Colleen Richards Powell

Colleen Richards Powell is the Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer. Prior to joining in March 2021, Ms. Powell was with MFS Investment Management as Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer. Previously, Ms. Powell was Chief External Relations and Communications Officer for the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, served as Deputy Director of Commonwealth Compact, and spent several years as Special Assistant to the President of Harvard University. Ms. Powell began her career by serving on the Capitol Hill staff of Senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy.

Ms. Powell chairs the Education and Workforce Committee of the Board of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable and co-chairs the Community Servings Life Savor Gala. She is a member of the Leadership Council of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, the Executive Forum of the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship and the Wellesley College Business Leadership Council. Ms. Powell serves on the Leadership Council of the Posse Foundation, the Cradles to Crayons Corporate Advisory Council, the Philanthropic Advisory Council for Healthcare for the Homeless and the Executive Council of the Partnership, Inc. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College and a master’s degree from Harvard University.