January is National Mentoring Month. As the Teak team looks forward to the incredible work each of our nonprofit and socially responsible clients will do in 2022, I couldn’t help but wonder who inspires them?
I recently sat down with the heads of three of Teak’s clients to learn more about their mentors and how their coaching and experiences have influenced their lives today.
Erin McAleer, CEO of Project Bread
Erin McAleer, Project Bread
As CEO of Project Bread, Erin McAleer leads the only statewide anti-hunger organization in Massachusetts, which, for the past 21 months has led the state’s COVID-19 Hunger Relief effort, supporting school and community meal sites and running Massachusetts’ only statewide hotline that connects residents with a range of food resources, from SNAP benefits to information on food pantry hours and locations.
“My own experience with food insecurity as a child keeps me grounded in our work and mission at Project Bread,” Erin says. “When I was about five years old, I remember my mom being consumed by stress –working multiple jobs to feed her kids and pay the mortgage. I understood that something was broken somewhere and wanted to fix it. That is a big part of me deciding to be a social worker.”
The most important mentor in Erin’s life and career is her late mother, Bernadette. Raising Erin and her brothers as a single mother, she instilled in Erin resilience and strength at a young age. Bernadette put herself through college and later graduate school, while raising three kids, and went on to become a licensed social worker. Her mother’s unwavering dedication in the face of challenges, and commitment to driving change and social justice has inspired Erin’s own incredible work ethic and drive.
When Erin was considering her career options, her mother encouraged her to consider the field of social work, where she could merge her passion for policy work with her commitment to social justice. This guidance has shaped her life and led her to a path where she can work every day to improve the lives of families across the Commonwealth.
Mark O’Donnell, President & CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts
Mark O’Donnell, Big Brothers Big Sisters Eastern Massachusetts
Growing up in one of the most urban school systems in Queens, N.Y., Mark O’Donnell wasn’t a very engaged student. He’d often skip school to play basketball with friends. It wasn’t until he was threatened to be held back a grade level at 12-years-old that he knew something had to change. This was the first time his parents heard about his issues. He knew that the people around him did not have either the experience, time, or motivation to help so he struggled with how to navigate success given the restraints of his environment.
His family’s subsequent move to Sturbridge, Mass., launched his mentoring journey. It started with a few teachers and sports coaches who helped him get through high school and into college. After that, paraprofessionals in his college alumni office, provided guidance. Following graduation, a series of executives at large nonprofit and academic institutions showed him the ropes of fundraising and management through education and by modeling behavior got him to where he is today.
Now, as President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts, Mark leads Massachusetts’ top one-to-one mentoring program for youth and largest Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliate in the region. The nonprofit partners with under-resourced families to provide children with one-to-one relationships with caring adult mentors who help them reach their fullest potential.
“I was lucky from the start, raised by supportive and loving parents and then supported by caring adults throughout my life,” says Mark, who walks his talk as a two-time volunteer Big Brother. “Being able to lead an organization that recruits and supports adult mentors for kids who really need them is, perhaps, the best way I can repay those who helped me.”
Nikki Stewart, Executive Director of The Old North Foundation
Nikki Stewart, Old North Church
As Executive Director of The Old North Foundation, Nikki manages the tourism, operations, and preservation programs at the Old North Church & Historic Site – an iconic American institution and one of the most frequently visited historic sites in Boston, with more than 150,000 visiting the church, and over four million Freedom Trail visitors passing through the national landmark each year. The institution’s K-12 education virtual programs reach students in virtual and in-person classrooms nationwide.
“I am a life-long lover of history and my childhood was spent reading as much historical fiction as I could get my hands on, and grilling my grandparents about their experiences through The Great Depression, World War II, and stories of our family lore,” Nikki says. “I can see today how these interests shaped my values and led me to the nonprofit sector. I believe that studying the past often nurtures reflection and a desire to do better in the present.”
Some of Nikki’s favorite childhood memories are of reading the Little House on the Prairie books with her mother, and learning about her great-great-grandfather’s work to bring United Mine Workers to Central Pennsylvania. To secure and excel in an executive position that so clearly aligns with personal passions and values is incredibly rare and admirable.
