Jim Balfanz (City Year Boston '94), Chief Operating Officer
Jim Balfanz began his work with City Year in 1993 as a corps member. After his corps year, Jim joined the City Year staff to help grow the program, taking on various roles including Director of New Site Development and founding Executive Director of City Year Greater Philadelphia. In 2004, Jim became the first corps member alumnus to become a City Year vice president when he became Senior Vice President for External Affairs. Subsequently, Jim became City Year’s Chief Operating Officer in January of 2005. Jim is a graduate of Northeastern University and has completed a two-year Executive Management Program at the Wharton School of Business.
Evelyn Barnes, Chief Financial Officer
Evelyn Barnes joined City Year as Chief Financial Officer in 2005. She brings to City Year more than 20 years of finance and operations experience. Evelyn came to City Year after serving as CFO for The Community Builders, the largest non-profit, urban housing developer in the U.S. Throughout her career, she has been employed in senior finance positions with several large nonprofit organizations. Evelyn’s leadership experience in nonprofit finance is extensive: she was the CFO at the YWCA in Boston and Midnight Mission in Los Angeles, and Deputy Director of the Los Angeles Community Design Center and the Alcoholism Center for Women. She received her undergraduate degree and master’s degree from Boston University and has a professional designation in financial planning from the University of California – Los Angeles.
Michael Brown, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder
Michael Brown is the Co-Founder and CEO of City Year, which was founded in 1988. For his work developing City Year, Michael Brown has been awarded several distinctions, most notably the Reebok Human Rights Award, and four honorary degrees. He was named one of America’s Best Leaders by US News and World Report in 2006. Michael is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, where he served as a member of the Harvard Law Review. Prior to starting City Year, he served as a legislative assistant to Congressman Leon Panetta and as a clerk for Federal Judge Stephen Breyer.
AnnMaura Connolly, Chief External Affairs Officer and Senior Vice President
AnnMaura Connolly joined City Year as Chief of Staff in 2000 and then served as Vice President of Public Policy and Special Initiatives for five years before taking on her current leadership role overseeing City Year’s global initiatives, public policy and public affairs, and partnerships dedicated to building the national service movement. AnnMaura brings to City Year more than 20 years of experience in the national service field: she is a veteran of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, and has held senior positions at Youth Service America, the Corporation for National and Community Service and the Grantmaker Forum on Community and National Service. She currently serves on the Steering Committee for Voices for National Service, Taproot Foundation Board, the Civic Mission of Schools Steering Committee, American Bar Association Standing Committee on Public Education, and the Advisory Board of the Eli J. Segal Citizen Leadership Program at Brandeis University. AnnMaura received a bachelor’s degree in political science from Holy Cross.
Chuck Gordon, Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer
Chuck Gordon joined City Year, Inc. as the Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer in March 2008. Chuck is responsible for fundraising for City Year’s national headquarters, strengthening development capacities at its 18 domestic sites, and directing all enterprise-wide fundraising initiatives, including the upcoming 20th Anniversary Campaign. Prior to coming to City Year, Chuck spent 21 years at the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley, where he became the youngest person named Vice President and Senior Vice President in United Way of Massachusetts Bay history and was named one of Boston’s “40 under 40” by the Boston Business Journal. Chuck received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Brandeis University and a master’s in Business Administration from Boston University.
Colonel Robert L. Gordon III, Senior Vice President, Civic Leadership
Rob Gordon joined City Year as the Senior Vice President for Civic Leadership in 2006. He oversees the People and Program Group, which includes the recruitment; selection, and training of City Year’s corps; the continued development of corps alumni; the development, acquisition, and retention of staff talent; and the engagement of children and teens in City Year’s service and civic leadership initiatives. With his highly distinguished military career and extensive public service leadership experience, Rob brings to City Year an incredible expertise in leadership development as well as passion for and knowledge of the citizen service sector. As a 1992 –1993 White House Fellow, he helped found the AmeriCorps program. As a social entrepreneur, he was a co-founder and executive director of Service America, a program that brought together cadets at West Point and AmeriCorps members to address unmet needs in distressed communities. Rob holds a bachelor’s degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point, and a master’s in public affairs from Princeton University. He also is a graduate of the National War College and the Army Command and General Staff College.
Sean Holleran (City Year Boston ’95), Senior Vice President, Office of Site Leadership
Sean Holleran joined City Year when he served as a corps member in 1994-95. After his corps year, Sean served as a team leader and held various jobs including Community and Civic Engagement Manager in Boston and National Convention Director. He joined the staff of City Year Greater Philadelphia as Deputy Director in the site’s second year and was soon promoted to Co-Executive Director, a position he held for three years. Sean then served for one year as the site’s Executive Director before moving back to Boston to serve as Vice President for the Office of Site Leadership, overseeing all U.S. City Year locations. Sean graduated from Northeastern University with a bachelor’s degree in English.
Sandra Lopez Burke, Vice President and Executive Director, City Year Boston
Sandra Lopez Burke joined City Year as the Director of Individual Giving in 2001, subsequently served four years as Vice President and Chief of Staff to the CEO, and most recently, was promoted to Vice President and Executive Director of the Founding Site of City Year – Boston. Sandra brought to City Year more than 10 years of management and event planning experience in the nonprofit sector, including working with Boston 2000 and the San Antonio Sports Foundation, and directing the 1998 NCAA Men’s Final Four. She also worked closely to establish the Dreams for Youth program, aimed at introducing San Antonio’s disadvantaged youth to Olympic sports. Sandra is the parent of two City Year alumna.
Charlie Rose, Vice President and Dean
Charlie Rose has been a youth worker, organizer and entrepreneur in Boston for nearly 30 years. As a founding board member of City Year and then staff member who has played myriad roles, Charlie has helped build the organization into a national model for youth community service organizations. In addition, Charlie has also been a founding board member for seven other organizations including YouthBuild Boston and has served the community through his work with organizations such as Youth Outreach Program, Citizens for Safety, National Toxics Campaign, United Labor Unions Local, Urban Edge and as a VISTA volunteer. Prior to joining City Year’s staff, he was the Director of Youth Services for the City of Boston’s Community Centers.
Nancy Routh, Vice President, Human Potential
Nancy Routh joined City Year as the Director of Human Resources in 1994 and then became Director of the National Corps, during which time she helped grow City Year from four locations to 11. Subsequently, Nancy became Vice President of Development where she oversaw all fundraising initiatives and built the National Leadership Sponsor program. Nancy recently was promoted to the Vice President of City Year’s Human Resources division with a priority on attracting, retaining and developing staff to meet the organization’s goals. Prior to joining City Year, Nancy worked for The Boston Company, a financial service company, as Vice President and Human Resource Director. Nancy graduated from Fairleigh Dickenson University with a bachelor’s in psychology and sociology, and Cambridge College with a master’s in Education.
Stephanie Wu, Senior Vice President, Program & Service
Stephanie Wu came to City Year from the private sector in 1988 as a founding team leader in City Year's summer pilot program. During City Year’s first decade she developed and led projects serving Boston youth in school and out of school programs as well as founded City Year’s Academy, putting in place foundational programs on City Year’s culture, ideals, history, programs and leadership techniques. She has held a number of management positions, including Co-Chief Operating Officer, Senior Vice President of U.S. Site Operations, and Senior Vice President for Human Resources. Stephanie served for one year in England and Wales with the American Field Service, a program dedicated to promoting cultural awareness and understanding through international student exchanges. She was also selected to be a national trainer in President Clinton's demonstration national service program, Summer of Service. Stephanie received a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications from Boston University.