board of directors

Announcing our new Board President – Jay Marvin

Members of Interfaith's Board of directors
Interfaith Board President Jay Marvin
Interfaith Board President Jay Marvin volunteers in the food pantry during a recent In-Service Day.

We recently elected new officers and voted in new board members to our Board of Directors. Board member Jay Marvin, of Hingham, was elected president for a two-year term, ending in 2024.

Marvin is retired after working as Group Vice President of Global Transformation at Sodexo. He has partnered with us as a volunteer and board member since 2014. Marvin was the Cross Divisional VP of Growth and Marketing in the US for many years previous to his global role. He traveled and worked in many countries but spent a considerable amount of time in France. Marvin also served on the board of Sodexo’s Stop Hunger organization.

“Volunteering at Interfaith provided me with an understanding of how people used our services and their appreciation of us,” said Marvin. “We were there when their needs were real.”

Prior to joining Interfaith’s board, Marvin volunteered in a variety of capacities at Interfaith. He volunteered with the food rescue program, collecting thousands of pounds of food each day from area supermarkets, and served in the food pantry distributing food to clients. The experience gave him a comprehensive perspective of Interfaith’s operations.

“Working in the food pantry gave me a glimpse at the diversity of our customer base and the dynamics of their different needs,” said Marvin. “I believe that we all need help at certain times in our lives, some a lot more than others. There should be places where people can go to get the help they need and Interfaith Social Services is such a place.”

During his term, Marvin hopes to make progress on long-range planning with a focus on funding and maintaining the effectiveness of the organization’s strategic plan. One of his main goals is to ensure that Interfaith’s programs continue to meet the changing needs and desires of clients.

Additional Board Appointments

The board has also voted in three new members for 2023: Bill Blackmer, Roberta Ferguson-Gregg, and Maddy Gabor.

Blackmer, of Weymouth, is a Senior Manager at SunLife. He found Interfaith years ago and appreciates the opportunity to give back.

Ferguson-Gregg, of Weymouth, is recently retired from a 47-year career at Stop and Shop. As a long-time volunteer with Interfaith’s food pantry and Help for the Holidays program, she turned her vocation of selling food into an avocation of providing food to the food insecure.

Gabor, of Quincy, is the co-founder and CEO of this.us.now., a professional education and organizational development company that helps individuals, businesses and nonprofits work with better information and more joy. She joins the board after regularly volunteering in the food pantry for several years.

Members of Interfaith's Board of directors
Members of Interfaith’s Board of directors volunteered in the food pantry on a recent In-Service Day.

Interfaith Social Services invites members of the public interested in joining the Board of Directors or becoming a regular volunteer to email info@interfaithsocialservices.org or 617-773-6203 ext. 17.

Welcome, New Board Members!

Gabe Arato professional head shot

Interfaith recently elected new officers and voted in new board members to our Board of Directors. Board member Gabe Arato, Strategy and Business Development Manager at Boston Children’s Hospital Simulator Program, was elected president for a two-year term, ending in 2022.

Gabe putting a box of cereal into a shopping cart
Interfaith’s new Board President Gabe Arato, shown here during a 2019 Board In-Service volunteer day in the food pantry.

Arato, of Quincy, has worked with us as a board member since 2013. He was introduced to Interfaith through a previous employer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, and was drawn to our mission to fulfill the basic needs of those struggling in the community.

“Many of us may not even know that our neighbor is hungry, or lost their job, may lose their home, or needs mental health services they can’t afford,” said Arato. “We are a diverse, fascinating community that when shown how, can lift each other up. Interfaith shows us how we can help, and makes it easy to see the interconnectedness among neighbors.”

Arato’s extensive experience in healthcare spans over a decade working in both provider and payor institutions developing organizational strategies, redesigning processes, and enhancing patient experiences with a human-centered approach. He currently leads strategic planning and business development for SIMPeds, Boston Children’s Hospital’s pediatric simulation program. He has extensive non-profit experience in various capacities, including as a community organizer developing programs targeting hunger, education and economic justice.

During his term, Arato aims to reimagine Interfaith’s mission/vision and to develop a new strategic plan.

“Over the years, we’ve become so effective at listening to our clients’ needs and increasing community engagement,” Arato said. “As those factors evolve, we need to anticipate those needs by planning and acting intentionally.”

Interfaith’s board has also voted in two new members for 2021: Anna Marie Conneely and Rhonda Prokos.

Conneely, of Quincy, is an experienced human resources professional, currently serving as Senior Human Resources Manager for North America and Latin America with DIH, a manufacturer of robotic censored medical devices. Prokos, of Sharon, is Assistant Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for Arbella Insurance, where she provides legal advice and counsel to all departments.

Gabe Arato professional head shot
Gabe Arato

Anna Marie Conneely head shot
Anna Marie Conneely

Rhonda Prokos head shot
Rhonda Prokos

Interfaith Social Services invites members of the public interested in joining the Board of Directors to email info@interfaithsocialservices.org or 617-773-6203 ext. 17.