Martin J. Walsh

Marty Walsh started out by following in his father’s footsteps as a union construction worker, rising to become president of Laborers Local 223 in Boston and eventually head of the Greater Boston Building Trades Council.In 1997, Marty won election to th e Massachusetts House of Representatives, where he spent 16 years fighting for workers’ rights and good jobs. A champion for civil rights, he took a courageous early stand for marriage equality, supported communities of color, immigrants, seniors, veterans and he served as a State House leader on substance abuse treatment and recovery support.

In 2013, he was elected Mayor of Boston, an office he served in for seven years. He led Boston through a period of historic success. His groundbreaking policies included the nation’s first municipal Office of Recovery Services, paid parental leave for city employees, climate action and flood protection strategies, universal pre-kindergarten and free community college for low-income students.

In January 2021, President Biden nominated Marty to serve as the United States’ 29th Secretary of Labor. During his two years in office, Marty brought high-quality job training programs to millions of Americans, strengthened mental health support and access to treatment, and ushered in a historic surge in worker organizing.

In February 2023, Marty was appointed as the Executive Director of the National Hockey League Players’ Association, returning to his roots as a labor leader.

Makeeba McCreary

Dr. Makeeba McCreary serves as President of the New Commonwealth Fund, which has distributed more than $17 million to nonprofit organizations across the Commonwealth. Makeeba previously served as the Patti and Jonathan Kraft Chief of Learning and Community Engagement at the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), where she focused on audience development and integrating diverse perspectives into exhibitions. Prior to the MFA, she served as Chief of Staff to the Superintendent of Boston Public Schools and later as Managing Director and Senior Advisor of External Affairs to the Mayor of Boston. Earlier in her career she ran her own agency with a focus on designing and managing philanthropic investment models for leading brands including Jordan Brand, Nike, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Makeeba serves on Governor Healey’s Council for Black Empowerment, as a Trustee of Massachusetts College of Art and Design and a Director of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation. She is a part-time faculty member at MIT’s Sloan School of Management. A native Bostonian, Makeeba received a bachelor’s in psychology from the UMass Boston, a master’s in education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a doctorate in education from the Teachers College at Columbia University.

Women’s Foundation of Massachusetts

Since 2017, the Women’s Foundation of Massachusetts has positively impacted the lives of more than 30,000 women and girls across the state. With a clear and unwavering mission, the Foundation works to economically empower women and girls by creating and funding high-impact leadership and economic programs in partnership with women- and girls-serving organizations.

By mobilizing support from philanthropic donors, the Foundation directs resources toward initiatives that drive meaningful change. Its partnerships focus on programs in education, leadership and mentorship, and career and financial empowerment. Funded initiatives include job training, financial literacy, STEM education, and entrepreneurship equipping women and girls with the tools they need to succeed.

Through strategic grantmaking from Boston to Barnstable to the Berkshires, the Foundation invests in opportunities that unlock potential and expand access to economic mobility. The impact extends beyond individuals: when women and girls thrive, families strengthen and entire communities benefit.