Executive Director
Our Executive Director: Sharon Reilly
Sharon Reilly was hired by the Board of Directors as Executive Director of The Women's Lunch Place in July, 2007. She was hired to design and execute a three year strategic plan and bring the organization to its next level of maturity. The resulting plan includes a major building renovation, and a comprehensive evaluation system to measure the impact of the organization's services in the lives of women who are poor and homeless. She is also charged with raising the Women's Lunch Place's profile among target constituencies in an effort to diversify and expand the organization's base of support.
Sharon's professional career has crossed every sector from higher education to Fortune 500 but it was not until she found her way to the Women's Lunch Place did she feel that she was truly connected with the purpose of her work. Prior to joining The Women's Lunch Place, Sharon was the Director of Community Relations at The Food Project where she was responsible for the organization's public policy initiatives and leveraging relationships to build brand awareness in the Boston market. Sharon moved to Boston in 2003 from Ft. Smith, Arkansas where she was employed by Beverly Enterprises, Inc., a Fortune 500 company where she lead corporate wide team projects on corporate compliance and business ethics, staff recruitment and retention. A former regional director for Minnesota based National Marrow Donor Program, Sharon's region was number one in the recruitment and retention of donors of color and she produced the organization's award winning video on targeted minority recruitment. Throughout her professional career, Sharon has brought to all of her positions a remarkable array of skills that have empowered the organizations to fulfill their missions.
A native Mississippian, Sharon has a passion for social justice issues. She grew up on a sharecropper's farm during the 1950s and 1960s and she understands the plight of poor women and the devastating effects of poverty.
A graduate of Rust College and the University of Mississippi, Sharon is also a graduate of the Commonwealth Seminar and Boston College's executive leadership program, Leadership for Change. A member of The Commonwealth Institute Executive Director's Forum, the College Club of Boston, Sharon is also a member of the Board of Directors of The Food Project.
Recent awards include: Hood Simply Smart Milk Award: Make A Difference Taste A Difference, Boston Celtics: Heroes Among Us Award, Back Bay Association: Heavy Lifting Award, Unity First: Common Ground Award.
In her spare time, Sharon enjoys travelling and has a special interest in Africa, hiking, photography, discovering New England, and designing hair accessories for girls.
