Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester Announces 2023 New England Women’s Leadership Awards honorees

Collette Divitto, Taniya Nayak, and Pamela Everhart will be honored on May 15th at the Seaport Hotel 

Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester (BGCD) has announced Collette Divitto, Taniya Nayak, and Pamela Everhart as their three honorees for the 2023 New England Women’s Leadership Awards (NEWLA).

NEWLA was created by BGCD in 1993 as a way to recognize and honor remarkable women who meet challenges with confidence, persistence, and compassion. This year, NEWLA will be celebrating its 30th anniversary. Throughout its 30-year history, NEWLA has remained dedicated to inspiring the next generation of leaders by honoring exceptional role models who inspire BGCD’s members to dream big, work hard, and succeed.

NEWLA was among the first events of its kind in the Boston area, and so far, has recognized 134 outstanding women. This year, three more remarkable women will be added to the list.

Collette Divitto: Collette is Founder and CEO of Collettey’s Cookies. When Collette, who has Down syndrome, faced a string of rejections from potential employers after graduating from Clemson University, she decided to turn her passion for baking into a career by opening her own bakery. Her “The Amazing Cookie” recipe was a widespread hit. As of today, Collettey’s Cookies has sold over 400,000 cookies across the country and employs 15 people, several of whom have disabilities.

Collette’s ultimate goal is to work with lawmakers in Washington, D.C. to create policies that would increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Accordingly, Collette opened her nonprofit, Collettey’s Leadership, in 2018. Through her nonprofit, Collette offers classes and coaching on academic success, independence, vocational assessment, and entrepreneurship. Collette has been featured on CNN, Good Morning America, MSNBC, Inside Edition, BBC, CBS Evening News, ABC World News, People Magazine and many other print and television media outlets around the world.

Taniya Nayak: Taniya is one of the nation’s foremost interior designers. After receiving her MA from Boston Architectural College, Taniya became a household name as a design expert on HGTV and Food Network, where she served as host and designer on HGTV’s Designed to Sell, Billion Dollar Block, House Hunters on Vacation and Urban Oasis in Boston, and as a featured designer on Robert Irvine’s Food Network series, Restaurant: Impossible. Taniya was personally selected as brand spokesperson for Ellen Degeneres’ home product line and has served as co-host for ABC’s primetime holiday series “The Great Christmas Light Fight” since 2016. She has been featured on a variety of live programs including Rachael Ray, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Ellen Degeneres Show, Good Morning America, and more.

Currently, Taniya owns her own Boston-based design firm, Taniya Nayak Design, which she opened in 2005. Her impressive list of clientele includes Treadmark Condominiums, restaurants including Yellow Door Taqueria, Door No. 7, Abby Lane, The Poynt, Tavern & Table, and Bostonia Public House, and the new construction homes of legendary athletes, Bruin’s Patrice Bergeron and Cam Neeley.

Pamela Everhart: Pamela is Senior Vice President of Regional Public Affairs and Community Relations at Fidelity Investments. Pamela oversees the firm’s state and local government relationships, public affairs, and community relations activities across the U.S. She is passionate about increasing financial literacy for underserved communities and has been instrumental in launching several groundbreaking programs at Fidelity, including Invest in My Education, a new initiative that provides access to education and ongoing support to Black, Latinx, and historically underserved students in Boston, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Raleigh/Durham. It drives transformational change by combining student scholarships with ongoing support, including resources to complete degree programs and pathways to post-graduation employment.

Pamela also identifies change-making nonprofits with whom to establish meaningful connections. Through these collaborations, Fidelity provides access and opportunities to underserved communities, with a focus on Black and Brown youth. Pamela’s efforts are instrumental in empowering individuals to strengthen their financial futures.

“Congratulations to Colleen, Taniya and Pamela,” said Bob Scannell, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester. “Year after year, we’ve honored some of the most exceptional women in and around the city who are driving innovation, fostering inclusion and serving as role models to the youth we serve.”

NEWLA 2023 will be held on May 15th at the Seaport Hotel in Boston. The event will be emceed by Lisa Hughes, anchor at WBZ news, and chaired by Pooja Ika, Founder and CEO of eternalHealth. Sponsorships and donations are available here.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester
Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester is dedicated to making a positive impact on youth and families in our community. Inside our three clubhouses, we are a place for Dorchester’s young people to learn, explore talents, play and make friends. Today, as always, our members have access to 200+ activities for just $5 a year. Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester serves over 4,000 children between the ages of two months and 18 years each year. During the school year, we serve approximately 250 meals every weekday. For more information: www.bgcdorchester.org