The Boston Foundation appoints three new members to Board of Directors

Boston – The Boston Foundation today announced that three new members are joining the Foundation’s Board of Directors, effective July 1, 2025. Audrey Epstein Reny, co-CEO and Managing Partner at the Abbey Group, and Adrienne Penta, National Head of Wealth Management at SCS Financial, were appointed to renewable five-year terms on the Board. The third appointee, Year Up Founder Gerald Chertavian, is rejoining the Board for a second five-year term, having served as a Director from 2006 to 2011.

The three new members replace three Directors who are leaving due to term limits after serving two five-year terms: Zamawa Arenas, founder and CEO of the marketing firm Flowetik; former UMass Boston Chancellor Dr. J. Keith Motley; and Scott E. Squillace, Esq., founder of the Boston law firm Squillace & Associates.

“On behalf of the full board, I am honored to welcome Audrey, Adrienne, and Gerald,” said Board of Directors Chair Dwight Poler. “Each brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise that will support the Foundation’s impact and aspirations at a critical time in Boston history. We also say a heartfelt thank you to Zamawa, Keith, and Scott, three inspiring leaders who joined the Board as TBF celebrated its Centennial in 2015.  Each have been influential voices as the Foundation developed its strategy to support Boston in this next era.”

All three of the new appointees have a significant history with the Foundation. In addition to Chertavian’s past Board service, Penta is a longtime member of the Foundation’s Professional Advisors Committee and Professional Advisors Network. She served as Chair of the Professional Advisors Committee in 2018-2019. Reny has a long record of activity in Greater Boston nonprofits, and has been a longtime supporter of the Boston Foundation’s civic leadership work

Audrey Epstein Reny and Adrienne Penta will serve terms until June 30, 2030, at which point they will be eligible for a second term. Having served one full term on the Board, Gerald Chertavian will serve a single term ending June 30, 2030.

Bios of the new Directors are below.

Gerald Chertavian

Gerald Chertavian is the Founder and Senior Advisor of Year Up, a national nonprofit organization that empowers underserved young adults to enter the economic mainstream. During his tenure as CEO, Year Up served more than 50,000 young adults, scaled to 30 cities and managed an annual operating budget of $180 million. Independently conducted randomized controlled trials concluded that Year Up raised wages for low-income young adults more than any youth workforce program in U.S. history. Year Up was consistently recognized as one of the nation’s top 50 nonprofits to work for by The Nonprofit Times, and Gerald was named one of the Top CEOs in the U.S. SMB Category on Glassdoor.

In 2023, Gerald stepped down from Year Up as CEO and began teaching Social Entrepreneurship and Systems Change at Harvard Business School. Gerald earned a BA in Economics, Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude, from Bowdoin College and in 2017 he was awarded the Bowdoin Common Good Award. He received his MBA, with honors, from Harvard Business School and was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2014. He has received honorary doctorates from William James College and Mount Ida College. Gerald is an Emeritus Trustee of Bowdoin College and a current Trustee of the Roxbury Community College Foundation and the Rowland Foundation. His 2012 book, A Year Up, is a New York Times bestseller.

Adrienne M. Penta, J.D.

Adrienne Penta joined SCS Financial in 2025 with over two decades of experience in wealth management. As National Head of Wealth Management, Adrienne is responsible for the overall delivery of wealth management services and advice, which includes attracting and retaining talented advisors, growing the family office and ultra-high-net-worth business, and continuing to evolve wealth advisory solutions provided to clients.

Prior to joining SCS, Adrienne was a Principal at Brown Brothers Harriman (BBH), holding numerous client-facing and strategy roles within the wealth management business. Notably, she led the creation of the BBH Center for Women & Wealth, which is dedicated to supporting women in creating and managing wealth. Adrienne began her career at Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP as a practicing trusts and estates attorney.

Adrienne graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law, serving as Executive Editor of the Virginia Tax Review, Johns Hopkins University, receiving University Honors and Phi Beta Kappa, and the Winsor School. She is active in her community and is currently the President of the International Women’s Forum of Massachusetts. She also serves on the Home for Little Wanderers Board of Directors, New America’s Better Life Lab Advisory Council, and the Lilly School of Philanthropy Women’s Philanthropy Institute Advisory Board. She lives in Boston with her children and husband.