Congratulations to Laurel, and our two young philanthropists, Mira and Tessa! Regardless of hosting the Spring Inspiration Breakfast, which has been canceled, we feel it is important to recognize all their amazing work throughout the region. Their steadfast commitment to the community is proof of how one person’s actions can make the region shine.
We are truly honored to recognize you for all you have done for our community. Congratulations on this well-deserved award!
Laurel Lyle
Community Philanthropist Honoree
Laurel is the Vice President of Development Operations and Fundraising Programs at Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, where she has worked since 2007. She has been an active community volunteer and has held several leadership positions on non-profit boards including President of the Eliot Montessori Board of Trustees, Chair of The Fund for Wellesley, Chair of the Walker Lives in Bloom Gala and President of Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club. At present, Laurel is Vice President of Wellesley Service League and serves on the boards of the Wellesley Free Library Foundation and Wellesley Friendly Aid. Laurel earned both her BA in Sociology and her MBA from the University of Chicago. She and her husband Steve have two boys and live in Wellesley.
Mira Donaldson
Young Philanthropist of the Year Award Winner
Mira is in twelfth grade at Framingham High School. She is very passionate about advocacy and social justice, recently starting her high school’s first Black Student Union. She is a participant in the Framingham Pubic School Action Civics Commission delegation, has presented to the Framingham School Committee to revise the City-wide school homework policy and a proposal to recognize Indigenous Day on the school calendar. She is also a district representative on Framingham’s Youth City Council, was recognized by the Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo, State Senator Karen Spilka and by the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus as one of its 2019 Black Excellence on the Hill Honorees for her service as the President of the FHS BSU, her advocacy for gun reform and to acknowledge and honor indigenous people. She received the Leadership in Diversity Award from the Alliance for Metro West Unity and has been named “One of the most interesting people of 2019” by MetroWest Daily News. This summer, Mira will be preparing to attend college and continue her studies in Political Science in hopes to continue her advocacy work.
Tessa J. Renyi
Young Philanthropist of the Year Award Winner
Tessa Renyi is a current eighth-grader at Nashoba Brooks School in Concord. She has been an active member of Youth in Philanthropy for the past two years and a member of the National Charity League of MetroWest Boston. Tessa is a part of the Nashoba Brooks award-winning team in C-SPAN’s National 2020 StudentCam competition for their documentary titled, “Climate Change: What Will Our Future Be?” Tessa is also Captain of the Nashoba Brooks Field Hockey team and enjoys swimming for the Thoreau Sharks Swim Team. When she isn’t playing sports and giving back to the community Tessa enjoys spending time with friends, skiing with her family, and sailing in Christmas Cove, Maine. Tessa resides in Concord with her parents, Chris and Kate, her two siblings Phoebe and Drew, and her dog named Webster.
