Board of Directors

Gail Fortes, Board Chair

Gail M. Silva-Fortes is a lifelong resident of New Bedford. Gail has a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Bridgewater State University. For the last 13 years, Gail has led the YWCA Southeastern Massachusetts as the Executive Director, with a passion for social justice and women’s empowerment that she also brings to Y.O.U. Gail’s unique experience provides valuable insight into nonprofit management, governance, business development, and community engagement.

Nicole Jackman, Treasurer

For 22 years Nicole was a full-time Investment Research Analyst and Portfolio Manager, working for a variety of asset managers in Boston and London. During her career she has analyzed and invested in a variety of sectors, including municipalities, industrials, technology, banks and insurance companies.  In 1999, she relocated to London.  Nicole was instrumental in growing the European Credit business at both State Street Global Advisors and Wellington Management and worked in many ways to support client service and relationship management. In 2011, she relocated back to the area to care for her aging parents. Living in New Bedford allowed her to work with a few local not-for-profits until she returned to work as a Credit Analyst at Loomis Sayles in Boston in 2017.

Melissa Bride, Clerk

Mel has spent most of her life as an educator. A Spanish teacher by trade, she has taught at several independent schools as well as a bilingual school in Honduras. Mel has served in administrative roles, too, including Dean of Students, dorm parent, Director of Community Life and Director of Diversity Initiatives. Currently Mel lives in New Bedford and is the Director of Development at the San Miguel School in Providence, a Lasallian middle school for boys. Previous to her new role at San Miguel, Mel worked at Tabor Academy for five years. While at Tabor, she worked to better connect Tabor students with the rich and diverse New Bedford community.

William Gardner, Director

Will Gardner is an educational consultant and entrepreneur. He is the founder and former Executive Director of Alma del Mar Charter Schools in New Bedford. Alma’s mission is to put every one of its scholars on the path to college and to challenge them to be service-minded leaders. During Will’s time at Alma, the organization grew from having one school serving 120 scholars to having two schools serving over 1,000 scholars. Alma has been recognized for strong academic achievement, proactive family engagement and exemplary work with English language learners. Prior to founding Alma del Mar, Will ran after school programming for middle schoolers in New Bedford. He began his career as a teacher with 'Teach for America' in the Mississippi Delta. He has a BA from Wesleyan University and M.Ed. from Harvard. He lives in Fairhaven with a badass librarian, two quirky kids and a pit mix.

T. Blair Taylor, Director

Blair Taylor, the daughter of retired foreign service officers, embodies the profound impact of exposure, resource access, and representation on one's commitment to fostering a more equitable and inclusive community culture. Her passion for the arts blossomed during her upbringing abroad, where she had unique opportunities to witness the universal power of the arts. Throughout her academic journey, she actively engaged in various choral and vocal programs, eventually majoring in voice at a performing arts middle school. Recognizing her deep-seated passion for arts education and equity, Blair assumed the role of Director of Education and Community at the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center after attending a DC-based public charter boarding school. In her new position, she is dedicated to ensuring the Zeiterion truly reflects New Bedford's diverse culture. Blair also holds a B.S. in Sports Management from Guilford College and is the eldest child of Ambassador Teddy Taylor (ret.) and Antoinette Corbin-Taylor. She is also a lifelong member of Alfred Street Baptist Church.

Dr. Bruce W. Tench, II, Director

Dr. Bruce W. Tench II is a New Bedford native who has served several years within and around the New Bedford school system. He received his Bachelor’s degree in English: Literature and Criticism and received his Master’s in Teaching, both from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. He received his Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University, and currently holds a position as the 6th Grade Interim Assistant Principal at Keith Middle School in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Shaun Van Laarhoven, Director

Shaun is the Kitchen Director and Executive Chef at Round the Bend Farm and resides in New Bedford. He is a 2017 graduate of the "Leadership SouthCoast Program." He is passionate about transgender rights, underserved marginalized communities, access to nutritious good tasting food for all, youth, healthcare for all, housing for all and so many other things but most important overall, humanity.