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George Deveney

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George Deveney

Chief External Relations Officer

George Deveney joins Camp Harbor View as Chief External Relations Officer, where he leads efforts to grow and strengthen the organization’s development strategy, with a particular focus on corporate and foundation partnerships and external engagement.

George brings over two decades of experience advancing mission-driven organizations. Most recently, he served as Chief Advancement Officer at Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island, where he led a dynamic team to record-breaking fundraising results, built a robust alumni network, revitalized signature events, and expanded community partnerships.

Previously, he was Vice President of New Site Development at the Surge Institute, helping to expand support for diverse education leaders nationwide. Earlier in his career, George spent nearly 20 years with City Year, starting as an AmeriCorps Member and rising to National Recruitment Director. He also led expansion efforts to launch City Year sites across the U.S. and internationally in London.

A Boston resident, George is a proud BPS parent, lifelong Boston sports fan, and sneaker collector. He enjoys cooking, watching Arsenal matches, and believes The Wire and Bluey are the two greatest shows of all time.

George Deveney headshot
gdeveney@campharborview.org

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Annakate Shepherdson

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Annakate Shepherdson

Development Coordinator

Annakate recently relocated to Boston from Washington, D.C., and is originally from Alexandria, Virginia.

Before moving to Boston, Annakate worked in campaign finance at a national fundraising firm, where she led Senator Gary Peters’ fundraising efforts and supported several other U.S. Senate campaigns. She also interned at a lobbying and public affairs firm in D.C., where she assisted in onboarding clients such as TikTok and Dropbox.

Annakate’s love for New England began during her high school and college summers, which she spent working at the Lilly Pulitzer store on Nantucket. She is a 2020 graduate of the University of Virginia, where she majored in American Studies and minored in Art History.

Annakate spent six summers at a 7-week camp in Raymond, Maine, and has been a devoted fan of summer camp ever since. Now living in Back Bay, Annakate shares her home with her black cat, Boo and fiancé, Michael. 

Annakate Sheperdson headshot
SEE LINKEDIN ashepherdson@campharborview.org

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Lereca Rodrigues

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Lereca Rodrigues

LEADER IN TRAINING PROGRAM COORDINATOR – 12TH GRADE

Lereca Rodrigues first joined Camp Harbor View in 2011 as a camper, where she quickly immersed herself in the camp’s community. Her journey continued as she became part of the Leader in Training program and summer camp staff. Now, as a part of the Leadership Academy, Lereca’s commitment to advocating for teens and providing support is evident in her dedicated work with young people.

Lereca is a CHV scholarship participant and received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Temple University. Lereca’s experiences and academic background fuel her drive to make a meaningful impact on the lives of the youth she partners with.

lrodrigues@campharborview.org

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Danah Blake

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Danah Blake

LEADERSHIP ACADEMY DIRECTOR

Danah has devoted the first decade of her career to ensuring equitable access to professional pathways for young people. Her expertise lies in workforce development with youth in historically marginalized communities. This includes broadening their horizons on career possibilities and enhancing the skills they need to succeed in a rapidly changing 21st-century economy.

Danah returns to Camp Harbor View as the Leadership Academy Director after serving as an Assistant Director of Undergraduate Career Development at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. In this role, she facilitated courses, held one-on-one career coaching sessions, and supported the DEI fellowship to help dozens of young adults as they navigated their pathways from college to career. Prior to her time at BU, Danah held roles at City Year, Camp Harbor View, and other non-profits where she led small group classroom interventions, hosted afterschool programs, and facilitated workshops aimed at helping students pursue their goals academically and professionally.

Danah received her B.S. in Hospitality, Travel, and Tourism from Johnson and Wales University and has a strong background in customer service with a niche for event planning and program development. She also holds a certificate in Community Leadership and Social Change from Tufts University’s Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life in partnership with The Institute for Nonprofit Practice. In May 2025, she graduated from Boston University’s Questrom School of Business with a Social Impact MBA.

Danah Blake Headshot
danahblake@campharborview.org

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Kyle Pontes

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Kyle Pontes

LEADER IN TRAINING PROGRAM COORDINATOR – 10TH GRADE

Kyle Pontes serves as the program coordinator for the 10th grade cohort of the Leader in Training program. 

 

Kyle started his Camp Harbor View journey as a camper. From there, he went through the LIT program and eventually came back to camp as a member of the summer staff. This trajectory gives him a valuable perspective on what it means to partner with youth and encourage positively impactful experiences. Kyle finds those experiences to be crucial to his own growth and enjoys moments when he and the LITs he works with can learn from one another. Each day, he strives to provide a safe and engaged space for the next generation of Boston’s leaders. 

 

Previously, Kyle worked as a tutor at New York City Stem Club, an afterschool program in New York. He attended both the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and the University of Massachusetts Boston before transferring to Fordham University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. 

