Courtney Pelley, MA serves as Director of Strategic Initiatives at The Health Foundation, where she supports the Foundation’s advocacy, capacity building, communications, and community engagement activities, building on the Foundation’s position as a trusted leader on issues affecting the health and well-being of Central Massachusetts residents.
Courtney previously served as senior vice president of external affairs at the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center where she supported board governance and led strategic partnerships, government relations, and advocacy efforts. She has also served as an administrative fellow in the Mass General Brigham system, where she worked closely with the Center for Community Health and Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Courtney’s interest in health equity and commitment to working to address the social drivers of health stems from her experience as a Teach For America Corps Member where she saw firsthand the role that health disparities play in educational inequities.
Courtney earned a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Wellesley College and a master’s degree in interpreting and translation studies with a focus in intercultural services in healthcare from Wake Forest University. She was the recipient of Worcester Academy’s Young Alumni Award in 2019 and was named one of the Worcester Business Journal’s 40 Under Forty in 2018.