PMAA Welcomes New Board Members
Board Members gathered on Zoom for the first meeting of 2021 and first meeting with the new class of members in early January
As we kick off 2021 full of plans and aspirations, PMAA would like to thank the board members who will be moving onto other things and welcome the incoming members joining for the 2021-2023 term.
PMAA has a working volunteer board to support our limited volunteer staff. Our board is kind of like the US Senate. Or rather, a “functioning version” of the US Senate. Each year, about a third of the Board of Directors completes their three-year term and elections are held to fill their spot. Elections are announced in the fall and any former PMI/F is eligible to apply. An ad hoc nominating committee of several current board members recommends the top applicants, then the entire board votes on the slate of candidates in order to determine the winners. While we’re still a new organization, our organization also limits service to two consecutive terms.
Thank you for your service
The PMAA Board of Directors, on behalf of all of our members, extends our heartfelt gratitude to Eleanore Boyse and Joe Chiarenzelli who completed their terms this past fall. Eleanore and Joe were extremely impactful to the foundation finance and strategic vision of our new organization.
Thank you also to Nickie Singleton and Jake Grover, who also served on the Board and moved on this past year. We wish you all luck on your next endeavors and look forward to your continued engagement!
Welcome to our new members
Laura Kunkel (PMF 2010) returns to PMAA for a second term, and we couldn’t be more excited that she is sticking around! A core part of getting the organization off the ground and PMAA’s 2020 Vice President, Laura will continue to bring her project management, strategic planning, and technology skills to help PMAA continue growing into the world-class organization it is destined to be. In her day job, Laura is a Program Analyst at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, where she has served in key roles to support on-the-ground partners and employees to provide critical resources to those in need.
Dr. Tracy Carson (PMF 2008), a career Senior Executive at the State Department, has enjoyed working in foreign affairs for over a decade, and has particular expertise in US foreign assistance. Tracy is looking forward to augmenting the board with her experience performing community outreach, running professional development programs, and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. For an inspiring chat, ask her about her challenging and rewarding experiences serving as the Deputy Director of Foreign Assistance at State.
Patrick Forrest (PMF 2003) is a familiar face to those of us who work at HUD, DHS, and the Coast Guard -- all places where Patrick has served over the course of his diverse federal government career. But it doesn’t stop there. In addition to government experience, Patrick has worked in the nonprofit and for-profit worlds, up to and including founding his own software startup. Patrick will use this tri-sector experience to help PMAA connect with relevant partners and broaden our reach!
Brett Freedman (PMI/F 2003) serves as the General Counsel on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, where he works on a wide variety of legal and legislative issues involving national security work we can’t tell you about here! Since his PMF at DHS, Brett has worked for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, DOJ, a national security contractor, and for the intelligence community. PMAA will benefit from Brett’s experience navigating both Congress and the Executive Branch, and his drive to bring fellow lawyers into public service.
To learn more about the board and the other serving members, view our website: About > Who We Are.
While PMAA will not be holding elections again until fall 2021, there are many other ways to get involved! Take a look at our January newsletter to see the areas for which we are currently recruiting volunteers.