User Profile

Executive Director, Hyde Square Task Force

Celina has spent her career engaged in work that enables underserved communities to access the resources and opportunities they need for a better future. With more than a decade of experience in philanthropy, she has helped numerous Boston nonprofits secure funding in the service of their mission. She was a member of HSTF's Board of Directors from 2009 through 2014, and she knows and shares our mission and values. Celina's professional and educational background, along with her passion for youth, social justice, and education makes her uniquely suited to lead HSTF. Celina joins HSTF from her position as Senior Program Officer at the Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation, where she managed grants in education and economic mobility since 2012. Prior to this, she was the Vice President and Charitable Giving Manager for BNY Mellon Public Affairs, where she helped develop an initiative focused on youth aging out of foster care. As a Program Associate at the Hyams Foundation, she managed youth development grants and initiatives. Celina teaches at Boston University School of Social Work, and is a trustee of the Rutland Corner Foundation, which supports girl-serving programs throughout Greater Boston. She was named a "Boston Latino on the Move" by the Boston Business Journal. Celina recently received her Ph.D. in Social Work and Sociology from Boston University. Her dissertation research examined the integration of a positive youth development framework in community-based youth organizations. She earned an MSW and Ed.M. from Boston University, and a BA from Smith College in Latin American Literature and Latin American Studies. She is a Fellow of the 22nd class of the Pahara - Aspen Education Fellowship and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.