November 1, 2018 Press Releases

New Professional Staff Join Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts

November 1, 2018

SPRINGFIELD – The Community Foundation of Massachusetts (CFWM) welcomes Jim Ayres (Haydenville) as its Vice President for Programs and Strategy, and Kelvin Molina-Brantley (Springfield) as its Director of Philanthropic Engagement, a new position. Ayres will lead CFWM’s robust Grantmaking and Scholarship programs, which build opportunity and improve quality of life in our region through awarding over $4 million annually to local nonprofits and students. Molina-Brantley will develop new programming to inform and connect local donors and build their philanthropic skills.

Ayres brings two decades of philanthropic leadership experience to CFWM. For the past seven years, Ayres has been active in leadership of the area’s United Way system, by serving as CEO of United Way of Pioneer Valley and the United Way of Hampshire County. Prior to his work with United Way, Ayres served for over a decade as Executive Director of the Northampton-based Center for New Americans. Ayres has worked extensively with local and state governments, community coalitions, workforce boards and other non-profit organizations to develop policy and programming. Ayres is the chair of the board of directors of Massachusetts Non-Profit Network and serves on the board of the Institute for Training and Development. He has lived in the Pioneer Valley for over 25 years. He is a graduate of Hampshire College and received his MBA and MA from UMass Amherst and Tufts University, respectively. He resides with his wife, two sons, three dogs and several thousand honey-bees in Haydenville.

Molina-Brantley brings over a decade of local and regional municipal and nonprofit leadership to CFWM. Most recently, he served as the Environmental Health Manager for the Public Health Institute, leading the Springfield Healthy Homes Collaborative. He was the Program Director for the City of Springfield’s Office of Housing and Community Development where he developed successful community initiatives. Prior to his work with the City of Springfield, he served as Community Engagement Manager with HAPHousing (now Wayfinders), and as Community Development Planner and Transportation Planner with Pioneer Valley Planning Commission. Molina-Brantley has served in the Massachusetts Army National Guard since 1998, where he serves as a commissioned officer in the rank of Major specializing in logistics. He received his BS and MPA from Westfield State University. A native of Puerto Rico and a long-term resident of Springfield, Molina- Brantley now lives in the city’s historic McKnight neighborhood with his husband and two sons.