“Lover of details, systems, and connection”
“Lover of details, systems, and connection”
As Project and Events Manager for Healthy Places by Design, Becky handles logistical details for various on-site events and virtual meetings. She collaborates with colleagues to provide overarching support to specific projects and initiatives.
Prior to joining our team, Becky served as an Events Manager at Mass General Brigham. In this role she spearheaded employee engagement and recognition programs across the healthcare system, which served as important retention efforts during the pandemic. She also held multiple administrative, fundraising, and operational roles at Facing History and Ourselves, a global nonprofit that fights bigotry and hatred through education. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Philosophy as well as minors in Social Justice & Social Policy and Health: Science, Society, & Policy from Brandeis University. She received her Certificate in Nonprofit Management & Leadership from the Institute for Nonprofit Practice and is a Certified Meeting Professional with the Events Industry Council.
Becky, her wife, and her goofy pitbull are based in Asheville, North Carolina. She enjoys singing with Womansong, Asheville’s feminist women’s chorus, and serves in multiple leadership roles in the group, including as the concert coordinator managing logistics for performances and the Gender Inclusivity Committee administrator. In her spare time, Becky loves eating delicious food at restaurants and food trucks, connecting with friends, and taking her dog on walks at local greenways, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the North Carolina Arboretum.
I grew up in an affluent community in suburban Rhode Island with easy access to healthy food and resources, including at farmers’ markets and farm stands.
In college, in one of my Sociology classes I wrote a report on my hometown, learning that less than 10% of the population were of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. Delving into demographic details, I realized that my community was largely white and in high income brackets. This impacted local resources, including schooling, walkability, institutions, and access to produce.
Learning about my hometown and the sociological implications of my upbringing lit a fire in me to make a difference in my communities. My senior thesis focused on healthcare as a lens into racial relations in Jim Crow Mississippi. Based on my historical knowledge of healthcare disparities, I was accepted into the Barbara Jordan Health Policy Scholars Program in Washington DC to learn about legislation that impacted social determinants of health.
Since graduation, I have worked in and volunteered with a variety of social justice focused nonprofits. Recently, my wife and I evaluated what we want in the place where we live and decided to move to Asheville based on its proximity to beautiful outdoor spaces, intentional communities, and welcoming vibe. I feel lucky to be able to continue my pursuit of community-based connection and health equity by being a member of the Healthy Places by Design team.