Deloitte’s Susan Esper elected to serve as Board Chair of United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley

Susan Esper and Mike Durkin

BOSTON – United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley announced that Susan Esper, partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP, has been elected to serve as the new Chair of the organization’s Board of Directors. Esper was elected unanimously at United Way’s June Board meeting, and will lead the Board following the service of Andrew Dreyfus of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, whose two-year term ended on June 30.

“Susan will bring high-energy, deep knowledge of our work in the community and the professional skill set needed to develop and implement the best strategies to give more people the opportunity to get involved and create lasting change in their communities through United Way,” says Michael K. Durkin, president at United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley. “She will be a visionary leader as we look to grow our relationships with corporate partners on the issues they care about and engage a changing, more mobile workforce in our community work, particularly through volunteerism. We are fortunate to have great leaders in our region who are willing to give their time to ensure all children and families have educational and economic opportunities to thrive.”

Esper has served on UWMBMV’s Board of Directors since 2010.  During her involvement with United Way, she’s led efforts to increase volunteerism and to engage women to create a new generation of leaders among the region’s youth. She’s also been a steady volunteer, along with her family, at United Way’s annual Thanksgiving Project, which provides groceries for Thanksgiving meals for over 5,000 families.

“I am honored to be named board chair of such a vital organization as United Way Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley,” said Esper. “The work that the United Way does is essential to helping improve lives throughout the community. I am excited to work with the other board members to support programs that enhance the quality of life for residents in Massachusetts.”

Esper has more than 23 years of public accounting experience. Currently she leads the organization’s New England financial services industry group, comprised of professionals serving the banking and securities, insurance, private equity, hedge fund, mutual fund, and real estate sectors. She is the lead audit partner for a number of the organization’s largest investment management accounts with responsibility for oversight of client service coordination and delivery.

In addition to her client service responsibilities, Esper serves as a regional leader for Deloitte’s Women’s Initiative Network (“WIN”). Established in 1993, this initiative focuses on the development of its talented women professionals and identifies opportunities for them as future leaders within the organization. WIN supports Deloitte’s goal to train, develop and mentor professionals at all levels, regardless of gender, and create an environment where career success can be achieved.

Deloitte is also the founding sponsor of United Way’s Women’s Leadership Breakfast, which is celebrating its 20^th year on October 15. Over the decades, this event has evolved into a movement that is over 1,250 women strong, raising over $3.5 million in the last year alone to support the work of United Way.

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