to address the needs of Cambridge through the Foundation’s work. She has transformed a local grant-making organization into ‘the’ local giving platform that supports our city’s shared prosperity, social equity and cultural richness. The CCF has been an effective and high impact grant-maker for 100 years; today, it supports approximately 100 nonprofits annually. The organization has become an influential civic leader, serving as a neutral, civic voice on issues Cambridge faces, and a collaborative philanthropic partner, working with donors, businesses, nonprofits, universities and engaged citizens to address residents’ needs. Geeta previously worked for the Boston Foundation, where she oversaw the development of the Foundation’s strategic initiatives. She studied architecture in India and holds an MA in Urban Design from the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
Dr. Alexandra Piñeros Shields
The Heller School, Brandeis University
Dr. Piñeros Shields brings over 30 years of experience working to advance the human and civil rights of oppressed communities through innovative practices that create spaces and processes for deep meaningful civic participation and democratic decision-making. Dr. Shields is currently at the Heller School at Brandeis University as an Associate Professor of the Practice of Racial Equity. Formerly, she served as Executive Director of the Essex County Community Organization (ECCO), an interfaith, interracial, and interclass network of 40 congregations whose mission is racial and economic justice, she transformed the organization into a “laboratory for democracy”. Dr. Piñeros Shields has held leadership positions at the Massachusetts Immigrant and Advocacy Coalition and the International Irish Immigrant Center. She has also worked at Catholic Charities Immigration and Refugee Services, and the Central American Refugee Center in Washington D.C. She served on Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick’s design team for the New Americans Agenda, an executive order that produced an immigrant integration policy agenda for Massachusetts.
Bryan Spence
Liberty Mutual Foundation
Bryan Spence serves as National Director of Programs at the Liberty Mutual Foundation. Our charitable giving is focused on empowering individuals who are experiencing homelessness, advancing access for people with disabilities, and expanding educational opportunities for underserved students. Prior to joining Liberty Mutual, Bryan was Chief Development Officer at Ellis Memorial, an Early Education and Care Center in Boston’s South End. He has also worked in development at EdVestors and Northeastern University, and in corporate philanthropy at New England Financial/MetLife and Delta Dental of Massachusetts. Bryan has served on numerous boards and committees including the Clipper Ship Foundation, Family Service of Greater Boston, Steppingstone Foundation, Associated Grant Makers (Philanthropy Massachusetts), Neighborhood Development Support Collaborative, and grant review committees at the United Way of Massachusetts Bay. Bryan is a graduate of Brown University with a BA in Urban Studies.
Nancy Stager
Eastern Bank Foundation
Nancy Huntington Stager leads Eastern’s philanthropy, volunteerism programming, and civic advocacy. Having joined the Bank in 1995 as Chief HR Officer, Nancy has actively shaped the culture the Bank enjoys today as consistently one of the “Top Places to Work” in the region, as well as the Bank’s corporate social responsibility reputation in the communities of eastern Massachusetts, southern & coastal New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. She was named President & CEO of the Eastern Bank Foundation in July of 2019. She is dedicated to creating and supporting robust programming to celebrate and assist our communities, encouraging fellow colleagues to volunteer their skills with non-profit organizations addressing community needs, as well as serving as a strong advocate for economic inclusion and mobility and other social justice causes aimed at creating a better, fairer, more sustainable world. Nancy is also co-founder and President of the Foundation for Business Equity, a private foundation started with an $13MM grant from EBF, which is focused on Black and LatinX enterprises in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island, building capacity and facilitating access to capital and contracts, which enable their growth. Nancy grew up on Long Island, New York, graduated from Cornell University, and now resides in Reading, Massachusetts.
Peter Taylor
Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation
Peter Taylor became the fourth president of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation in January 2016. Since his arrival, Peter has led the board and staff through a regional community assessment and a strategic planning process resulting in new foundation priorities aimed at increasing educational attainment, community engagement and economic opportunity. During his tenure, the foundation has worked collaboratively with BTCF donors, committees, other funders and community groups to launch multi-year initiatives focused on supporting entrepreneurship, strengthening community engagement through the arts, increasing educational attainment and reducing poverty and substance use. Previously, Peter served as vice president, program development and grantmaking services, at the Maine Community Foundation, a statewide community foundation he joined in 2002. Prior to this role, Peter was associate dean of students at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. His past board service includes chairing Maine Philanthropy Center and Maine Commission for Community Service. Peter is a graduate of Kenyon College and holds a master’s degree from University of Virginia. He lives in Great Barrington, MA with his wife, Stephanie, and two daughters.
Prentice Zinn
GMA Foundations
Prentice Zinn is a Director of GMA, responsible for managing several local, regional, and international foundations. He is best known to his clients and colleagues as an advisor, educator, and facilitator. Within the firm’s consulting practice, he leads projects related to strategy development, evaluation, needs assessment, and planning. He is a generalist in philanthropy, but favors wicked challenges related to the environment, public health, community development, and human services. Prentice joined GMA Foundations in 1999 and became a director in 2007. Prentice grew up in Flint, Michigan and started a lifelong path in the nonprofit sector in high school. His years in Detroit, Denver, and Boston have made him a keen critic of generalizations about nonprofits and philanthropy. He is always eager to share what he is learning about evaluation, governance, participatory research, co-operative economics, community organizing, and organizational development. He is a founding member of Jamaica Plain Cohousing in Boston and a board member of Hesperian Health Guides. When not training for marathons, Prentice spends his free time recovering from running overuse injuries. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Prentice also earned master’s degrees from the University of Michigan School of Social Work and the Boston University School of Public Health.