Jamaica Plain nonprofit Community Servings, a nonprofit provider of medically tailored meals and nutrition services, and a leader in “food is medicine” research, advocacy and policy, announced the election of two new members to its Board of Directors.
• Jerome Smith, Head of Community Engagement - New England for Amazon, who leads the online retail and technology company’s community engagement for the New England region;
• Debbie Williams, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, who leads sales, brand and marketing for the state’s largest private health plan.
“Jerome and Debbie bring tremendous experience in community engagement and health care, respectively, and we look forward to their contributions to the board as Community Servings continues to grow and serve more people living with critical and chronic illnesses,” said David B. Waters, CEO of Community Servings.
The new board members began their leadership roles with Community Servings in July.
Smith’s career has always centered on community. While serving as chief of civic engagement for former Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, he advised City Hall on issues affecting the neighborhoods of Boston. Prior to that, he served as chief of staff to state Senate President Therese Murray.
At Amazon, Smith works closely with local community stakeholders to support policy objectives and identify community investment opportunities designed to improve the lives of city residents. Smith’s appointment to Community Servings’ board closely aligns with his team’s work addressing the issues of food insecurity and hunger in Boston and New England.
Smith, who lives in South Boston, graduated from the University of Connecticut with a bachelor’s degree in sociology.
Williams has spent more than 25 years in national and international diversified health benefits sales, marketing and product. Prior to joining Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, she served as a national accounts market head in the New England region for the health insurer Aetna.
Committed to providing health plans to nearly 3 million members and more than 20,000 employers, Williams is responsible for developing and executing sales and marketing strategies that drive top-line revenue and membership growth, ensuring high-quality care for communities.
Williams, who resides in Boston, received her undergraduate degree at Northwestern University and her MBA in marketing from the University of Connecticut.