Annual Meeting 2025 Recap

The YWCA Southeastern Massachusetts held its 2025 annual meeting on December 3, 2025 at Waypoint Event Center in New Bedford. Thank you to everyone who attended and supported us throughout 2025. You can view all images from the event in the gallery below.

Annual Report & Impact Report
View the 2025 Annual Report and Impact Report. 

Year in Review
Watch our 2025 Year in Review video here

Board Updates

Parting Members

3 of our valued board members, who were part of the executive committee, will be leaving us at the end of 2025. Lindsay Carter-Monteiro, President, Patt Garcelon, Vice-President, and Kendyll Ramos, Treasurer.

We thank Kendyll Ramos for stewarding our financial health with diligence and integrity.

As Vice President, Patt has provided steady leadership, strategic insight, and unwavering support for our mission. Her contributions have strengthened our organization and shaped our direction.

Lindsay Carter-Monteiro has offered invaluable guidance and leadership through her board service over the last six years. She was first an employee at YWKids years ago while we were still on Merrimac street. She then returned as a model for then Red Dress Fashion Show, then went on to join the Red Dress Committee and eventually co-chair and chair the committee. She joined the board in 2020 and provided support as we navigated Covid and the challenges of racial injustice in our community following the murder of George Floyd. in 2022, she became our Board President. From opening YWCA Drayton House, creating a new strategic plan and boldly not backing down from our Mission, her vision for equity for all is inspiring to all of us. She has advocated for us to the national YWCA office, to local organizations, and to our community. We sincerely appreciate her empathy, wisdom, and resilience and are so grateful for her service.

All three will be continuing to serve as non-board committee members on various committees including the Red Dress Fashion Show and Housing. We are incredibly grateful for their dedication and contributions to the YWCA and their continued support.

We are excited to welcome our new officers and 5 new board members.

New Officers

President, Shai Spinola-Ramos, Director of Occupational Training, Lifestream Employment and Training Division. Shai has served on the YWCA board since January 2021.

Vice-President, Corday Silva, New Bedford Public Schools, School Adjustment Counselor. Corday has served on the YWCA board since January 2021.

Treasurer, Isaura Tavares, Assistant Vice President/ Cash Management Officer, Bristol County Savings Bank. Isaura has served on the YWCA board since January 2023.

Assistant Treasurer, Elizete Perry, Deputy Director of the MassHire Greater New Bedford Career. Elizete has served on the YWCA board since January 2022

Clerk, Isabel DaSilva, Program Coordinator at Lifestream. Isabel has served on the YWCA since January 2023.

New Board Members

We welcome our new board members, serving their first two-year term.

Esmeralda P. Barea Velez
Esmeralda is a multilingual healthcare and community services professional, Esmeralda is passionate about promoting inclusion, empowerment, and equity across New Bedford and the South Coast area. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Portuguese Studies from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, graduating summa cum laude. Her work as a therapeutic mentor and TT&S focuses on helping children and families build confidence, access in-home support, and strengthen their ties within the community. Fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and certified in medical interpreting, Esmeralda strives to bridge cultural and linguistic gaps in healthcare and education.

Joyce Cardoza
Joyce is the Principal of New Bedford High School. A proud graduate of Simmons College, Joyce discovered her lifelong passion for advancing equity, women’s empowerment, and access to opportunity early in her academic journey. Her time at Simmons shaped her belief that leadership is grounded in compassion, representation, and advocacy— values that continue to define her professional and personal life.

Before joining New Bedford Public Schools, she served as Principal of an alternative middle school in Fall River for three years. Prior to that, Joyce served for eight years as a Multilingual Dropout Prevention Specialist, where she designed and implemented targeted interventions English Learners. During this time, she also maintained a private counseling practice for five years, specializing in work with bilingual clients, women, and families—helping them navigate complex personal and cultural challenges with empathy and care.

Ashley Clark
Ashley is a First-year Elementary Dance Teacher for New Bedford Public Schools. She just finished a year of a lifetime as Miss New Bedford 2025, where she spread her Community Service Initiative; Your Vote, Your Legacy, throughout her city. With a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fashion Design from UMass Dartmouth, Ashley enjoys sewing and working on costumes for local theatre companies. She has created dresses for a few on the YWCA’s Annual Red Dress Fashion Show and aspires to have her own sustainable fashion brand. She newly serves as a Board Member for the Martin Luther King Jr. Recognition Committee.

Tanina M. Edwards-Tavares
Tanina was born and raised in New Bedford, MA, by a strong family of women deeply rooted in community service. From an early age, she was surrounded by the powerful influence of women involved in organizations such as The New Bedford Women’s Center, The Battered Women’s Shelter, Various Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs, and local city politics fighting for racial equality, support for women and youth programs, who would all support our underserved community members, which I was always encouraged to be a part of throughout my life. While raising her son as a single mother, she worked two jobs for over 20 years and continued her education, eventually earning a BA in Sociology/Criminal Justice from UMass Dartmouth. Tanina has dedicated over 27 years to public service with the Massachusetts Trial Court, working across the Bristol Superior, District, and Probate and Family Courts. She was also a Youth Attendant Officer for the Bristol County Juvenile Center for over 2 years.

Helena Moronta

Helena brings over 20 years of experience in the financial sector. With a strong focus on business development, community engagement, and policy implementation, Helena has earned a reputation for strategic leadership that drives both organizational growth and community impact.

Helena holds a foundational background in finance from the University of Rhode Island and has completed advanced leadership training at Cornell University, Brown University, and Babson College. These educational experiences have further developed her expertise in leadership, organizational growth, and financial strategy.

Welcome to all our new board members! We look forward to what their experience and insights will bring to the YWCA!

Thank you all for a wonderful 2025, we look forward to continuing our work in 2026!