Kyle Pontes Headshot
kpontes@campharborview.org

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Saoirse Martin

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Saoirse Martin

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

Saoirse Martin serves as the Executive Assistant to CEO Sharon McNally. She is also the Office Manager of the Connors Family Office. In her role, she handles a range of responsibilities and collaborates closely with both CHV’s development and program teams on short-term and long-term projects.

Saoirse has previous experience in the non-profit sector managing donor relations, fundraising, and events during her time at The Ireland Funds America. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and communications from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Saoirse currently resides in South Boston and on the weekends can be found attending a concert or a Boston sports game.

Saoirse Martin headshot 2022

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Sam Zito 

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Sam Zito 

Director of Family Services

Sam Zito is the Director of Family Services at Camp Harbor View. Prior to CHV, Sam was at the United Way of Massachusetts Bay, most recently as Vice President of Youth & Young Adult Pathways. Sam led community impact work focused on supporting opportunity youth through grantmaking, programs, and partnerships. Sam led collective impact projects focused on preventing and ending youth and young adult homelessness, partnering closely with municipalities, direct service organizations, and young people.

Sam is passionate about building programs and systems that are asset-based, community-driven, data-informed, and equitable. As a skilled communicator, Sam builds strong relationships with young people, their families, and other professionals. She is committed to making a difference in the lives of Bostonians and is excited to support CHV as a place of opportunity for young people AND their families.

Sam holds a Bachelor of Arts from Boston University in sociology, and Masters of Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. Sam has completed professional development programs such as the MA Education Policy Fellowship Program, BEST Youth Worker Training, and earned a Social Impact Management and Leadership Certificate from the Institute for Nonprofit Practice.

Sam Zito headshot
szito@campharborview.org

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Jo Frances Meyer

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Jo Frances Meyer

Director of Special Projects

Jo Frances Meyer joined the Camp Harbor View team in 2020 during the early days of the pandemic, and since then she has assisted her colleagues with health equity and guaranteed income initiatives, as well as contractual matters.  In her current role, she works closely with members of the CHV team who are directly engaged with climate resilience measures to address the most pressing environmental challenges facing CHV’s island home.  She also will seek to develop and advance collaborative efforts with local, state, and regional environmental organizations in order to find workable solutions that will protect the camp and keep staff and campers safe in the years to come.

Prior to her work for Camp Harbor View, Jo Frances served as Executive Director of Boston Landmarks Orchestra, and in senior roles for other performing arts organizations and nonprofits, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, and Rockport Music.  Before her career in the nonprofit sector, Jo Frances practiced health care law and commercial litigation in Boston. She swears she’s not a jack-of-all trades, but her door is always open for whatever unique CHV special projects might land on her desk that could benefit from her experience and expertise.

Jo Frances earned her Bachelor of Science degree in journalism from Boston University, her Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School, and a Master in Public Administration from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. She currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Governors of the Longy School of Music at Bard College, as a member of the Board of Directors for the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare, and as a member of the Boards of Advisors of the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Boston Lyric Opera, Boston Landmarks Orchestra, and Lyric Stage Company of Boston.

Jo Frances Meyer headshot 2022

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Kara Bassett, SHRM-CP

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Kara Bassett, SHRM-CP

Human Resources Manager

Kara Bassett is originally from New London, Connecticut. She holds a B.A. in English from Saint Michael’s College and an M.S. in Human Resources Management from Northeastern University. 

 

Kara began her professional career as a Human Resources Intern at Camp Harbor View in 2022 and later joined the organization full-time as the Human Resources and Operations Coordinator. She currently serves as the Human Resources Manager and is proud to support the Camp Harbor View community.

Kara Bassett headshot 2022
SEE LINKEDIN kbassett@campharborview.org

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Lisa Gomes

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Lisa Gomes

Family Services Manager

Lisa Gomes serves as the Family Services Manager at Camp Harbor View. Lisa joined CHV in Summer 2022 as a member of the camper support team on island and brings 20+ years of experience working with children to her role.

Central to her work is a strong belief that it takes a village – not only raise a child but also to help support the parents that are the core of raising the child. And she is deeply honored when families allow her to be part of their village.

In her role on the Family Services team, she seeks to take financial, emotional, mental, and other stressors off families so they’re able to focus on building solid family units. With a firm belief that children’s happiness or struggles start at home, she sees holistic family support as essential to the success of any young person.

Lisa’s background is in teaching. She is a certified infant through pre-K teacher and, over the last four years, worked with cognitively challenged and special needs children at Easton Middle School. She spent two decades at home raising her three boys and she passionately believes every child needs and deserves to feel they truly matter. She finds great joy and fulfillment in being a safe landing spot for any child.

Born and raised in Boston before moving to Cape Cod as a teen, Lisa finds peace sitting at the ocean’s edge reading a book. She studied at UMass Dartmouth and is most proud of her three children.

Lisa Gomes headshot 2022
lgomes@campharborview.org

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