Meet the New Board Members: Andy Matteis & Amanda Valenta
Even under mandatory closure, the work of the Museum never stopped, including assembling its current Board of Directors. This year, two new members joined the ranks: Andy Matteis and Amanda Valenta. Each of them brings a passion for nonprofits and professional backgrounds that are sure to benefit the Museum as it prepares to reopen and well into its future.
“Andy and Amanda bring skills and experience to the board that will help us address specific needs and meet some of our goals for the future success of the Museum,” said Board President Duane Lucia. Born in the shadow of Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, Andy Matteis’ career path led him to Boston just one year ago. Now settled along the waterfront in the North End, he has learned a lot about the City’s history, including the West End. Professionally, he has extensive experience in investment research. He serves on the boards of several other nonprofits and has a solid ability to assess the health of an organization. Matteis came to know The West End Museum through a friend of Board President Duane Lucia and was intrigued by the organization’s goal of historic preservation with a modern twist. Matteis explained his heartfelt hopes for helping the Museum continue to grow and prosper.
“The Museum, in my mind, needs to find [its] niche [between] appealing to the older people who grew up in the neighborhood [and] the new part of the neighborhood,” said Matteis. “I would love to see the organization build out its membership and presence in the West End and the larger Boston community. I hope to use whatever presence I have on the board to help build an endowment that would enable the Museum to continue to sponsor speakers and exhibits that will engage and interest its growing constituency.”
Amanda Valenta came to Boston to attend graduate school at Northeastern University. Today, she is a senior director at Liberty Mutual and lives just a short walk from the Museum. She sees nonprofits as an integral part of their communities because of the ways they give back. For two years, she has volunteered at Women’s Lunch Place and, in January 2020, she volunteered to help with bookkeeping at the Museum. Not long after that, Lucia asked her to help in a more official capacity by joining the board. Valenta accepted without hesitation and is now serving as Treasurer. She has eagerly jumped into her work on the board, particularly in the context of the pandemic.
“Now that we’re in crisis mode, it’s about providing timely and relevant financial information,” she said. “As an accounting and finance professional for more than 15 years, my goal is to support the organization with the skills I’ve gained throughout my career, including strategic planning.”
“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Amanda and Andy over the last couple months. Amanda has already proved invaluable in assessing our financial situation, and Andy brings a very helpful new perspective to the board,” said Museum Director Sebastian Belfanti. “I look forward to continuing to build these positive and productive relationships, which will undoubtedly help the Museum continue to grow and reach new heights.”