Beverly Nonprofit Executive Director Takes On New Role In Salem

SALEM, MA — Former Beverly Bootstraps Executive Director Sue Gabriel is joining Boys & Girls Club of Salem as its new executive director following the retirement of Joanne Scott after 17 years in the leadership position.

Gabriel comes to the role of Executive Director with more than 25 years of non-profit experience.

Most recently the executive director of Beverly Bootstraps, Gabriel was also the Development Director at Beverly School for the Deaf and has been involved in many non-profit endeavors in the community, including Rotary, the Fisher & Fuel Fund in Beverly and the Affordable Housing Trust in Beverly.

"I am incredibly excited to serve an organization with such a strong, compelling mission," Gabriel said. "Helping children have opportunities is worthy of my passion, energy and hard work. I look forward to working closely with the community to build our future."

Scott is credited with ushering in an era of stability and growth for the Club after a period of leadership transitions following the tragic loss of Stephen O’Grady, a beloved former director.

"It has been the honor of my life leading the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem, in fact my blood runs blue," she said. "The Club's mission is totally focused on youth development, giving all kids the experiences, tools, and confidence they need to reach their full potential as healthy, productive adults with a commitment to give back to their community.

"Our staff, Board members and volunteers carry this mission in their hearts, as do our generous donors. It is time for, as they say in politics, a new generation of leadership! I am so excited to see what opportunities develop for our members with a new person in the lead."

Board President Susan Ulbrich said of Scott: "Joanne Scott has been a force of positive change for the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem and the community at large. Her dedication to the mission, her tireless work ethic, and her passion for making a difference have set an incredibly high bar for what it means to lead."

Those wishing to support the Boys & Girls Club during the transition can do so here.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)