Board of Directors
Acton-Boxborough United Way is governed by an all-volunteer board of community members and a part-time Executive Director who provides valuable leadership, expertise and coordination of our efforts to improve lives in Acton and Boxborough.
Officers
Karen Collins, President
Janis Raguin, Vice President
Joel Friedman, Treasurer
Anita Tang, Vice Treasurer
Martha Papalia, Secretary
Marie Altieri
Ashwin Anand
Pubali Banerjee
Vivian Kobusingye Birchall
Mark Burak
Carol Buysse
Amy Cerel
Karen Collins
Prisha Dayal (ABRHS Student Board Member)
Pat Easterly
Joel Friedman
Elizabeth (Shuxman) Li (ABRHS Student Board Member)
Jo-Anne Nyer
Jill O'Brien
Martha Papalia
Janis Raguin
Anita Tang
Staff
Griet Dehandschutter, Executive Director
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Griet Dehandschutter brings to ABUW over 20 years of management, strategic fundraising and communication experience, working locally and internationally. Griet is founder of Dehandschutter & Associates, a strategic fundraising consultancy, based in Acton.
Throughout her professional and personal life, Griet has loved to build community. She has been eager to bring people together across cultures and borders in meaningful and creative ways. As co-founder and Managing Director of the European-American Business Council, communications consultant for Burson-Marsteller, representative of the Belgian government to attract American companies to locate in Belgium, and for the past 14 years as a strategic fundraising consultant to large and small nonprofits around the world, she has always emphasized impact and innovation.
Griet has been an active volunteer in her faith community, sports and local schools. As Co-chair, she planned and rallied people in support of the ambitious $1.8 million “Open Doors” Capital Campaign of the United Church of Christ in Boxborough to restore the historic meeting house and the Community Center, creating affordable gathering space and fostering community connections.
Griet believes that diversity is a fact, inclusion is a choice. ABUW is uniquely positioned to offer “one big tent” for all to gather and to take action in our increasingly diverse community. The organization plays a vital role to nimbly identify and respond to critical community needs by securing necessary resources, inspiring volunteers and growing community partnerships.
An Acton resident since 2002, Griet grew up in Antwerp, Belgium, where she studied law. She later married Art Boyd after meeting at the Johns Hopkins University in Bologna, Italy while studying for their Master’s degrees in International Relations. Aside from English, Griet speaks (Flemish) Dutch, French and German. She is the proud mom of three young adults, Alexander, Romie and Nicholas Boyd. Griet loves traveling, playing tennis, reading, painting, storytelling and walking with their dog Champ.
Kirstin Lynch, Financial Manager
Shana Brown, Administrative Assistant
Katie Neville, Communications and Volunteer Engagement Manager
