Traci Walker Griffith (she, her)

Traci Walker Griffith is the Executive Director of the Eliot K-8 Innovation School in Boston, and after more than 34 years of transformative leadership in education, she will be retiring this summer. Throughout her career, Traci has been a passionate advocate for equity, excellence, and the power of the arts, weaving music into the very fabric of the Eliot’s culture and creating a vibrant learning environment where students are inspired to take creative risks, express themselves authentically, and develop the confidence and empathy they need to thrive. Under her leadership, the Eliot earned recognition as one of Massachusetts’ top schools, celebrated for its inclusive and robust arts programming. NEMPAC has been an invaluable partner in making that vision a reality — providing rich, high-quality programming both during the school day and through afterschool offerings that have expanded access to the arts for Eliot students and families. Traci’s belief that nurturing the whole child — socially, emotionally, and creatively — is the foundation of student success has shaped countless young lives across the Boston community. Her connection to NEMPAC is also a personal one: her children, Joey and Elizabeth, were both proud Eliot students who experienced the joy of NEMPAC’s programming firsthand — a testament to the lasting partnerships that have made her life’s work so meaningful.

Robin Sidell (she, her)

Robin Sidell has been a proud resident of Boston’s North End for more than 30 years and the chef and owner of North Street Grille, a beloved neighborhood staple, for more than  two decades, creating a place where people come together, neighbors become friends, and everyone is treated like family.

With family roots in the West End and having grown up in Lynn, Robin’s connection to Boston runs deep. The North End is where she chose to build her life and where she truly feels at home.

Through hard work, resilience, and dedication, she and her team have grown the restaurant into one of the city’s premier brunch destinations, earning accolades from Good Morning America as Best Breakfast in Boston, The Washington Post, Yankee Magazine, Phantom Gourmet, The Boston Globe, and countless other local and national publications.

Her commitment to that sense of community extends far beyond her restaurant doors. Robin has long been a dedicated supporter of local organizations, including NEMPAC (North End Music and Performing Arts Center), ABCD (Action for Boston Community Development), FOCCP (Friends of Christopher Columbus Park), the North End Athletic Association, the North End Youth Organization, and North End Cares. Through her work with NEMPAC, she has hosted neighborhood nights with proceeds supporting scholarships and sponsored concerts. In recent years, she has also supported the Jazz in the Park summer series, helping to strengthen the cultural fabric of the neighborhood she loves.

She has also used her role as a chef to support local food security efforts, hosting neighborhood dinners, donating holiday meals, and providing dinners and snacks for the elderly.

Robin never forgets how much this neighborhood has given her. Her gratitude is evident in everything she does, and her generosity reflects a genuine belief that communities are strongest when people take care of one another.