The Board of Trustees of the Brookline Community Foundation (“BCF”) announced today the appointment of Pamela (“Pam”) Hess as BCF’s next Executive Director.
Hess joins BCF with nearly thirty years of leadership experience in mission-driven organizations. For the last 10 years, Hess has served as Executive Director of the Land’s Sake Farm in Weston, MA, a non-profit community farm that aims to build community and connect people to the land while combating local hunger. Under Hess’s leadership, Land’s Sake more than tripled its annual operating budget, raised $6.5 million to build infrastructure and ensure long-term sustainability, and deepened its partnerships with hunger-relief organizations, schools, libraries, municipalities, and nonprofit partners across Greater Boston.
Today, Land’s Sake donates 30% of its production, distributing 65,000 pounds of fresh produce annually through area hunger-relief organizations (more than double what it distributed prior to 2016).
Hess previously served as the Director of Education & Youth Engagement for the Appalachian Mountain Club, where she developed and led education and youth engagement programs that connect people to the outdoors and conservation, especially people from underserved communities.
Across her work, Hess is known for building trust and community, shepherding diverse funding sources to meet community needs, and bringing people together to translate shared values into measurable impact–skills that she’s excited to bring to Brookline.
“I was drawn to this role because BCF sits at a rare and important intersection: trusted by donors, responsive to community needs, and positioned to strengthen the nonprofit ecosystem across Brookline,” Hess says. “I welcome the opportunity to build on this strong foundation while guiding BCF toward a sustainable future and even greater community impact.”
“The BCF Board of Trustees is so pleased that Pam Hess will be leading BCF into its next chapter,” says Board Co-President David Mann. “Pam comes to us with a stellar reputation as an attentive listener, exceptional fundraiser, and strategic, hands-on leader. We look forward to working closely with Pam as, together with our many donors and partners, we grow BCF’s ability to sustain Brookline nonprofits, connect our community, and catalyze lasting local change.”
Hess will assume the role of Executive Director on June 8, 2026. Brookline donors and community members will be invited to meet with her through a series of community introductions and conversations.
