FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 11, 2022
Media Contact:
Matt Porter
617-514-1574
press@jfklfoundation.org
www.jfklibrary.org
Yvonne Garcia and Ron O’Hanley of State Street Corporation to
Chair the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation’s Annual Fundraising Gala
BOSTON – The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation today announced that Yvonne Garcia, Chief of Staff to the Chairman and CEO and Global Head of Internal Communications at State Street Corporation, and Ron O’Hanley, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at State Street Corporation, will co-chair the Foundation’s 34th Annual May Dinner on Sunday, May 22, 2022. The May Dinner is the Foundation’s annual black-tie gala that celebrates President Kennedy’s enduring legacy.
“Yvonne Garcia and Ron O’Hanley are exceptional leaders in business, philanthropy and in their communities and the Foundation is proud to partner with them as we raise funds for the JFK Library’s many educational programs and resources,” said Ronald L. Sargent, Chairman of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and 2013 May Dinner Chair. “I know that with Yvonne and Ron’s leadership as co-chairs, this year’s gala will be a tremendous success.”
“President Kennedy’s legacy of courage, bold innovation and public service offers important lessons for our democracy and future generations,” said Yvonne Garcia. “Ron and I are honored to lead this year’s May Dinner fundraising efforts and help advance the Library’s mission to bring President Kennedy’s timeless legacy to a 21st-century audience.”
“Courageous leadership in public service has never been more important than the present time,” said O’Hanley. “The JFK Library’s mission to inspire such leadership and to promote debate and discussion of issues at the heart of democratic governing is vital and one that deserves our highest support. I am proud to join Yvonne in chairing this dinner and helping to ensure the Foundation’s critical work continues.”
A highlight of the 2022 gala will be the presentation of the Profile in Courage Award® to an elected official who has demonstrated political courage. Recent honorees include Senator Mitt Romney; Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi; former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu; and President Barack Obama.
The gala provides crucial financial support to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum for its vast array of educational and public programming, all of which is free of charge and has been adapted to digital formats during the coronavirus pandemic. Since 2020, more than 8,530,000 visitors have engaged with the JFK Library’s website, jfklibrary.org.
Recent May Dinner chairs include David H. Long, Chairman and CEO of Liberty Mutual Insurance; Paul and Sandy Edgerley; Thomas A. Kennedy, former Chairman and CEO of Raytheon; and Brian Moynihan, Chairman and CEO of Bank of America.
Yvonne Garcia serves as Chief of Staff to State Street’s Chairman and CEO, Ron O’Hanley, and as Global Head of Internal Communications. Prior to State Street, Yvonne served as Director of Marketing and Distribution Strategy for Liberty Mutual. Prior to Liberty Mutual, she was a Vice President for Bank of America’s China Construction Bank Strategic Assistance Program where she created and implemented over five new Wealth Management Centers throughout China, resulting in over 80 centers throughout the country. Yvonne served as the chairwoman for the largest Latino professional organization in the country, ALPFA, and is the co-founding chair of Milagros para Niños at Boston Children’s Hospital. She was appointed by Governor Charlie Baker to serve on the state’s Latino Advisory Commission Board and has previously served as Chairwoman for the Greater Boston Chamber’s Women’s Network, and now serves on its Executive Committee.
Ron O’Hanley is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of State Street. He serves on the boards of Unum Corp., ABL Space Systems, Beth Israel Lahey Health, The Boston Foundation, The Ireland Funds, IYRS School of Technology and Trades, WBUR, and Syracuse University. He also serves on the Federal Reserve’s Federal Advisory Council. Ron is involved in numerous civic and philanthropic efforts around climate, corporate governance, and diversity and inclusion, including the Sustainable Markets Initiative and the Council for Inclusive Capitalism.
The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation is the non-profit partner and creative collaborator of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, which is administered by the United States National Archives and Records Administration. Over the past forty years, this partnership has produced world class exhibits, the most advanced digital archive created by a presidential library, award-winning educational and digital resources, and public programs that make the Library the largest convener of public dialogues in the Boston area. Grounded in the archival evidence, these activities promote a greater appreciation of America’s political and cultural heritage, help people understand the major challenges facing democracy today, and inspire new generations to engage with the issues at the heart of contemporary life that relate to the legacy of President John F. Kennedy.