NEW BEDFORD — The SouthCoast Community Foundation Board of Directors has announced the appointment of Dr. Melanie Edwards-Tavares as the organization’s next President and CEO. She comes to the organization from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, which manages over $1 billion in assets and is one of the country’s longest-running community foundations. There, she serves as the Director of Capacity Building and Nonprofit Support.
Edwards-Tavares is a New Bedford native and will be the fifth president to hold the position since the Foundation’s inception in 1995. She will take the helm on September 8, 2023, which is also the date of the Community Foundation’s annual celebration, “Summer’s Last Blast.”
The executive search was extensive and robust, focused on finding a candidate with community foundation experience, strong South Coast roots, and the skills to lead and grow the organization’s grantmaking. The recruitment and interview process included the entire Community Foundation staff and Board, who unanimously elected Edwards-Tavares to the role.
