Happy 50th (and 51st) Anniversary To Us!
We turned 50 in 2021 and celebrated in 2022
Although the pandemic delayed our celebrations until this year, we reached our 50th anniversary in 2021!
The institute was formed in 1971 by Maurice A. Donahue, a former Massachusetts state senate president. In its infancy, the institute served only government entities and was initially known as the Institute for Governmental Services. Today, our clients come from the government sector, nonprofits and the corporate world and we provide a much more expanded array of services. Please see the link below to watch a 10-minute video about our history and our future vision.
Our anniversary celebration was three-fold in 2022. In May, we hosted an event at the UMass Club in Boston. Executive Director Johan Uvin emceed the event that included a retrospective by former Executive Director Lynn Griesemer, a future-focused message from Dr. Uvin and the presentation of the first-ever Donahue Institute Public Service Award to former Boston City Council President Andrea Campbell. Watch the event video.
Our celebration also coincided with the welcome to our new home on the UMass Amherst campus. The institute's Open House event at the beautiful Old Chapel was attended by faculty, staff and students. This was an opportunity to introduce ourselves to the key campus departments, offices and other potential partners. We hosted a round table discussing the institute's role in public service that was joined by Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy. Please check out the Open House video.
Lastly, in September, the Old Chapel was also the site of our staff celebration. Given that our colleagues are spread out across the country, it was quite amazing to have an 86% turnout for the party!
October 13, 2022
