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June 2026

Pam Hess Joins BCF

A MESSAGE FROM OUR INCOMING DIRECTOR

BCF Executive Director Pam Hess with BCF Board Co-Presidents David Mann and Zoraida Fernandez.

Friends, 

I am honored to introduce myself as the new Executive Director of the Brookline Community Foundation. What attracted me to BCF is its longstanding commitment to helping Brookline thrive. The Foundation has a unique ability to bring people together, support organizations doing important work, and respond to the evolving needs of the community. I’m excited to be part of that work.

As a longtime resident of Greater Boston (and a former resident of Brookline!), I have spent much of my career, and much of my life, seeing firsthand the importance of strong communities and the relationships that sustain them. My work has included roles in conservation, public health, environmental education, and nonprofit leadership. The common thread throughout has been bringing people together to solve problems, create opportunities, and strengthen the communities they call home.

Over the coming months, my focus will be on listening and learning. I look forward to meeting neighbors, nonprofit leaders, donors, and community partners and hearing what you value most about Brookline, as well as what challenges you see, and what opportunities lie ahead.

Every community has its own story, and I am eager to learn yours.

Thank you for the warm welcome I’ve already received. I’m excited for the opportunity to work alongside all of you as we build on the Foundation's long history and look toward its future. If our paths haven't crossed yet, I hope they will soon.

In partnership,

Pam Hess

Executive Director

BCF Awards 59 Scholarships to New Grads

Photos (top L to bottom R): BCF and Edna Mann Scholarship awardee Reece Whiton with fund holder David Mann; Olga Blasser Scholarship awardee Ana Ursula Velasco Zurita with father and BCF staff member Kelly Salvatore; BCF Scholarship awardees Josh Sheppard, B'Call Hooks, and Acacia Fitzgerald with fund holder Ann Coles; BHS Scholarship Committee Chair Scott Butchart. Credit: Leise Jones Photography

On May 28, BCF staff and fund holders celebrated winners of a new slate of Brookline High School (BHS) scholarships, including 59 scholarships totaling $224,500 from 10 funds held at BCF.

It was an emotional evening, and the auditorium was packed. BHS Head of School Anthony Meyer encouraged the soon-to-be graduates to "honor the past, celebrate the present, and invest in the future," as they looked ahead at their next steps with support from Brookline donors past and present.

This year marked the first scholarship awarded by the Hodgman-Pike Scholarship Fund at BCF—established by long-time stewards John Hodgman and Adele Pike—and it was BHS Scholarship Committee Chair Scott Butchart's final turn at the mic after decades of dedicated leadership.

Twelve graduating seniors received substantial awards from the BCF Scholarship Fund for Brookline High School, an endowed fund that provides support based entirely on financial need. We were excited to hear about students' plans to pursue careers in computational science, physical therapy, music, communications, and more, and we're grateful to the fund holders and donors who've made their ambitions more attainable. Because of you, these deserving young adults can step into the future knowing that they have a community at their back.

BCF Scholarship recipient B'Call Hooks said it best: "Being able to receive a scholarship that supports me over four years of college is a great privilege, and I promise you, I will not let it go to waste."

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It's easy to make an impact via local scholarships. If you're interested in opening a fund at BCF or contributing to an existing scholarship fund, please get in touch.

New Home, Same Mission

BCF has officially landed in our new headquarters at The Village Works, where we continue to serve as a hub for Brookline nonprofits and donors.

Please update your address books:

Brookline Community Foundation

202 Washington Street, Suite 366

Brookline, MA 02445

brooklinecommunity.org