Local Staff & Board

Jennifer Matthews
Executive Director, National Kidney Foundation – Serving New England
Jennifer Matthews has built her career and her life around the belief that connection and compassion have the power to heal communities. Jen brings over twenty years of non-profit leadership experience and a deep personal connection to the National Kidney Foundation’s mission. In 2016, Jen’s mother received a multi-organ transplant, including a kidney. This transformative experience profoundly shaped her understanding of the human spirit, the power of medical innovation, and the courage of both patients and families who walk that journey. Through that season, she witnessed her mother’s grace and gratitude for the medical teams and community supports that guided their family through the complexity of dialysis, transplant coordination, and recovery. Most of all, she carries enduring reverence for the donor’s family. Their selfless act of generosity gave her mother, and so many others, the gift of life. That experience inspires her commitment to expanding access to care, education, supporting families, and honoring the dignity of every person impacted by kidney disease. Before joining the National Kidney Foundation, she served as Executive Director of L’Arche Boston North, an internationally recognized nonprofit that fosters inclusive communities where people with and without intellectual disabilities share life together. Under her leadership, L’Arche launched several award-winning initiatives, including The Longest Table—a 300-foot dinner in the heart of downtown Haverhill that brought hundreds of neighbors together in celebration of community and connection. Jen is a proud alum of the LEADS Network, where she collaborates with visionary leaders to catalyze system-wide change across gateway cities in Massachusetts. She holds a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Massachusetts Boston, completed graduate coursework in Social Work at Salem State University, and earned a certificate from Babson College’s Arthur M. Blank School for Entrepreneurial Leadership in the Social Sector. Jen is involved in several community organizations including The Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce, Anna Jaques Hospital Community Advisory Board, The Haverhill Exchange Club and the Haverhill Bank Board of Directors. Jennifer lives in Methuen with her husband, David, their two sons, Jackson and Benjamin and their Golden Retriever, Ranger. jennifer.matthews@kidney.org   508.907.6030

Kenneth Chamberlain
Senior Program Manager
Kenneth joined the National Kidney Foundation in January 2022. He has 4 years of experience working in non-profits with a focus in creating community events and maintaining community relations on a peer-to-peer level. Kenneth is passionate about serving the community and using their voices to raise awareness about the National Kidney Foundation. Kenneth has a Bachelors of Science in Marketing from Fisher College. Kenneth.chamberlain@kidney.org   508.907.6030 x335

Desirae Vasquez
Director, Programs
Desirae joined the National Kidney Foundation in August 2024. With a Master of Health Science from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a Master of Business Administration from Northeastern University, she is a diverse professional with rigorous capabilities in leadership, program management, strategic planning, data-driven development, and community-rooted growth. Throughout her career, Desirae has mobilized a variety of interdisciplinary teams supporting community-based participatory research and action in health promotion, family mental health, and substance misuse prevention, and behavioral health intervention and medical services to achieve significant reductions in risk and disease as well as improvements in health and wellness outcomes. With her extensive experience driving change in the public health field, she carries a passion to empower vulnerable populations and the groups that serve them.
Desirae.Vasquez@kidney.org   508.907.6030 x332

Mary Cannon
Director, Development
Mary Cannon is a dedicated professional with extensive experience in community engagement, fundraising, and development. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of Massachusetts and a Graduate Certificate in Business Communications from New York University. As the Development Director for the National Kidney Foundation New England, she manages cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship for a portfolio of both existing and new corporate supporters, individual donors, and community partners. In previous work, Mary has implemented community-driven initiatives and grassroots campaigns, overseen numerous community-based fundraising events, volunteer management, and the development of educational programs, which resulted in significant growth in revenue and constituent engagement across the Northeast. Known for her leadership, strategic thinking, and community-oriented approach, Mary is passionate about leading impactful initiatives that build lasting relationships and advance meaningful causes within communities.
Mary.Cannon@kidney.org   508.907.6030 x336