Press Release
The Greater Boston Food Bank Welcomes New Members to Its Board of Directors and Advisors and New Senior Staff Director
New additions to help guide GBFB’s strategic initiatives in 2016
Boston, MA – The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB), the largest hunger-relief organization in New England, today announced and welcomes the election of four new Board of Directors and seven new Board of Advisors as well as the addition of Senior Staff Director Deborah Bowers Kenealy, J.D. The new members bring varied professional backgrounds providing additional strategic insight and expertise to the Board of Directors and Board of Advisors as the organization focuses on new community based initiatives to end hunger here in Eastern Massachusetts.
The four new members of the GBFB Board of Directors are:
- Julie LaFontaine, Executive Director, The Open Door
- Mark McGowan, President , Stop & Shop/New England Division
- Quincy Miller, President of Citizens Bank, Massachusetts
- Michael Travis, Principal, Travis & Company
The seven new members of the GBFB Board of Advisors are:
- Dr. Tamara Baer, Associate, McKinsey & Company
- Peter Bakkala, President, Government & Professionals Banking, Citizens Financial Group, Inc.
- Steve DiFillippo (Honorary), Chef/Owner, Davio’s
- Todd Drager, Commercial Insurance Advisor and Nonprofit Practice Leader, Eastern Insurance
- Dr. Vin Gupta, Pulmonary & Critical Care Fellow, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
- Norman Lind, Investment Executive
- Mary Pendergast, Chief Financial Officer, Fidelity Biosciences
In her role as Senior Staff Director, Kenealy will work with GBFB President and CEO Catherine D’Amato to advance the organization while coordinating and supporting the work of the Board of Directors, Board of Advisors, all the Board committees and councils as well as the management team. Prior to joining GBFB, Kenealy served as the assistant counsel for the Commonwealth’s House Committee on Ways and Means and was a pro bono attorney for the Massachusetts Office of Victim Assistance. She has more than 20 years’ experience in program development, community outreach, event management, and volunteer recruitment and coordination. Kenealy received her bachelor’s degree in political science from Williams College and law degree from Cornell Law School.
“Deborah’s vast experience and result-oriented approach made her the obvious choice for this new position to support the work and governance of the corporation,” said D’Amato. “All of the new members of the Boards of Directors and Advisors are very accomplished leaders, each bringing a needed skill set to advance the mission of the organization. They will complement each other well as we work toward providing One Meal A Day for those in need.”
About The Greater Boston Food Bank
The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) is the largest hunger-relief organization in New England and among the largest food banks in the country. GBFB distributes more than 54 million pounds of food and grocery products annually to 550 member hunger-relief agencies and more than 30 direct service programs throughout Eastern Massachusetts in a dedicated partnership to end hunger in our region. This provides 45 million meals annually for as many as 500,000 people. GBFB is a member of Feeding America, the nation’s food bank network. For more information, visit us at GBFB.org, become a fan on Facebook, follow us on Twitter (@gr8bosfoodbank), or call us at (617) 427-5200.