DanversCARES Hires New Director

DanversCARES, a dynamic community partnership that supports youth and families in making healthy decisions, has hired Whitney McNeilly as its new director.

As DanversCARES continues to evolve, McNeilly will lead the organization by combining its foundation on prevention with new initiatives focused on social emotional learning, equity and inclusion, and other important topics.

“The interview committee saw several qualified candidates for this position, but Whitney’s passion for working with youth and her experience in the district made her the ideal person for this position,” said Dr. Lisa Dana, Superintendent, Danvers Public Schools.

McNeilly, a lifelong North Shore resident who currently lives in Ipswich, has spent the last two years working in the central office of the Danvers Public Schools focused on communications and providing support to the former Director of DanversCARES.

“I’m very much looking forward to working closely with members of the Danvers community as we continue to build upon the success of DanversCARES,” said McNeilly. “DanversCARES will continue to prioritize positive youth development and this year we will implement programming that supports and advocates for youth mental health. Our work with students and families will contribute to their pursuit of academic and personal excellence, social emotional growth, and community engagement.”

McNeilly received both Master’s degree in school counseling and a Bachelor’s degree in business from Salem State University. Her master’s thesis focused on the expressive arts therapies on students’ social emotional learning development.