Board of Directors

Pictured top row, left to right: Ine Ogagan, Helena Moronta-Goncalves, Tanina Edwards-Tavares, Isabel DaSilva, Mali Lim, Corday Silva, Elizete Perry, Mia Correria bottom row: Ashley Clark, Shai Spinola-Ramos, Gail Fortes, Isaura Tavares, Esmeralda Barea Velez

 

President
Shai Spinola-Ramos - Director of Occupational Training, Lifestream Employment & Training Division

Vice-President
Corday Silva - New Bedford Public Schools, School Adjustment Counselor

Treasurer
Isaura Tavares - Assistant Vice President/Cash Management Officer, Bristol County Savings Bank

Assistant Treasurer
Elizete Perry - Deputy Director, MassHire Greater New Bedford Career

Clerk
Isabel DaSilva - Realtor, Silva Realty Group; Program Coordinator, LifeStream Inc.

  • Mia Correia - K-12 Curriculum, Data and Assessment Manager for World Languages at New Bedford Public Schools
  • Mali Lim - Coordinator for Community Education, City of New Bedford
  • Jean Lim Cudjoe - Director, Alkermes, Inc.
  • Ine Ogagan, LCSW - Senior Director of Scholar Services, Wiley Company
  • Vivian Smith-Barnes - Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy Director, Child and Family Services
  • Esmeralda Barea Velez - Therapeutic Mentor
  • Joyce Cardoza - Principal, New Bedford High School
  • Ashley Clark - Elementary Dance Teacher, New Bedford Public Schools
  • Tanina M. Edwards-Tavares - Massachusetts Trial Court
  • Helena Moronta-Goncalves - Community-Centered Finance Professional

 YWCA Board President, Shai Spinola-Ramos

I am a proud fourth-generation Cape Verdean American, born and raised in New Bedford, where I still reside with my husband of thirty years and our adult children, all of whom have chosen careers dedicated to public service. My husband and I are also proud grandparents raising our 16-year-old grandson which makes the YWCA’s Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Program especially meaningful to me. My family is the most important part of my life and the foundation of everything I do.

A NBHS graduate, I graduated from Boston University in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Classical Civilization. For the past 20 years, I have worked at LifeStream Inc. in the Employment & Training Division where I currently serve as the Director of Occupational Training and am a member of LifeStream’s Executive Team. In addition to my role at LifeStream, I am the Co-chair the New Bedford Department of Transitional Assistance Advisory Board and serve on the Board of Directors for Mercy Meals. I am also a member of the Direct Care Curriculum Advisory Committee under the Commonwealth of MA’s Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS).

I am passionate about empowering others, whether through education, workforce development, or community advocacy, because I believe that when people are given the tools and support, they need, they can achieve incredible things.

Whole Building