10th Anniversary Gala Awardees

Betty joined as CEO of BII in 2021, spearheading the organization through the successful launch of BII Fund II and certification as a Latina-led CDFI. As a seasoned business executive, investor, and community leader with over 25 years of experience, she brings valuable expertise spanning corporate law, entrepreneurship, and impact investing.

Betty is a proven leader skilled at advising high-growth startups, nonprofits, and established enterprises in business strategy, legal compliance, risk management, development, operations, and human resources. Recognized as an accomplished network builder and civic leader, Betty channels her deep commitment to social justice to advance BII’s mission of building community ownership, wealth, and power.

In addition to her work at BII, Betty co-founded We Are ALX (formerly known as Amplify Latinx), a non-profit dedicated to advancing Latino American prosperity and leadership representation in Massachusetts. Before joining BII, she served as General Counsel at Compass Working Capital and as EVP, General Counsel for Sports Club/LA and Reebok Sports Club/NY, a premier fitness brand acquired by Equinox Fitness in 2014. Betty’s leadership extends to her service on the Boards of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, The Boston Foundation, Nellie Mae Education Foundation, and Beth Israel Lahey Health.

She holds a JD and MBA from Northeastern University and a BA in History from Bard College.

John Esler is a lifelong entrepreneur who believes doing the right thing, over the long run, is almost always the most profitable thing.

John’s interest in business began as a child when he sold souvenirs at the Saratoga Springs horse racetrack. His entrepreneurial spirit continued into adulthood when he founded and served as the CEO of Esler Companies. Esler Companies is the largest affiliate of Renewal by Andersen, the nation’s premier replacement window and door brand. Esler Companies employs over 3800 teammates across 12 states.

While leading Esler Companies, John structured the organization around its core value of love. John modeled the business culture in service first to teammates, second to customers, and third to the community. He is especially proud of establishing the organization’s philanthropic arm, Window of Giving, which enables team members to give back to those in need within the communities where they live and do business.

Since retiring from Esler Companies, John and his wife Jeanne established the Esler Family Foundation. John’s entrepreneurial spirit now flourishes in mentoring roles and board leadership, where he guides and inspires the next generation of changemakers, reflecting his core values of integrity, community service, and long-term profitability through ethical practices.

John obtained a Bachelor’s Degree from State University of New York at Albany, an MBA from Babson College, and an Advanced Leadership Initiative certificate from Harvard University in 2021.

Jeanne Esler is a licensed clinical psychologist with a specialization in behavioral medicine, anxiety, depression, and eating disorders.

She received her BA from Northwestern University in Chicago and her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from The State University of New York in Albany. She completed her Psychology Internship and Post-Doctoral Fellowship at Brown University Medical School. She earned the Advanced Leadership Initiative certificate at Harvard University in 2021.

Jeanne currently serves on the Board of Trustees and Mental Health Advisory Panel for StrongMinds. She is on the Board of Trustees of Mindful Philanthropy, and the Worcester Education Collaborative.

In 2022, Jeanne, along with her husband John, received the Alexis de Tocqueville Award from the United Way. They were chosen to be part of the Worcester Business Journal’s “Power 50: Most Influential People” for their philanthropic efforts.

Karen Holmes Ward is the Director of Public Affairs and Community Services as well as host and executive producer of CityLine, WCVB’s award-winning weekly magazine program which addresses the accomplishments, concerns and issues facing people of color living in Boston and its suburbs. Many notables including Oscar winners Regina King, Lupita Nyong’o, Forest Whitaker, Octavia Spencer, Denzel Washington, Louis Gossett Jr., Barry Jenkins, Spike Lee, and Oscar nominee Oprah Winfrey among others have been interviewed by Karen for CityLine. CityLine has been a recipient of the Associated Press Massachusetts/Rhode Island ‘Best’ Public Affairs Program and numerous Emmy nominations.

Karen also oversees WCVB’s public service and community outreach efforts including the station’s work building homes for Habitat for Humanity on Five Fixer Upper, renewing and refurbishing common spaces for area nonprofits and Extreme Makeover: My Hometown, raising awareness about the need for affordable housing in the Greater Boston area. She was instrumental to launching Commonwealth 5, WCVB’s first-of-its-kind web-based initiative that promoted philanthropy by matching viewer-donors with non-profits via the Internet. The program’s success was recognized with a National Emmy Award nomination. Karen served as Executive Producer for Return to Glory, a one-hour prime-time documentary hosted by Emmy Award-winning actor Andre Braugher about the famed Massachusetts 54th Regiment. Return to Glory was syndicated nationally and seen in over 80% of the country. Karen was part of the team honored with a National Association of Broadcasters ‘Service to Community in Television’ Award for WCVB’s community service efforts during and following the Boston Marathon attack.

Karen has enjoyed a career spanning over forty years in broadcasting including early stints as a writer at WEEI News Radio, News Director at WILD-Radio where she hosted a daily one-hour talk show, and a reporter at WGBH-TV.

A graduate of Boston University’s School of Public Communications (now COM), Karen has received honorary doctorates in humane letters and communications from Boston University, Cambridge College, and Merrimack College. She was named the 2025 Broadcaster of the Year by the Massachusetts Broadcasters Association which is presented annually to an industry leader who displays an outstanding commitment to their community while showing an unwavering dedication to broadcasting. Karen was inducted into the 2018 Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame, an honor bestowed upon individuals for their outstanding achievements and unparalleled contributions to the broadcasting industry in Massachusetts. She has received numerous awards for her work in the community including the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences ‘Silver Circle’ Award for Lifetime Achievement, Boston Jaycees Ten Outstanding Young Leaders Award; National Association of Black Journalists Region I Journalist of the Year; Big Sister of Greater Boston Achievement Award; Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts President’s Award; Women of Courage and Conviction Award from the Greater Boston Section National Council of Negro Women, Inc., and MassVote’s ‘Champion of Democracy,’ among others. Karen has been a mentor to dozens of nonprofit groups over the years, serving on boards and assisting them in learning how to use the power of television to advance their causes.

