ESC Announces New Board Officers

We are pleased to announce the new slate of officers for ESC’s Board of Directors, bringing fresh perspectives and leadership to our organization:

Myran Parker-Brass, Co-Chair

Myran is an educator, executive and consultant with over 30 years of experience in the nonprofit sector providing access to quality education and arts and culture. A key focus of her professional career has been working with organizations on strategic and transition planning, program development and implementation, collective impact model development and public-private partnerships.

She has held senior leadership positions with the Boston Public Schools, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Longy School of Music at Bard College.  Myran has received local, national and international recognition for her work in arts and culture, arts education and arts policy reform. Her recognition includes EdWeek’s “Leader to Learn From” award; the Massachusetts College of Art and Design’s “Excellence in Arts Education” and the “Unsung Hero” award from Boston Dance Alliance. Myran serves as a lead member of the Statewide Arts Coalition, elevating the role of arts and arts education in Massachusetts, initiating legislation and policy reform.

Myran has served as an ESC consultant and an ESC Fellow.

Penny Weeks, Co-Chair

Penny has over 30 years of financial services leadership experience in private banking, wealth management and commercial banking, most recently with SVB, a division of First Citizens Bank). She has also served as President, Executive and Finance Committee Chair, development, governance, search committee and board member for nonprofits with revenue ranging from $17 million to start-up. In March 2019, she earned a Certificate in Nonprofit Board Consulting from BoardSource (Washington, D.C.), formally deepening her governance expertise. Penny’s interest in board governance, strategic planning, commitment to accessible capital and resources for under-represented populations, and her ability to synthesize solutions, are integral to the range of Boston-area nonprofit organizations and professional associations she has spent time leading, advising, mentoring, granting to, raising funds for and recruiting support.

Chelinde Edouard, Vice Chair

Chelinde is the founder of CME Consulting, an independent employee benefits consulting practice. Prior experience in the group insurance business includes Senior Vice President and Chief Underwriting Officer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (1997-2009); Director/Vice President of National Underwriting, Healthsource, Inc. (1996-1997); and Director of Underwriting, Tufts Health Plans (1995-1996). As an ESC Consultant, Chelinde offers expertise in strategic planning, grant writing, needs assessment, and program and service evaluation and has served on ESC consulting teams for ESC clients UWander and Hope House.

Jeffrey Smith, Treasurer

Jeff combines over 30 years of financial management experience in global software and information services with a decade of teaching and nonprofit consulting. As a former Vice President at Misys PLC, London, and current ESC Consultant, he has significantly influenced organizations such as the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center and ESC Northern New England, where he also served as Board Chair. Jeff holds an A.B. from Dartmouth and an MBA from Cornell. He resides in Epping, NH, dedicating his expertise to fostering financial acumen in the nonprofit sector. Jeff has worked as an ESC consultant since 2009, leading six projects of the ten on which he consulted.

Carol Parker, Secretary

Carol most recently held Research Director and Product Management positions at The NPD Group, Inc., a market research company. She served as an internal survey research consultant to all business units and launched numerous ongoing research programs in the US, Europe, Latin America and Asia. Previously Carol was COO of STS Market Research where she created and managed a consumer research panel for the apparel industry and oversaw the operational and financial aspects of the company. Since joining ESC in 2015, Carol has worked with 15 clients including Arts Worcester, the Worcester Art Museum, East Somerville Main Streets, Union Square Main Streets, Explo and Science Club for Girls.

Elijah Evans, Governance Chair

For over 20 years, Elijah has been involved with Bikes Not Bombs in multiple roles, from youth participant to youth director to Board member and currently as Executive Director since 2017. He is also currently a consultant for Boston Centers for Youth & Families and executive coach for City Life Vida Urbana. Prior to 2017, Elijah was a social studies teacher with Teach for America for three years. He was the keynote speaker at the ESC Celebration of Service in 2023.