Female executives from Blackbaud, Harvard Pilgrim, Fidelity & Creative Marketing Resources join Common Impact Board of Directors
NEW YORK, NY, March 31, 2020 — Common Impact, a national nonprofit leader for corporate skills-based volunteerism, has announced the appointment of four new executives to its Board of Directors. The selection of Janelle Woods-McNish, Anne Ames, Rachel Hutchisson and Lauren Banks represent an expansion of the organization’s leadership into new industries and geographies.
Janelle Woods-McNish is the Director of Service and Giving at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care’s Foundation. In her 12 years at Harvard Pilgrim, Janelle has transformed the Corporation’s community involvement model. Woods-McNish also serves on City Year Boston’s Board of Directors. She has received the 40 under 40 award, Emerging Leader and Rising Star in Business from the Boston Business Journal.
Anne Ames is head of Human Resources for Fidelity Enterprise Technology and Global Services, a division of Fidelity Investments. She assumed her role, which also includes Diversity & Inclusion, in 2019 after serving in various firm leadership capacities at the firm for over thirteen years. Ames assumed leadership of Human Resources for Fidelity Enterprise Technology and Global Services in 2019, and in 2020 her role was expanded to include leadership for Diversity and Inclusion.
Rachel Hutchisson is the Vice President of Corporate Citizenship & Philanthropy at Blackbaud, the world’s leading cloud software company powering social good. She built the company’s CSR practice from the ground up, relying on expertise she gained in over 28 years working at the intersection of the business world and the nonprofit sector. Rachel, who is the Immediate Past Chair of The Giving Institute, is deeply committed to diversity and inclusion, chairing Blackbaud’s Senior Women’s Leadership Council, overseeing employee affinity groups and actively helping the company’s employees and organizations of all sizes be Agents of Good. “Purpose is not just for the big guys,” she says.
Lauren Banks is the Vice President of Client Services for Creative Marketing Resources, an award-winning marketing and PR firm located in Milwaukee, WI. Banks has led large scale marketing campaigns across various sectors, notably for Women Infants & Children, Air National Guard, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, General Electric and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, to name a few. She also currently serves on the Board of Directors for the American Marketing Association, Chicago Chapter. Lauren’s passion is “to use my talents, perspectives and unique skillset to leave this world better than I discovered it.”
“We’re thrilled to welcome such highly accomplished executives to Common Impact’s Board of Directors,” said Jay Althoff, Common Impact Board Chair. “Having their combined skills in developing Corporate Social Responsibility programs from the ground up, and their expertise in HR and marketing, is going to be a critical expertise to have at the table as Common Impact expands its reach.”
The board appointments follow Common Impact’s recent announcement of new virtual skills-based volunteer programs to support companies and nonprofits in continuing to engage in skilled volunteering during the COVID-19 restrictions and period of economic uncertainty.
“Nonprofits have suddenly been asked to do much more with far fewer resources, and far fewer volunteers. We have seen companies rally to support organizations with virtual pro bono support,” said Common Impact CEO Danielle Holly. “Janelle, Lauren, Rachel and Anne have brought critical social sector and business perspectives to Common Impact’s strategy, and particularly to our current charge to provide nonprofits the services they need to navigate crisis situations.”