MedMates hires first full-time executive director

KELLY NEVINS has been hired as the first full-time executive director for MedMates, the state's health care technology network group. / PBN FILE PHOTO
KELLY NEVINS has been hired as the first full-time executive director for MedMates, the state's health care technology network group. / PBN FILE PHOTO

PROVIDENCE – MedMates, the state’s health care technology network group, has announced that it has hired its first full-time executive director, Kelly Nevins.

Nevins, who will start the position on May 31, said she is excited to start her new role overseeing the nonprofit, which has approximately 650 members.

“I’m excited about the idea of helping to connect people in the medical and health and wellness and tech industries with each other and also with venture capitalists,” Nevins said Monday. “I think there’s great opportunity here to build on synergies in the community and to really make exciting things happen in Rhode Island.”
Nevins, of Providence, is currently director of tour management at Collette Travel Services, where she has worked for more than five years. She also has a background in nonprofit management and organizational development.
She previously led the Volunteer Center of Rhode Island and created community outreach programs for the Boston Medical Center HealthNet Plan as its manager of community relations.
Earlier in her career, she was director of donor services at United Way of Southeastern New England and assistant director, major gifts at the University of Rhode Island. She received master’s degrees in education and leadership from URI and Roger Williams University, respectively.
Nevins said she plans to go on a “listening tour” once she starts the job to talk with the current membership about what they like about MedMates and what they would like to see going forward. She said she also has been tasked with building the nonprofit’s board, and creating more opportunities for members to network.
During the interview process, Nevins said she was asked about her ideas for the position. She said she suggested a radio show or blog highlighting members’ work.

The position is being funded with a $75,000 grant from the Rhode Island Foundation, according to David Goldsmith, co-founder of MedMates and board president. He said this is the last year of the three-year grant from the Rhode Island Foundation, and said it will be part of Nevins’ job to raise money going forward.

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He said the previous funding rounds from the foundation – $50,000 the first year, and $75,000 the second – helped pay for part-timers. Goldsmith said they had been looking for a permanent executive director for some time, and were not able to find someone – until now.

“I think that Kelly Nevins is perfect for the job given the range of skills and experience she has in operations management, nonprofit management, fundraising, board development, community development, marketing, logistics. She has a great skill set and she is very personable and instantly likeable. I think she’s going to really help the organization to realize the vision it had since day one,” Goldsmith said.

In addition to day-to-day operations, as executive director Nevins also will oversee organization development, partner development, membership development, funding, marketing, and board and committee development.

MedMates, founded in 2013, earlier this year initiated a collaborative partnership with Social Enterprise Greenhouse with funding from the R.I. Department of Labor & Training to deliver training programs to support growth of medical technology, and health and wellness startups.

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