Born in Plymouth County (Wareham), the daughter of Bernard Marsden Harding (Herring Pond Wampanoag HPWT), raised in Cedarville/South Plymouth and Bournedale by Verna May Harding (HPWT Elder). Melissa attended Plymouth Carver School system. She attended Cape Cod Community College and studied Information Technology. She is a happily married Mother of two wonderful sons and a proud Grandmother of four.

Her professional career began in early 1998 in a position at the Town of Mashpee, Town Clerk’s office. She then worked for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe as the Executive Administrative Assistant for a few years. In 2003 Melissa went on to become a Commonwealth of Massachusetts licensed Real Estate Sales Associate and Notary Public — she still holds these designations today and is currently affiliated with Jack Conway & Company. She is the former Vice President of Operations for Select Staffing of MA, a position she held for over 6 years. Currently alongside her real estate work she does freelance research, consulting, and back office/bookkeeping.

Melissa is proudly of her fourth term as the elected Chairwoman of the Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe located in Plymouth/Bournedale MA. She dedicates much of her time to better her community. In her role as Tribal chairwoman, she has worked tirelessly on the many initiatives and challenges that indigenous communities face in our society today. Some of the work she has dedicated her time to, includes but is not limited to the protection of sacred sites and ancestral burial grounds, tribal archival research, documentation and digitization, advocacy for tribal rights and self-determination, environmental justice, mental health, substance use, addiction and prevention, youth empowerment and grant programming. She is passionate about educating the non-native public about the Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe and its rich, well documented history. In the Spring of 2020 she co-taught an undergraduate course alongside Dr Amy DenOuden at the University of Massachusetts Boston in the Women’s Gender Studies Department, namely Indigenous Women’s Leadership and Tribal Nation Self Determination. In 2022 Melissa ran a successful campaign for public office in the Town of Bourne as a Select Board Member and was elected on May 17, 2022 and is currently on her second term and newly appointed to Chair. Melissa is the first Wampanoag woman to ever hold this role, and quite possibly the first ever person of color to ever be elected as a Selectman in this municipality. She has enjoyed her second term as Chair and hopes to do great things in the remainder of her time on the select board. Melissa also serves on several committees.

For three decades, Nancy Huntington Stager actively shaped Eastern Bank’s culture and advanced its reputation for social responsibility, leading its Human Resources team and later serving as President & CEO of the Eastern Bank Foundation (EBF). She worked across non-profit, for-profit, philanthropic, and government sectors to promote community vibrancy and economic inclusion and mobility throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.

Nancy sharpened EBF’s mission, advancing social and economic justice through five key strategies: community vibrancy, advancing equity for small business of color, enriching early childhood development, securing safe and affordable housing, and promoting workforce development for adults facing barriers to employment. Under her leadership, Eastern has provided over $180 million in grants and contributed more than 750,000 volunteer hours, earning repeated recognition as one of Massachusetts’ most charitable companies. Notably, Nancy served as President of the Foundation for Business Equity, a non-profit incubated at Eastern Bank Foundation for five years, which has since merged with MCCI and now operates as Nectar, supporting Black and Brown business owners as they scale their enterprises.

Widely respected as a leader and advocate in both Social Justice and Philanthropy, she has been steadfast in her support of small businesses, particularly those owned by people of color. Her ongoing commitment to supporting small businesses—particularly those owned by people of color—has had significant impact across local communities. She has mentored numerous corporate and community leaders, enabling both individuals and their organizations to achieve success. Since her retirement, Nancy established Riverwood Consulting LLC, a woman-owned firm providing strategic alignment and leadership development guidance to mission-driven leaders and organizations. Nancy’s professional legacy is distinguished by collaborative leadership, inclusive advocacy, and enduring community impact.

Senator Robyn Kennedy, a lifelong resident of Worcester, serves as the State Senator for the First Worcester District. She is a dedicated champion of the care economy, focusing on strengthening services from childcare to elder care, investing in the workforce, improving regional public transportation, and addressing racial and health inequities. In her inaugural year, Senator Kennedy has been instrumental in advancing key legislative initiatives to enhance the well-being
of Massachusetts residents.

As a testament to her leadership in the care economy, Senator Kennedy has championed several significant bills: (1) An Act to Promote an Enhanced Care Worker Minimum Wage: This bill creates a $25 minimum wage for Chapter 257 care workers. The wage is then indexed to inflation. (2) An Act regarding families and children in need of assistance: This bill focuses on providing support and resources to families and children facing challenges, ensuring they receive the necessary
assistance to thrive. (3) An Act relative to consumer health data: This legislation is designed to protect the health data of consumers, ensuring privacy and security in the handling of sensitive information.

Before her election, Senator Kennedy served as the Chief Operating Officer at the YWCA Central Massachusetts, where she advocated for women, children, and marginalized communities. Her public service also includes roles as Deputy Chief of Staff to former Lt. Governor Tim Murray and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Children, Youth, and Families at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services.

Senator Kennedy remains dedicated to fostering a more equitable and prosperous future for Worcester and the broader Commonwealth, leveraging her experience and passion to drive meaningful change.