HAWC Announces Departure of Executive Director; Appoints Interim Leader

Salem, MA - Healing Abuse, Working for Change, Inc. (HAWC) announced on Thursday that its Executive Director, Anthony DiPietro, is resigning in order to pursue higher education. The 10-member Board of Directors has named Paula Herrington as Interim Executive Director to oversee the agency and assist them in the search for the next Executive Director.

Herrington will take up her post on April 25th, the day after the agency's "Walk for HAWC", an annual fundraiser with over 1,000 participants. Herrington brings over two decades of nonprofit management experience, including fifteen years as an interim executive director. She served in this role previously in 2013, after the departure of HAWC's longest-serving leader, Candace Waldron.

HAWC (Healing Abuse Working for Change) is the oldest and the most comprehensive domestic violence agency on Massachusetts' North Shore. HAWC's mission is to create social change by taking action against personal and societal patterns of violence and oppression. HAWC provides services and support to victims of domestic abuse residing in 23 cities and towns on Massachusetts' North Shore. These services include a 24-hour hotline, support groups, individual, legal and hospital advocacy, children's services, a shelter program, community education and a Parent-Child Trauma Recovery Program.

"The agency is well positioned for this transition having recently completed a strategic planning process which has galvanized both the board and staff around the mission, vision and values of HAWC. It sets organizational priorities going forward and provides guidance around opportunities to grow sources of funding and programming to enhance HAWC's comprehensive services.," DiPietro stated. "The work that we put into the strategic plan will provide a road-map that will guide the agency for years to come. HAWC now has even greater potential as it continues to evolve in ways that meet survivors' changing needs."

"We are grateful to Anthony for his significant contributions during his tenure at HAWC. He has worked effectively with the staff and board in establishing a new foundation for future growth," stated Linda Puopolo, a non-profit finance and asset management consultant, and President of HAWC's board of directors. "I have every confidence that this transition will strengthen HAWC and prepare the way for the next leader of the organization. We have a strong board, and are bringing in an interim leader with decades of experience and strong management skills. HAWC's future is bright and we are looking forward to its next chapter."