Arlene Fortunato

Chief Development Officer

Arlene is an advancement professional, nonprofit leader and LGBTQ community activist. Her nearly 5-decade career has included on-the-ground fundraising for some of Boston’s most impactful nonprofits, tenure in the inaugural administration of Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, a senior leadership role at Citizens Bank, and founder of a consulting practice.

Arlene formed the Fortunato Consulting Group which specialized in building the leadership and fundraising capacity of nonprofit organizations. After 12 successful years in business, Arlene was recruited to Partners HealthCare as Chief Development Officer of the Kraft Center for Community Health. In 2017, Arlene joined The Greater Boston Food Bank as Senior Vice President for Advancement, where she led the team that raised over $100,000,000 to support GBFB’s COVID-19 response and ensure the financial sustainability of the organization.

In 2021, Arlene received the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Pinnacle Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management. She has also been recognized with the Massachusetts AFP Development Professional of the Year award, YWCA Academy of Women Achievers and named among Top 10 Professional Coaches in Women’s Business Magazine.

Arlene lives in Brookline with her wife and 10-year-old daughter and is also the proud mother of two grown and thriving humans.