Staff and Associates
Staff
Craig J. Dutra, President, has held leadership positions in non profit organization for over 30 years. In 2004 he was appointed President of the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts, From 2000 to 2004, Craig served as Vice President of Marketing and Development for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children in Boston. His prior positions include: Senior Vice President, Resource Development and Marketing, Orange County’s United Way, Irvine, CA; Chief Professional Officer, United Ways of New England, Boston; President , United Way of Greater New Bedford; Mayor’s Senior Policy Adviser for Health and Human Services, City of Boston; Executive Director, PACE, Inc., New Bedford; and Regional Manager, Commonwealth of Massachusetts Office for Children. He serves on a number of advisory boards and professional committees and is active in the Town of Westport, where he currently holds the office of Selectman.
Bel DeBarros, Donor Relations Specialist, Bel brings to the Foundation many years of experience in human and social services. Before coming on board in 2005, she spent five years working with at-risk families for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (MSPCC) and prior to that as a Crisis Intervention Specialist and a Specialized Foster Parent for ComCare Services. Bel also worked for several years as a recruiting training specialist for RGIS Inventory Specialists. She is a trained facilitator for various child and family support groups, and has often been asked to speak at workshops on family issues.
Nancy Harding joined the Community Foundation in 2005 as Communications Director. She brings to this position nearly 15 years of experience in nonprofit communications and development, along with seven years as a daily newspaper reporter. Nancy worked for The New Bedford Standard-Times from 1983-89, then made the switch to the nonprofit world. She spent nearly 10 years as Communications Director for the United Way of Greater New Bedford. followed by four years as regional Development Manager for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.
Lauren Maher joined the Community Foundation in March 2012 as Program Officer. Lauren brings more than 10 years of experience in grantmaking and program management, along with scholarship administration, to the position. She was most recently employed as a Program Officer for the Northern California Grantmakers in San Francisco, where she managed the collaborative philanthropy of over 30 private, community and corporate foundations, including two loan funds and a network of corporate grantmakers. She has also worked for the Rockefeller and Firelight Foundations.
Kate Fentress, MSW, joined as the Executive Director of the Women's Fund in June 2004. As the Fund’s first Executive Director, Kate, along with a large and dedicated volunteer workforce, has had a hand in every aspect of the development of the organization she now manages. Her professional background includes 20 years of experience as a clinical social worker and 15 years of fundraising experience, which have given her a deep understanding of the challenges and the opportunities the 21st Century offers all women. Kate was selected by the Standard-Times in January 2008 as Southcoast Woman of The Year.
Traci Calabrese recently joined the Women's Fund as Development Officer. Growing up in New Bedford and Dartmouth, Traci graduated from University of Rhode Island Summa Cum Laude in 2000, and began working at the Development Office while still in school. Upon graduation, she decided that she would pursue non-profit development work as a career. Traci left our region for development positions at Lake Forest College in Illinois, and Convent of the Visitation School in Mendota, Minnesota. She then returned to the Boston area where she worked with several non-profit organizations in annual giving, major gifts and outreach.
Jeanette Doyle, Administrative Assistant to the Women’s Fund, joined the Women’s Fund in January 2008. Jeannette brings to the position many years of experience, including 10 years as a part-time Administrative Assistant to the President and Vice Presidents of Quaker Fabric Corp. in Fall River, and for over 25 years as a full-time legal assistant.
Associates
Candace Lee Heald has been Director of AHA! - New Bedford’s 2nd Thursday FREE Art and Culture Night since 2007. Lee previously worked as Vice-President of Programs, Education and Exhibitions at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, where she oversaw educational and public programs, exhibitions and library functions as well as visitor services and volunteers. She received her Ph.D. from Lesley University, an MA in American History from the University of Delaware, and BA in American History from Brown University. Lee was one of the authors for the original AHA! grant, and served as Program and Steering Committee Chairs from 1999 until joining the staff.
Jennifer Marshall Grantham, SEEAL Coordinator, joined the Southeastern Environmental Education Alliance in 2005. She has helped secure a $250,000 EPA grant for sustainability-related projects in New Bedford and helped launch SEEAL’s Climate Change Education Initiative. Her past experience includes developing an environmental education program in Madagascar, working with MASSPIRG at UMass Dartmouth, and with the Westport River Watershed Alliance. She has been involved with the Bioneers By The Bay sustainability conference since it was started five years ago. Jennifer has a B.S. in Natural Resources from Cornell University and is currently attending Marlboro College's MBA in Managing For Sustainability.
Andy Erickson also joined the SouthCoast Energy Challenge recently as Community Outreach Coordinator. As a newly returned Dartmouth native, Andy is beginning graduate school this year at Marlboro College in the Managing for Sustainability MBA program. His enthusiasm and creativity are well matched by his experience with marketing, events, and outreach in a nonprofit setting. He returns to the SouthCoast by way of California, Costa Rica, and Utah.