Board of Directors

YWCA Greater Newburyport

Board of Directors

Our Board is composed of 15 Directors. In order to promote leadership in young women, High School Students are encouraged to participate on the Board of Directors. Students are permitted to serve one-year terms instead of three-year terms:

Deborah Rider, President

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I am retired from a 30 year career in banking, primarily in the area of compliance and risk  but also in community reinvestment.  I serve on the Salisbury Affordable Housing Trust,Planning Board

and on the AuditCommittee of the New Hampshire  Fund. Affordable Housing, Gender Equality, and Racial Justice are important issues and its critical that we effectively find solutions.   I believe that the YWCA is positioned to make impactful progress in these areas. I have two grown daughters and reside in Salisbury with my wife, Anne.

Julia McDonald, Vice President

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Julia McDonald is a Senior Manager in the Risk & Financial Advisory practice at Deloitte. She helps her clients address their top IT risks and specializes in the Consumer industry. At Deloitte, Julia also is a member of the New England Women and Allies Group, which strives to empower  allyship and change for women in the workforce. Aside from her experience at Deloitte, Julia loves to spend her free time baking for friends and family’s events and parties. Julia holds a B.S. in Accounting from Elon University. She grew up in Amesbury and now resides in Newburyport with her partner and dog Tinsley!

 

Christine Allen, Clerk

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In her role as Vice President Information Technology Security/Infrastructure Operations, Christine works closely with the SVP/CIO to manage the day to day operations of the Information Technology Department and the security of the Bank’s server and network infrastructure to ensure that the Bank’s technology is safe and protected. Christine holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Administration from Emmanuel College and is a member of ISC2 (International Information System Security Certification Consortium) and retains the following certifications CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional; Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP), Comp TIA Security+, and Microsoft Certified System Engineer (MCSE). What drew me to serve on the YWCA Board was the mission statement that the YWCA is “dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.” What attracted me to the YWCA of greater Newburyport was the racial justice and affordable housing committees in hopes of serving on at least one of the and I do!

Maricelis Ortiz, Treasurer

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Maricelis Ortiz, (BA Psychology and more than 30 + years of experience) is the Administrator of Children and Family Services for the YWCA Northeastern Ma where she has workked for 25 years . She is responsible for the operation of all Youth Services programming implemented by the YWCA and has special expertise in gender specific programming and agency management.  She works collaboratively with other directors and staff to provide YWCA youth services in a culturally competent, age-appropriate model. She is a bilingual / bicultural member of the community, where she also has a strong presence with community partners. She is married to her high school sweetheart of 33 years. He is a Lawrence Firefighter and together have 4 children, 3 boys and a girl ages 23, 20, 14 and 12. She is currently pursuing her master’s at Bay Path University in Nonprofit Management and Philanthropy.

 

Jessica Baylor, Director

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Jessica Baylor is a Program Officer at the Klarman Family Foundation and has experience across the for-profit and nonprofit sectors in a variety of human resources and philanthropic-related roles. Jessica has a certificate from the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM-CP) and earned a Master’s degree in Organizational Change Management from the New School and a Bachelor’s degree from the College of Wooster. In addition to the YWCA Newburyport, Jessica is on the Steering Committee for the Boston Chapter of EPIP (Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy), the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Alliance for the City of Newburyport and serves on the Graduate Council for the Noble and Greenough School. She lives with her family in Newbury, MA.

Joanne Bucciere, Director

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Bio coming soon!

Deirdre Budzyna, Director

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Deirdre Budzyna is the Coordinator of Early Childhood Education at Northern Essex Community College. She is also the owner of Acting Out productions in Newburyport where she teaches theater to children ages 4 to 16. She speaks at national conferences on the Theory of Multiple Intelligences and Creative Arts in Learning. Deirdre lives in Newburyport with her husband John, her mom Sue, and her teacup Yorkie Princess.  She and John have three grown children: Colin, Erin, and Maggie.

Nancy Caswell, Director

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Since 2006, Caswell Restaurant Group has developed and operated durable restaurant concepts that have earned impressive accolades for evocative menus that tell stories through food, inventive international wine lists featuring undiscovered gems from small batch wineries, and exceptional guest service experiences. The company’s reputation as respected culinary leader is the work of powerhouse proprietor and wine aficionado Nancy Batista-Caswell, whose success record is testament to her savvy in designing modern restaurant offerings that match contemporary diner values and preferences.

