Our Team

Amanda Alves

Administrative Assistant

Joanna S. Ballantine

Vice President for Philanthropic Services

Marty Bongfeldt

Donor Services Associate

Nicole Bourdon

Nicole Bourdon

Senior Program Officer

Megan Burke

President and CEO

Didi de Almeida

Accounting Manager

Margaret Everett

Margaret Everett

Grants Administrator

Murielle Gatewood

Program Officer for Postsecondary Education

Nigel Greaves

Nigel Greaves

Director of Development

Sarah Guerin

Executive Assistant, Community Impact and Partnerships

Shannon Gurek

Vice President for Finance and Operations

Denise Hurst

Vice President for Community Impact and Partnerships

Bianca Jimenez

ValleyCreates Coordinator

Nancy LaFlamme

Senior Accountant

Meredith Lewis

Meredith Lewis

Senior Director of Community Impact and Partnerships

Jeffery Markham Jr.

Senior Program Officer

Keith McKittrick

Keith McKittrick

Director of Philanthropic Operations

Michaela Mendygral

Marketing Coordinator

Emma Mesa-Melendez

Emma Mesa-Melendez

Director of Communications

Maria del Carmen Rodriguez

Development Officer

Adriana Sanchez Dominicci

Advanced Data Specialist

MC Silver

Executive Assistant for Operations

Jared Stickley

Scholarship Program Officer

Ann Tweedy

Fund Administration Associate

Briana Wales-Thaxton

Vice President for People and Culture

David Williams

Accountant

Trustees

Trustees

  • Paul Murphy

    Paul Murphy, Chair

    Retired Attorney
  • Karin George

    Karin L. George, Vice Chair

    Principal and Co-Owner, Washburn & McGoldrick, Inc.
  • Tara Brewster

    Vice President of Business Development and Director of Philanthropy at Greenfield Savings Bank
  • Nikki Burnett

    Nikki Burnett

    Executive Director, Educare Springfield
  • Charlie D'Amour

    President and CEO, Big Y
  • John Davis

    President of Historic Deerfield
  • Linda Dunlavy

    Linda Dunlavy

    Executive Director, Franklin Regional Council of Governments
  • Mauricia Geissler

    Mauricia Geissler

    Retired Chief Investment Officer, Amherst College
  • Magdalena Gómez

    Playwright, performer, and speaker
  • Gillian Hinkson

    Gillian Hinkson

    Victim Witness Advocate, Hampden County District Attorney’s Office
  • Mark Keroack

    Mark A. Keroack

    Chief Executive Officer, Baystate Health
  • Becky Packard

    Becky Packard

    Professor of Psychology and Education, Mt. Holyoke College
  • Dr. Michelle Schutt

    President of Greenfield Community College
  • Payton Shubrick

    CEO and founder of 6 Brick’s Cannabis Dispensary Springfield
  • Douglas Theobold

    Douglas A. Theobald

    Partner, The MP Group
  • Gregory S. Thomas

    Executive Director & Lecturer Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship, University of Massachusetts
  • Aaron Vega

    Director of Planning and Economic Development, City of Holyoke

Emeritus Trustees

  • George Arwady

  • Dana R. Barrows *

  • Sanford A. Belden *

  • Helen D. Blake

  • Kenneth Boutin

  • Bruce Brown

  • Robert S. Carroll *

  • Robert Cohn

  • Ruth Constantine

  • Peter J. Daboul *

  • Stephen A. Davis *

  • Kerry Dietz

  • Dianne Fuller Doherty

  • Alfred L. Griggs *

  • Harold Grinspoon

  • Lester L. Halpern

  • Willie L. Hill Jr.

  • Orlando Isaza

  • Amy Jamrog

  • Carol A. Leary *

  • Ellen Brout Lindsey

  • Sonia M. Nieto

  • David E. Pinsky

  • Robert Pura

  • Irene Rodriguez-Martin

  • Elizabeth D. Scheibel *

  • Mary Ellen Scott

  • Elizabeth H. Sillin *

  • Richard B. Steele Jr.

