Our Team

Amanda Alves

Administrative Associate

Joanna S. Ballantine

Vice President for Philanthropic Services

Andrea Bienvenue

Program Officer for Post-Secondary Education

Marty Bongfeldt

Donor Services Associate

Nicole Bourdon

Nicole Bourdon

Senior Program Officer

Megan Burke

President and CEO

Didi de Almeida

Accounting Manager

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

Breyonna Jones

Scholarship and Loan Associate

Nancy LaFlamme

Senior Accountant

Jeffery Markham Jr.

Senior Program Officer

Keith McKittrick

Keith McKittrick

Director of Philanthropic Operations

Jennifer R. McNeill, Ed.D.

Senior Program Officer for Education and Economic Mobility

Michaela Mendygral

Marketing Coordinator

Emma Mesa-Melendez

Director of Communications

Stephanie Reyes

Program Officer for Arts and Creativity

Maria del Carmen Rodriguez

Development Officer

MC Silver

Executive Assistant for Operations

Ja'Net Smith

Senior Director of Community Impact

Ann Tweedy

Fund Administration Associate

Briana Wales-Thaxton

Vice President for People and Culture

David Williams

Accountant

Board of Directors

Board of Directors

  • Karin George, Chair

    Principal, Washburn & McGoldrick, LLC
  • Charlie D'Amour, Vice Chair

    Retired President and CEO, Big Y
  • Tara Brewster

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

    Nikki Burnett

    Executive Director, Educare Springfield
  • Sylvia Callan

    CFA, CAIA, Senior Portfolio Manager, St. Germain Investments
  • John Davis

    President of Historic Deerfield
  • 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
  • Jessica Holloway

    Partner & Chief Operating Officer, The Jamrog Group
  • Mark Keroack

    Mark A. Keroack

    Retired Chief Executive Officer, Baystate Health
  • Sarah Lapolice

    CPA, Burkhart, Pizzanelli, P.C.
  • Dr. Michelle Schutt

    President of Greenfield Community College
  • Payton Shubrick

    CEO and founder of 6 Brick’s Cannabis Dispensary Springfield
  • Gregory S. Thomas

    Executive Director & Lecturer Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship, University of Massachusetts
  • Traci Talbert

    Racial Justice Community Engagement Leader, Franklin County Community Development Corporation
  • Aaron Vega

    Director of Planning and Economic Development, City of Holyoke
  • Danielle Williams

    Presiding Justice, Holyoke District Court
  • Francia Wisnewski

    Director of Membership and Community Engagement, National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC)

Directors Emeritus

  • 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

  • Linda Dunlavy

  • Alfred L. Griggs *

  • Harold Grinspoon

  • Lester L. Halpern

  • Willie L. Hill Jr.

  • Orlando Isaza

  • Amy Jamrog

  • Carol A. Leary *

  • Ellen Brout Lindsey

  • Paul Murphy *

  • Sonia M. Nieto

  • Becky Packard

  • David E. Pinsky

  • Robert Pura

  • Irene Rodriguez-Martin

  • Elizabeth D. Scheibel *

  • Mary Ellen Scott

  • Elizabeth H. Sillin *

  • Richard B. Steele Jr.

  • Ralph S. Tate *

  • Doug A. Theobald

  • Peggy Woods

  • Angela Wright

  • * Board Chair Emeritus

Committees

Audit/Finance Committee

(2025-2026)

Sarah Lapolice, Chair
Mark Keroack, Vice Chair
Charles D'Amour
PJ Miller
Mary-Anne S. Stearns
Tristan Ta
Ashley Travis

Nominating and Governance Committee

(2025-2026)

Payton Shubrick, Chair
Charlie D'Amour, Vice Chair
Nikki Burnett
Karin George
Gillian Hinkson

Distribution Committee

(2025-2026)

Francia Wisnewski, Chair
Devin Sheehan, Vice Chair
Nikki Burnett
Patricia Crutchfield
John Davis
Debbie DiStefano
Brooks Fitch
Magdalena Gomez
Jamie Manning
Andrea Monson
Cecil Papafio
David Rudder

Education Committee

(2025-2026)

Apelila Joseph, Chair
Susan Crim
Kerry Dietz
Katie Fretwell
Jennifer Pickering
Michelle Schutt
Azanda Seymour
Deja Ware

Executive Committee

(2025-2026)

Karin George, Chair
Charlie D'Amour
Mauricia Geissler
Sarah Lapolice
Payton Shubrick
Gregory S. Thomas
Francia Wisnewski

Investment Committee

(2025-2026)

Mauricia A. Geissler, Chair
Sylvia Callan, Vice Chair
Gillian Hinkson
Dylan Korpita
Mary Jo Maydew
Ralph S. Tate
Aaron Vega

Philanthropic Services Committee

(2025-2026)

Gregory S. Thomas, Chair
Tara Brewster, Vice Chair
Kylie Brown
Xiomara DeLobato
Ryan Ferriter
Jessica Holloway
Terrell Joyner
Kari Diamond Kayiatos
Amie Miarecki
Kathryn Wakefield

Volunteers

Grant Reviewers

(2023-2024)

Emma Aldana
Jessica Avery
Rachel Blackman
Donnabelle Casis
Marcia Crutchfield
Kari Diamond Kayiatos
Jose Escribano
Katie Fretwell
Matthew Glassman
Apelila Joseph
Sarah Lapolice
Stephanie Levin
Melissa Markham
Andrea Monson
Thomas Oakley
Vanessa Pabon-Hernandez
John Ramsburgh
Stephanie Reyes
Irene I-SHEA Shaikly
Betsy Stone
Sarah Zlotnik

Community Advisors

(2024-2025)

Mark Guglielmo
Andrae Green
I-Shea
Vanessa Pabon-Hernandez

Scholarship Reviewers

(2024)


Andrea Robitaille
Jessica L. Avery
Roberta Bolduc
Chaitali J Brahmbhatt
Dawn Bryden
Jie Chen
Kelly Cochran
Susan Crim
Marcia Crutchfield
Patricia Crutchfield
Patrick Danby
John Davis
Linda Desmarais
Jessica Dominik-McKinnon
Katie Fretwell
Kiyota Garcia
Magdalena Gomez
Crystal Gonyea
Angela Hansberry
Gillian Hinkson
Jessica Holloway
Apelila Joseph
Thea Katsounakis
Stephanie King
Sarah Lapolice
Rachelle Lee
Lesa Lessard Pearson
Phyllis Levenson
Jamie Manning
Rose Marlaine Boulay
Suzanne Newby Estes
Lily Newman
Thomas Oakley
Becky Packard
Carlton Pickron
John Ramsburgh
Katy Reed
Samantha Rudd
Azanda Seymour
Devin Sheehan
Payton Shubrick
Ashley Solomon
Barbara Wurtzel