2nd Annual Wily Speaker Series: An Evening to Learn and Grow
Event Information
About this Event
Please join us for the Wily Network's
2nd Annual Speaker Series
An Evening to Learn and Grow
Featuring James O'S. Morton, Esq.
President and CEO, YMCA of Greater Boston
Presenting the 2020 Wily Pack Award
in honor of Stevie and David Spina.
Join us for an inspirational evening about the power of your story and how to share it with others. We encourage you to bring friends.
For more information, contact Ashley Linell at ashley@thewilynetwork.org
James O’S. Morton, Esq.
President & CEO, YMCA of Greater Boston
James O’Shanna Morton’s story is one of beating the odds through sheer determination and giving back by serving others. His personal experiences, shared by many of the children and young adults he works with today, inspired his career in servant leadership and his dedication to fighting systemic injustices.
Originally from Wisconsin, Morton was born to an English-Irish mother and African-American father. The family struggled financially, but when Morton’s father was incarcerated after a racially charged altercation with the police, the situation worsened. His family moved frequently, barely getting by and often relying on welfare.
Morton credits three adults with helping to shift his life trajectory: a teacher, an employer, and a coach. “I would either be dead or in prison if it weren’t for the three people who intervened in my life and shared with me that they thought that I had a future.” Their love and encouragement helped Morton persevere and succeed.
Morton went on to receive a BA from the University of Wisconsin and a Juris Doctorate from Northeastern University. He practiced law for 18 years, taught high school, and continued his service-driven career at the YMCA. He has served at the Hartford and Springfield YMCAs and began his current role as president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Boston in 2015. The YMCA of Greater Boston is one of Massachusetts leading nonprofits, committed to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.
Thank you to the Ilene Beal Charitable Foundation for sponsoring the 2nd Annual Wily Speaker Series.
Ilene Beal was a female pioneer who achieved great professional success and had a major impact in the Boston banking world beginning in 1970 through 1999. She spent the bulk of her professional career with BayBanks, rising through the ranks to become an Executive Vice president and the Chairman's right hand. Pioneering a path up the corporate ladder for women in the 1970s, Ilene Beal made it to the top executive tiers in New England banking while mentoring business associates and undergraduates from her alma mater, Wellesley College.
Ilene was a dedicated and meticulous professional with a big heart who did everything she could to support, mentor, and encourage other women to follow their dreams and passions, and never feel limited by other people's views about women's roles. She often said women can and should do whatever they want professionally. "I was raised to believe I could do anything. If I broke a toy I learned how to fix it."
Ilene died at the age of 69 on August 1, 2015 after a long and valiant battle against cancer. Her legacy lives on through her friends and colleagues, and the work of this foundation.
