Executive Vice President / Social Impact and Executive Director, Red Sox Foundation
Rebekah Splaine Salwasser joined the club in January of 2018 as the Executive Director of the Red Sox Foundation.
In her role, she will help realize the ambitious vision of the Foundation, which is to make a difference in the lives of children, families, veterans, and communities in need by providing them with health, educational, and recreational opportunities. Paramount to the Foundation's success are the strong relationships the Foundation and team have forged with Dana-Farber, Home Base and The Dimock Center. In addition to managing its key partnerships, Salwasser is responsible for the overall success of the Foundation's giving strategy, programming, fundraising and sponsorships, capacity building, and various other events and projects that will help build the brand and strengthen the impact of the Foundation within the New England community.
Prior to joining the Boston Red Sox, Salwasser was the Executive Director for Scholar Athletes, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support academic achievement through athletics. Founded in 2009 by Suffolk Construction's CEO, John Fish, the organization aims to reduce the opportunity gap for Public High School students by utilizing private sector assets to benefit the public sector. It further leverages the power of sport to motivate and facilitate young people to perform better in school. By doing this, SA has the unique opportunity to make a significant impact on scholar-athlete's social-emotional development, in addition to their academic success.
Prior to running Scholar Athletes, Salwasser was the Community Relations Director for the Boston Celtics for 5 years, overseeing charitable giving, community and fundraising events, and player engagement for the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation. Before the Celtics, she was the Executive Director of the Charlestown Lacrosse & Learning Center, a small nonprofit in Boston that provided academic & athletic assistance to local youth. In 2003, Salwasser was also a member of the Boston Breakers women's professional soccer team.
Salwasser is currently on the Board of Directors for Teach for America Greater Boston and the YMCA of Greater Boston. Although Salwasser ended her term as a member of the Board of Trustees for Buckingham Browne & Nichols in 2011, she continues to serve on their Alumni Council to help strengthen the relationship between the school and its Alumnus. She is also a Founding Co-Chair of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston's Friend's Council, where she now sits as a Leadership Committee Member, and she is on the National Advisory Board for Dream Big!. In 2018 she was selected to Boston Business Journal's "40 Under 40" class, and her and her husband were recognized by Boston Magazine as a Top 5 "Power Couple." Salwasser was on the Board of Directors for the Dimock Community Health Center from 2014-16, was an Emerging Leader for the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education in 2013, and was recognized in 2013 as one of Boston's Future Leaders by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.
Though born and raised in Cambridge, MA, Salwasser currently resides in Dorchester with her husband, Zac, and three children, Calvin, Niko, and Evie.