LRI’s Board of Governors Elects Three New Members

Leadership Rhode Island’s (LRI) Board of Governors is proud to welcome our newly elected Board Members, John Bennett (2017 Nu II), Sean Fontes (2022 Sigma II), and Brett Gerstenblatt (2017 Nu II). Each bringing unique expertise and perspectives, they will play a vital role in guiding LRI during a period of tremendous growth. Welcome!

 

John Bennett
Learner – Relator – Achiever – Futuristic – Analytical

In today’s world of ever-evolving technology, John, a 2017 Nu II, brings his expertise in software development and team leadership to LRI’s Board of Governors.

“As the organization continues to evolve,” he says, “I hope my technology background can be helpful in managing the ever-increasing administrative workload, so the team can continue to create the excellent programming that LRI is known for.”

After more than 30 years of experience building software and leading technology teams, John is now an independent consultant, assisting clients in the creation, construction and expansion of their software. He places strong emphasis on the use of software and data in ethical, responsible ways, he says.

Prior, he worked for several technology companies, holding the position of Principal at Nevo Technologies, and Vice President of Engineering at Huge, an international digital company. For NBC News Digital, where he was Principal Engineer, he spearheaded the development of new software for NBC News websites and apps, a system supporting hundreds of millions of users.

He is an advisor at the Social Enterprise Greenhouse, headquartered in Providence. In the past, he also has volunteered to assist iMentor, an agency that empowers first-generation students to achieve their ambitions, Malaika, an organization that supports the village of Kalebuka in the southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Blue Ridge Labs which builds tech-based solutions for real-world problems faced by people experiencing poverty.

“The expansion of LRI’s local programs and national influence over the past few years has been wonderful to see,” he says. “Though it hasn’t really been a surprise, given the amazing staff and network of alumni.”

John, who lives in Warwick, is an avid sailor, amateur blacksmith, and the parent of an extremely spoiled cattle dog. He majored in Russian and Soviet Studies at Harvard College.

 

Sean Fontes
Responsibility – Learner – Analytical – Restorative – Individualization

Sean, who grew up in Boston, cites vivid childhood memories to explain his strong work ethic, his belief in the power of education and of strong multicultural relationships.
He recalls how his mother, after finishing her full-time day job, earned a high school diploma and attended community college classes at night. He also remembers the evenings when his exhausted father, a hard-working manual laborer, found time to tutor him in arithmetic.
And, he remembers his mother’s close friendship with an Irish woman, a sisterhood that survived ugly outbursts of bigotry in the 1970s when the Irish of South Boston angrily resisted the bussing of black children to their white neighborhood schools.
Sean graduated from the University of Massachusetts and earned a law degree from Boston College’s Law School. Later he added a certificate in Executive Leadership from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

He recently joined the Providence firm of Partridge Snow & Hahn as counsel in employment and litigation. The move to the private sector followed 12 years as head of the legal division at Rhode Island’s Department of Labor and Training.His volunteer services are extensive. In Boston, Sean provided pro bono legal services for indigent clients for 15 years, and now serves as legal counsel for the Community Mentoring Team that guides men and women of color into union construction apprenticeships.

He is longtime chair of the West Elmwood Housing Development Corp. in Providence and serves as fellow of the Rhode Island Bar Foundation.

Now on LRI’s board, Sean, LRI ’22, says he wants to use his leadership, professional, educational, philanthropic and life experiences to guide LRI through a period of growth and into its best position ever to nurture new leaders “to lead in a multi-racial society and fast-evolving society.”

 

Brett Gerstenblatt
 Strategic  – Futuristic – Responsibility – Deliberative – Maximizer

Brett hopes to bring “more meaning, more connection and more joy to the LRI community” and he’s already thinking about how to do it.

“I see opportunities to better tell and share the story of why,” the new board member says. “A more widespread understanding of LRI’s capabilities and capacity would put the organization in a better position to be a catalyst for positive change.”

“Generating new and different reasons to convene will foster more connections between alumni, cohorts and others.” And, he suggests, “By reigniting hope and optimism… I believe the impact will be more joy.”

Brett Gerstenblatt, 2017 Nu II, has developed corporate branding, marketing and communications programs for more than three decades. He has advised a broad range of organizations including nonprofits, startups and Fortune 500 companies helping them pursue new strategies, respond to competitive challenges and adapt to changing environments.

From 2013-2023, while a CVS Health, he played a key role in the campaign to halt tobacco sales, the development of the CVS Health brand, and the transformation of the company from being America’s corner drug store to the nation’s largest consumer healthcare company. As Vice President, Brand Experience, Creativity & Design he founded and led the in-house award-winning agency, Heart Haus.

Earlier, he was a consultant and design expert at McKinsey & Company, an entrepreneur, leader at a digital marketing agency, and creative director at several preeminent design firms.

Brett earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Hartford Art School, University of Hartford. Brett completed his senior thesis at the Rhode Island School of Design and studied abroad on several occasions.

Brett is a mentor and guest lecturer, volunteers often and serves on several boards including the Board of Trustees for The Miriam Hospital Foundation.