Joyce Kennedy – Bio

Joyce Swearingen Kennedy ’80, a Bath, ME, native, joined the Foundation in January 2020 as the first Senior Director of Southern Maine operations. In this role, Joyce is responsible for building and expanding the Foundation presence in greater Portland, as well as Portsmouth, Boston and New York. A journalism major with an extensive background in corporate and executive communications, she led public relations for Unionmutual/UNUM during its IPO, and, later, relocated to New York where she held senior roles at Reliance Group Holdings and ABB, Inc. In 1993, she founded Kennedy & Company, a boutique communications consulting firm whose clients included several Fortune 500 companies. After years of successful consulting, Joyce pivoted to nonprofit work, raising significant funds for local charities. In 2012, she transitioned into higher education as Director of Corporate Relations at Concordia College. There, she expanded her role through various development responsibilities, ultimately becoming Director of Community Relations.