Dear Friends of Fairwinds,

I am pleased to announce that Fairwinds has chosen Roberto Santamaria as its next Executive Director. Roberto is no stranger to Nantucket, or I suspect to many of you, as he currently serves as Director of Health and Human Services for the Town.

This is a real win for Fairwinds. We had sought a leader with impeccable credentials, a leader with robust experience and a history of leadership and innovation. We wanted a leader with the vision to expand our horizons and the know-how of a true and tested administrator. We needed an individual with the ability to hear from and speak with our increasingly diverse community and one who could commit to the rugged beauty and complexity of Island life. I am convinced we have found that in Roberto.

Roberto is a seasoned health administrator and brings deep experience in public health and community relations. A proven leader, he directed a cross jurisdictional team in response to COVID-19, oversaw Nantucket’s first diversity equity and inclusion assessment and coordinated his department’s first multi-year strategic plan. This spring Roberto will complete his doctorate in Public Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He holds several additional degrees including Master of Public Health, and an MBA. And he is a native Spanish speaker.

In the coming years, the challenges before us are enormous. So, too, are the opportunities. I can’t wait to further introduce you to Roberto. At Fairwinds, we look forward to continuing to provide the essential services that benefit Nantucket residents and contribute enormously to the overall health and well-being of the Island and its residents. Under Roberto’s able leadership Fairwinds will continue to grow to meet the evolving needs of our community. Together, we will work to deepen existing partnerships, pursue additional collaboration and create new and more robust funding sources as we provide even better service to our increasingly diverse community.

We found Roberto, right here on Nantucket, following a national search. He will be finishing up his responsibilities with the Town and starting his position at Fairwinds in June. As a result, we are bringing in an Interim Executive Director to work on island with our staff over the next several months. We expect to be making an announcement on this shortly and in the meantime. Jason Bridges will continue in his current role.

We owe enormous thanks to Jason for his leadership throughout his tenure and especially in giving us his time and care during this transition. Fairwinds would not be where it is today without his leadership and we wish him well.

We are excited about this next phase in our evolution. We are fortunate to have a capable and dedicated team at Fairwinds without whom we could not provide the services–the heart and the haven–that are our hallmark.

We appreciate your partnership in its many forms. Together, we work toward a bright future for Fairwinds and Nantucket.

Sincerely,

Chris Gagnier

Chair, Fairwinds Board of Directors

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