  • Ralph S. Tate *

  • Peggy Woods

  • Angela Wright

  • * Trustee Chair Emeritus

Committees

Audit/Finance Committee

(2023-2024)

Charles D'Amour
Mark Keroack
Mary-Anne S. Stearns
Tristan Ta
Doug A. Theobald, Chair
Ashley Travis

Committee on Trustees

(2023-2024)

Nikki Burnett
Linda Dunlavy, Chair
Karin George
Gillian Hinkson
Paul R. Murphy
Elizabeth H. Sillin
Aaron Vega

Distribution Committee

(2023-2024)

Nikki Burnett, Co-Chair
Patricia Crutchfield
Mariana DeLobato
Linda Desmarais
Christopher Fager
Brooks Fitch
Norma Friedman, Co-Chair
Jamie Manning
Devin Sheehan
Payton Shubrick
Francia Wisnewski

Education Committee

(2023-2024)

Susan Crim
Kerry Dietz
Katie Fretwell
Gillian Hinkson
Apelila Joseph, Chair
Thea E. Katsounakis, Emerita
Becky Packard
Craig Reed
Azanda Seymour

Executive Committee

(2023-2024)

Nikki Burnett
Mauricia Geissler
Karin George
Paul Murphy, Chair
Doug A. Theobald
Gregory Thomas

Investment Committee

(2023-2024)

Mauricia A. Geissler, Chair
Dylan Korpita
Mary Jo Maydew
Ralph S. Tate
Doug A. Theobald

Philanthropic Services Committee

(2023-2024)

Gregory Thomas, Chair
Xiomara DeLobato
Jessica Holloway
Terrell Joyner
Kari Diamond Kayiatos
Sarah Lapolice
Amie Miarecki
Robyn Newhouse
Lillian Ortiz
Kathryn Wakefield

Volunteers

Grant Reviewers

(2022-2023)

Emma Aldana
Justin Beatty
Amanda Bowman
Chaitali J Brahmbhatt
Anne Chapdelaine
Patricia Crutchfield
Janet Daisley
Linda Desmarais
Norma Friedman
Chrismery Gonzalez
Nigel Greaves
Andrae Green
Chrissy Campos Howard
Jynai McDonald
Jennifer R. McNeill, Ed.D
Andrea Monson
Olivia Morris
Thomas Oakley
Vanessa Pabón-Hernandez
Nicole Polite
Mable L. Sharif
Devin Sheehan
Cynthia A Swan
John Thorpe
Francia Wisnewski

Community Advisors

(2022-2023)

Matthew Glassman
Andrae Green
I-Shea
Vanessa Pabon-Hernandez

Scholarship and Loan Reviewers

(2022)

Barbara Bourque
Chaitali Brahmbhatt
Ted Brown
Dr. Dawn Bryden
Sheila Burke
Julie Cafritz
Tom Campanga
Anne Chapdelaine
Jie Chen
Claire Christopherson
Martha Clark
Denise Cogman
Tracey Coleman
Deb Cook
Anne Cowen
Chase Crean
Susan Crim
Yvonne Cruz
Cedric Cunningham
Linda Dagradi
Nancy Davis
Kit Dennis
Linda Desmarais
Kerry Dietz
Anne Dillard
Michael Dublin
Casey Jo Dufresne
Mark Dupont
Christopher Dupont
Susan Dupont
Isabel Espinal
Kent Faerber
Aarin Feliz
Jason Finnie
Andrea Foresi
Katie Frett
Katie Fretwell
Yvette Frisby
Melissa Gall
Kiyota Garcia
Karin George
Diane Graham
Bill Grass
Meg Gresham
Catherine Grygorcewicz
Shane Hammond
Mark Hellen
John Hennessey
Jessica Hill
Gillian Hinkson
Robert Houle
Kaeli Howard
Denise Hurst
Emily Johnson
Apelila Joseph
Thea Katsounakis
Stephanie King
Eileen Kirk
Jake Krans
Andrea Lacasse
Phyllis Levenson
James Lightfoot
Gloria Lopez
CJ Lussier
Michelle Maloney
Jason Maloney
Maddie Marquez
Pamela Marsh-Williams
Mike McKenna
Corinne McKinstry
Jayne Mercier
Emily Moreau
Noreen Nardi
Jasmine Naylor
Grace Nemphos
Jason Newman
Thomas Oakley
Patricia O'Flaherty
Becky Packard
Carlton Pickron
Maurice Powe
Myriam Quinones
Craig Reed
Brian Renaud
Bill Romani
Christina Royal
Momodou Sarr
Jamina Scippio-McFadden
Azanda Seymour
Laila Shaikh
Ashley Solomon
Diana Spurgin
Dan Stanhope
Laura Stebbins
Ned Steiger
John Szymczyk
Ralph Tate
Laurie White
Kristen Wing
Barbara Wurtzel