NEW: Rhode Island Foundation Announces New Officers

NEW: Rhode Island Foundation Announces New Officers

President and CEO Neil Steinberg announced the appointment of two new officers at The Rhode Island Foundation, the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in the state. Rebecca E. Dupras and Wendy Lawton have joined the Foundation’s development team.

Rebecca E. Dupras began as a Donor Services and Planned Giving Officer in early October following her work as a solo-practitioner. Since becoming a member of the Rhode Island Bar Association in 2006, Dupras concentrated her practice in the areas of estate planning and probate administration. She worked previously for Pannone Lopes Devereaux & West LLC on its estate planning and administration team and at Moses & Afonso. She is an experienced lawyer in the practice areas of estate planning and estate and trust administration and probate litigation. Dupras earned her J.D. from Suffolk University Law School while working full-time as a paralegal in Rhode Island. During law school, she clerked in the Rhode Island Superior Court for Superior Court Associate Justice William A. Dimitri. Dupras received her undergraduate degree from Roger Williams University in paralegal studies. She has served on the board of directors for the Women’s Center of Rhode Island and the Providence YMCA. Dupras currently lives in Providence.

At the Foundation, Dupras will work primarily with current donors, deferred gift donors, 1916 Society members (the Foundation’s legacy society), and professional advisors. She will also be responsible for monitoring the legal and legislative landscape on issues that may affect community foundations and other charitable organizations.

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Wendy Lawton began working as a Senior Development Officer this week. Lawton comes to the Foundation from Lifespan, where she served as the research development director, raising funds from foundations, companies, and individuals for basic, clinical, and behavioral research. She previously worked at Brown University, first as a senior science writer and assistant director of media relations, then as an associate director of corporate and foundation relations, raising private funds for university science and technology projects. Formerly a journalist, Lawton began her career as a town reporter for The Patriot Ledger, covered medicine and health for The Oregonian, and reported on education for The Gazette in Colorado Springs. Lawton received a B.A. in communications from University of Massachusetts-Amherst and an M.A. in journalism from New York University. She is currently on the board of directors at The Steel Yard and served previously on the board of the Rhode Island Museum of Science and Art. Lawton lives in Providence.

In her new role, Lawton will focus on new corporate and individual donors to the Foundation and coordinate fundraising for key initiatives including the new Civic Leadership Fund.

In announcing the hires, Steinberg said, “Both Rebecca and Wendy bring solid professional experience, a collaborative spirit, and an abiding commitment to Rhode Island that make them great assets to further strengthen the Foundation’s strong development team.”