Rachel Gilbert, Director

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Rachel is an environmental engineer and social justice consultant. She has over 20 years of experience practicing engineering and has managed drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater projects from planning to design and  construction. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and is a licensed professional in Massachusetts. Rachel is pursuing a Master’s in Social Justice and Community Organizing and is expected to graduate in December 2024. She has six years of experience leading equity and inclusion strategy and is the founder of Liberatory Strategies, LLC, a consulting firm specializing in racial justice.

Molly Grant, Director

Read more about Molly

Bio coming soon!

Piper Herndon, Director

Read more about Piper
Bio coming soon!

Hannah MacVane, Director

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Hannah MacVane is an Account Manager at Matter Communications, specializing in Public Relations and having worked with a variety of companies ranging from non-profit organizations to Fortune 5 corporations. In addition to her involvement with the YWCA of Newburyport, she also serves on the Marketing Committee for the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center, which strives to empower individuals and engage communities to end domestic violence. Hannah holds a B.A. in Communications from the College of Charleston, as well as Minors in Spanish and Dance, and resides with her husband in Amesbury, MA.

Tsveta Semova,  Director

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Tsveta is the founder of Talent Masters, an HR and recruitment consultancy firm, and brings to us her expertise from various senior roles in education, social impact and global recruitment. Her background includes serving as the Vice President of Business Development, Partnerships, and Human Resources for Educatius North America and leading Global Sales and Marketing Enablement efforts at Shorelight Education. Tsveta  holds a graduate degree in International Business, is SHRM-SCP certified. Outside of her professional life, Tsveta is passionately involved in supporting causes related to education, health, human talent development, social justice, and equity. In addition to her work with the YWCA, she is a mentor for tech startups and is an active member of several professional organizations including SHRM, NEHRA, and the Boston Club.

 

Jamie Sokolowski, Director

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Jamie Sokolowski is currently the principal of the Francis T. Bresnahan Elementary School in Newburyport, MA. She has worked in public education for 13 years and prior to that graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a BM in Music Education and earned her MA in Music Therapy and Mental Health Counseling from Lesley University.

Jamie is certified in Trauma in Learning Certified through Lesley University, and is a RYT-200 Kripalu yoga instructor and also a Board Certified Music Therapist. Jamie is excited to be a director at the YWCA to support its mission of empowering women, eliminating racism and empowering peace in a community that she loves.

 

The YWCA Greater Newburyport is a Massachusetts Charitable Corporate organized under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 180 and is also an exempt organization under IRS Section 501 (c)(3). As such, it has a volunteer Board of Directors who meet throughout the year to: ensure that the YWCA Greater Newburyport works to fulfill its mission, develop and implement a strategic plan, provide financial oversight, including conducting an annual audit, and serve as ambassadors of the YWCA throughout the community.

Committees

The YWCA Board of Directors conducts much of its work through committees. Several of these committees are open to non-Board Members including Affordable Housing, Development, and Racial Justice. People interested in supporting the work of the YWCA through one of these committees should contact the Executive Director.

Joining the Board

The YWCA Greater Newburyport is governed by its by-laws which allow the Board to select its own Directors at the annual board meeting or whenever a vacancy exists. Those who are interested in serving on the Board, should complete an application and submit it to the Executive Director.  Because the Board is limited in size, not all who wish to serve on the Board will be considered.

Standards of Conduct

All Board Members and Committee Members are subject to the YWCA’s Standards of Conduct and must complete an annual  Conflict of Interest form.

Facility Hours

  • Mon– Fri: 6 am – 7:45 pm
  • Sat: 8 am – 1 pm
  • Sun: CLOSED

 

Become Part of Our Community

The YWCA Newburyport offers a variety of programs. Click below for registration information, or to register to become a member of the YWCA Newburyport!

Registration Information
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Make a Difference

We could not do the work we do for our community if it weren’t for the help of your donations. Thank you for your generosity!

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joining the board

Those interested in serving on the Board should complete an application and submit it to the nominating committee for consideration. Because the Board is limited in size, not all who wish to serve on the Board will be considered.

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program registration

Registration Instructions

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facility hours

Mon-Fri: 6 am - 7:45 pm

Sat: 8 am - 1 pm     

Sunday: CLOSED