Welcome Our New Board Members

The Takodah YMCA is excited to announce the appointment of five new members to our Board of Directors! Please join us in welcoming Jen, Laurel, Marsella, Kathy, and Marissa — all of whom have deep connections to our programs and long-standing support for our mission:

• Jen Merrill-Hunt is a Business Integration Manager for Hanover Insurance in Worcester, MA. She has been a volunteer for 1-Week Camp at Takodah, as well as a longtime camper at Family Camp.

• Laurel Edson is the Associate Director of Alumni and Parent Giving Programs at Northfield Mount Hermon School. She has been a camper and staff member at Takodah.

• Marsella Sañudo is a Senior Tax Associate at PWC in Boston. Hailing from Mexico City, she has been a camper and staff member at Girls Camp, as well as a longtime camper at Family Camp.

• Kathy Batchelder is a former nonprofit executive who now works as a tutor at the Marlborough School in Marlborough, NH. She has been a Takodah YMCA Board Member, as well as a longtime volunteer for our Heritage Travel program.

• Marissa Desmond is an architect at Gund Partnership in Cambridge, MA. In addition to being a longtime Takodian, she recently volunteered her time to create the original architectural rendering for the Centennial Terrace.

Their wide­ range of professional experience will be invaluable to the board as we strive to strengthen operations and local relationships, bolster our finances and fundraising, maintain and develop our properties, and create strategic plans that carry us into the future.

We are particularly excited to welcome five women to our board. Thanks to Aunt Frances Elwell, Takodah was one of the first camps to welcome girls into summer camp – and we are committed to honoring her legacy of inclusion. With this new class of board members, we are increasing the diversity of our board to more closely reflect the youth we serve, while bringing new perspectives and ideas to advance our mission.

We would like to recognize and thank the hardworking volunteers of our Board Building Task Force, including Amanda Manley Theberge, Kim Fitzgerald, Andrew Fuqua, Laura LaBounty, Bill Farr, Thomas Dill, and Graeme Noseworthy. Their tireless efforts to nominate topnotch board members will help shape the future of our organization.

Volunteers have always played a vital role in the Takodah YMCA. We hope you will join us in making a real difference in the lives of the youth we serve. We are seeking both Board Members and volunteers for our standing board committees. Learn more by contacting Artie Lang, Executive Director, at 603-352-0447 or artie@takodahymca.org.

We look forward to working with you as we continue to empower kids with confidence and character to reach their full potential. Let’s get to work!