BOSTON — United Way of Massachusetts Bay today announced the election of Magnolia Contreras, MSW, MBA, Vice-President for Community Health at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, as its new Board Chair, a leadership role critical to advancing the organization’s strategic vision and strengthening its impact across the region. At a time when many families and community-based organizations are navigating rising costs and increasing demand for services, the Board Chair plays a vital role in guiding governance, supporting executive leadership, and helping United Way remain both responsive in moments of urgency and focused on long-term solutions.
As Vice-President for Community Health at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Contreras leads efforts to improve cancer outcomes in historically marginalized populations through comprehensive prevention, screening, and early detection programs. Through a broad range of public health programs, her team works to reduce cancer incidence and mortality, support community development, and ensure access to equitable and culturally appropriate care. Additionally, she and her team collaborate with city and state health departments, community organizations, and Boston-based coalitions to address the most pressing community needs.
With over twenty years of experience in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors working on issues related to public health, public policy, and community health care, Contreras’ leadership aligns to United Way of Massachusetts Bay’s mission of bringing people and partners together to tackle systemic challenges in the community, and in particular the intersection and interdependencies of public health and economic mobility.
“This time of unprecedented strain on the safety net calls for both action and the mobilization of people and partners to work toward common goals,” Contreras said. “Many of our communities and nonprofit partners are facing extraordinary pressures, and United Way is uniquely positioned to respond to urgent needs while tackling the systems that hold people back. I am excited to help lead this work.”
“United Way is built for moments in time when communities need both immediate support and long-term pathways to stability,” says Marty Martinez, President and CEO of United Way of Massachusetts Bay. “Magnolia understands what it takes to respond to urgent needs while simultaneously tackling the system barriers that, when addressed, will lead to thriving, healthy communities. She brings a steady, mission-driven approach that will help ensure United Way continues to evolve, innovate, and meet the needs of the region.”
Contreras is a graduate of Boston College, Simmons College Graduate School of Social Work, and Suffolk University Sawyer Business School in Boston. She served as an Adjunct Faculty member in the Graduate School of Social Work at Salem State University, Simmons College, and Boston College. She is also an alum of The Partnership Inc.’s Next Generation Executive Program and McKinsey & Company’s Black Executive Leadership Program.
A life-long resident of Lynn, one of United Way’s focus communities, Magnolia has a strong record of community service. She volunteers on local boards of directors, including the Lynn Community Health Center, Salem State University Board of Trustees, and the Board of Directors of the Economic Development Industrial Corporation of Lynn (EDIC/Lynn).
With Contreras’ appointment, United Way continues a long tradition of board leadership grounded in service, accountability, and community partnership. Together with the Board of Directors, she will help strengthen the organization’s ability to respond to emerging challenges while advancing economic mobility, supporting families, and expanding opportunity for residents across Greater Boston and surrounding communities.