Staff

  Craig J. Dutra, President, has held leadership positions in the field of community development and human services for the past 28 years, primarily in organizations serving Southeastern Massachusetts. In December 2004 he was appointed President of the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts, an organization that he was actively involved in creating. Mr. Dutra supervised the development of a feasibility plan that led to the establishment of the Foundation and served as Board member and Treasurer from 1994 to 1996. From 2000 to 2004, Mr. Dutra served as Vice President of Marketing and Development and Southeastern Massachusetts Regional Administrator for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children in Boston, MA. 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, MA; President and Chief Professional Officer, United Way of Greater New Bedford; Mayor’s Senior Policy Adviser for Health and Human Services, City of Boston, MA; Executive Director, PACE, Inc., New Bedford; and Regional Manager, Commonwealth of Massachusetts Office for Children. Contact cdutra@cfsema.org
     
  Gabrielle Simmons, Program Officer, joined the Foundation in 2004.  She brings to us a broad range of experience.  She completed her B.A. in German (magna cum laude) from Portland State University in 1985.  Trained in preservation carpentry at the North Bennet Street School in Boston, she began her professional career in the Northeast in 1991 by providing preservation and consultation to historic sites throughout Southern New England.  She honed her administrative and business skills as client contact and budget director for Twine, L.L.C., a small internet investment firm in Cambridge, MA, and then as Director of Operations for Alnich Components, East Providence, RI, a firm that grew from start-up to multi-million-dollar business during her tenure.  She began to work with foundations (the Rhode Island Foundation and the Pawtucket Foundation) out of a desire to integrate her concerns for buildings, their funding, and, especially, the communities they house. Contact gsimmons@cfsema.org
     
  Nancy Harding recently joined the Community Foundation as Communications Coordinator.  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 Coordinator 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 (MSPCC). A native of New York, Nancy received a bachelor of arts degree from the State University of New York at Binghamton and a master's degree in journalism from Indiana University. She is a member of the board of directors of the YWCA of Southeastern Massachusetts, and is an active soccer/basketball/baseball mom. Contact nharding@cfsema.org
     
 

Bel DeBarros, Donor Relations Specialist, is the newest staff member to join the Community Foundation. Bel brings to the Foundation many years of experience in human and social services. Before coming on board in October 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 an accomplished trained facilitator for various child and family support groups, and has often been asked to speak at workshops on family issues. Contact bdebarros@cfsema.org

     
 

Kate Fentress, Women's Fund Director, has been working with the Women’s Fund since June 2004. Kate brings 20 years of experience as a clinical social worker, 5 years professional experience in the field of development, and 15 years of volunteer experience in fundraising and non-profit board work to this position. Her social work experience includes working for Catholic Charities in Boston , The Cambridge Hospital, Psychiatric and Psychological Associates in New Bedford and as an Employee Assistance Consultant at Titleist and Footjoy Worldwide.  She founded Workspirit in 1997, a consulting business dedicated to teaching stress management and building emotional intelligence in the workplace. She served as Development Director for the Inter-Church Council of Greater New Bedford and at the Lloyd Center for the Environment.  Her volunteer experience includes being an international team leader for Global Volunteers. Her board experience includes The Friends of Russells Mills Village, The Women’s Center, Friends Academy and the Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust. Contact kfentress@cfsema.org