Leadership That Moves Our Mission Forward

Honoring Patricia D. Keenan and welcoming Dawn Hayes 

L to R: Patti Keenan and Dawn Hayes on Ellis's South End campus.

This February, Ellis Early Learning will celebrate the retirement of Patricia D. Keenan, Vice President of Advancement, Community, and Equity, whose leadership over the past five years has helped propel Ellis into a new season of growth and innovation. Patti is succeeded by Dawn Hayes, who steps into the role of Chief Advancement Officer.

When Patti joined Ellis in 2020, she arrived with a clear sense of purpose. “Equity matters to me more than anything else,” she says, “so the Ellis mission really spoke to me.” After a decades-long career in philanthropy with organizations such as GBH, United Way, and City Year, Patti understood the power of aligning people and resources around a meaningful mission. “If I can identify people who are aligned with this mission – or help spark that alignment – then I can get them to invest in Ellis.”

Motivated by a deep respect for educators and their impact on children’s lives, Patti set out to strengthen Ellis’s advancement efforts while keeping equity and community at the center of the organization’s growth.

One of her most lasting contributions is the development office itself. Under Patti’s leadership, Ellis grew from a two-person team to a six-person department, more than doubling philanthropic support and laying the groundwork for sustainable growth. “I wanted to build something that would last,” Patti reflects.

Ellis Director Sean Curran, CEO Lauren Cook, and VP Advancement Patti Keenan

In 2021, the structure she built supported a major change in record time. In just six weeks, Patti worked with CEO Lauren Cook to raise $600,000 to open Ellis’s Jamaica Plain center, creating more than 60 new child care slots in a neighborhood with limited access to early education. “There aren't many situations in annual giving where you can make a long-term, tangible contribution.” Patti says.

“Creating the JP center has been one of the most rewarding impacts our office has made while I have been at Ellis.”

Patti also placed strong emphasis on expanding representation in leadership, advocating for more diverse voices on Ellis’s Board and leadership team. “Representation matters,” she says. “Lived experience strengthens the work.”

As Patti prepared for retirement, she helped ensure a strong future for Ellis’s advancement efforts. Dawn joins Ellis from JVS (Jewish Vocational Services) Boston, where she served as Vice President of Philanthropy, raising more than $2 million annually and leading a comprehensive individual giving program. Previously, she spent nearly a decade at DOVE (Domestic Violence Ended), securing a transformational $1 million gift and more than doubling individual donations. Prior to her career in development, Dawn spent 18 years as the spokesperson for the Massachusetts State Lottery on WHDH-TV, where she became a familiar face in Boston.

"Dawn’s extensive philanthropy experience, combined with her ability to create valuable partnerships, will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen our advancement strategy to further our mission,” said Ellis CEO Lauren Cook. “Her expertise will play a major role in helping Ellis bring the highest quality education and care to Boston’s working families.”

Looking ahead, Patti hopes Ellis continues to be recognized as a national example of what early education can be: high-quality, accessible, and equitable. “People don’t always think of early childhood in their philanthropy,” she notes, “but the impact is enormous, and worth investing in.”

As Ellis thanks Patti for her leadership, vision, and unwavering commitment, her legacy is clear: a stronger organization and a development team positioned to support Ellis’s mission for years to come.