Diverse slate brings wide range of skills and expertise to the organization
OAK BLUFFS, MA (November 4, 2020) – Martha’s Vineyard Community Services (MVCS) is pleased to announce the appointment of five new board members. Effective October 29, MVCS welcomes Leah Brown, Patricia S. Favreau, Gary Foster, Howard E. Goldstein, and Lorraine Wells to MVCS’ Board of Directors.
These individuals join as board members as Bob Egerton, Bruce Eckman, Iris Freeman, John Kennedy, and June Manning retire from the board after reaching their nine-year term limit.
“Bob, Bruce, Iris, John and June are a truly amazing group of people who have made a meaningful difference and helped to usher in our organization’s success,” said Beth Folcarelli, chief executive officer of MVCS. “This new group coming in brings a comparable multitude of talent, expertise and energy to the table, and we are very fortunate to have them join our team as we continue to meet the needs of the Island community.”
Leah Brown, a year-round resident of Oak Bluffs, is the founder of the nationally acclaimed non-profit Diversity Alliance for Science and past president and CEO of A10 Clinical Solutions. A licensed North Carolina attorney, Brown has held several Corporate Executive and Board positions. Fortune magazine named her in Top 10 Women Entrepreneurs and her leadership garnered recognition and accolades from Bloomberg BusinessWeek, American Express OPEN, CNBC, NBC Nightly News, and others.
Patty Favreau is the executive vice president and chief communications officer for the Church Pension Group (CPG), a $15 billion nonprofit financial services firm that serves Episcopal Church employers and employees around the world. Before joining the CPG, she served as president of Redscout, a midsize strategic consultancy that helps household brands through advertising and new product development. A graduate of Amherst College and the University of Virginia School of Law, Favreau is a year-round resident of West Tisbury.
Gary Foster is a Hollywood film producer with an extensive filmography, including the 1993 classic ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ and, more recently, the acclaimed 2009 movie ‘The Soloist’. Foster has spent the past 10 years as board member, Vice Chair and Board Chair of The People Concern, Los Angeles-based nonprofit organizations located in Skid Row that seek to permanently end homelessness, improve health, and build self-sufficiency among people living with severe mental illness. Foster is a seasonal Aquinnah resident.
Howard Goldstein, also a seasonal Aquinnah resident, brings more than 35 years of investment and venture capital experience with Vedanta Capital, INVESCO Private Capital, Chancellor Capital Management, Citicorp Investment Management and Shearson Lehman Brothers. He earned a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School and a B.A. with honors from Clark University. He is a founder of MV Youth and is currently an advisory board member of the Westchester Community Foundation. Goldstein has also served on the board of the Make-a-Wish Foundation of the Hudson Valley, the Audit and Finance Committee of the National Board of the Make-a-Wish Foundation of America, and the boards of The H.O.P.E. For Youth Foundation and the New York-Presbyterian/Hudson Valley Hospital.
Lorraine Wells, a year-round resident of Vineyard Haven, is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from Clark University and a M.Ed. in Counseling Psychology from Boston College. Wells held the role of School Psychologist of Martha’s Vineyard Public Schools for more than 18 years and currently works part time as the School Psychologist at the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School. Prior to moving to Martha’s Vineyard, Wells worked as a school adjustment counselor, senior social worker and guidance counselor. Her expertise is with youth ages 3-22 who experience cognitive, academic, behavioral/emotional and/or developmental challenges.
“The Board welcomes five new members who bring a broad mix of life, work, and non-profit experience to the table,” said Michael Goldsmith, attorney and newly appointed MVCS board president. “A group of entrepreneurs and institutional leaders who have shown a commitment to the community and to the mission of MVCS, they will draw on their collective experience to meet the challenges ahead of us in 2021 and beyond. The Board is delighted to have this diverse, talented group, and we look forward to all they will offer the agency over the next nine years. A great class.”
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About MV Community Services:
We are clinicians and social workers, psychiatrists, counselors, case workers, teachers and volunteers. Embracing community in collaboration with police and primary care physicians, the hospital and Island schools. People who share our belief in the worth and dignity of all. Every day we commit our unique experience, expertise and compassion to help our entire community be as vibrant, strong and healthy as it can be. When together we answer the call our community thrives. Learn more at www.mvcommunityservices.org.