By Vina E. Berger, Special to the Reporter
Denella J. Clark says courage is about “having the confidence to use your voice, the courage to stand up for yourself and others, and the determination to pursue your goals even when obstacles stand in your way.”
Clark, the president and CEO of the Boston Arts Academy Foundation, will be the honoree Sunday at Girls’ LEAP’s first Annual Women’s Leadership Brunch, taking place on June 14 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Thelma D. Burns Center. The theme of the brunch is “leading with courage,” and Clark plans to talk to young women there about standing up for themselves and using their aspirations to build the futures they want.
The award highlights Clark’s 35-plus years raising funds and building support for healthcare, education, the arts, women’s leadership initiatives, and community-based organizations throughout Massachusetts.
Girls’ LEAP, which has been running for 27 years, is a Dorchester-based nonprofit offering self-defense classes and mentorship programs for girls and young women ages 8 to 22.
When choosing a location for the brunch, Girls’ LEAP executive director May Vaughn intentionally picked the Thelma D. Burns Center. Not only is the center based in Dorchester, making it more accessible to Girls’ LEAP community members than the previous Girls’ LEAP fundraising galas downtown, but Thelma D. Burns was also a highly impactful leader who has led other women with courage.
The brunch’s theme of leading with courage is why Vaughn appointed Clark as the honoree.
“She is someone whom many young women and I aspire to learn a lot from about how to create relationships within our community,” Vaughn said.
Clark, originally from Mandeville, Jamaica, moved to Mattapan at age 9. Being from Mattapan, which is a community that Girls’ LEAP serves, is another reason Vaughn selected Clark as this year’s honoree.
From an early age, Clark gravitated toward fashion as a way to lead with courage and express herself. Her fashion sense was a way for her to tell stories through creative mediums, prompting her to study at the Fashion Institute of Technology after graduating from high school.
In 1988, Clark discovered her love of philanthropy after taking a job at Boston Children’s Hospital. Clark said she was drawn to “mission-driven organizations rather than the corporate world,” prompting her to work with numerous other health care nongovernmental organizations, such as the Joslin Diabetes Center.
Clark has extensive experience in the health care sector, working alongside Boston Arts Academy Chief Advancement and Communication Officer Laura Alpert on the “Steppin’ Out” campaign at the Dimock Center, which raised money for behavioral health initiatives.
“As a philanthropist and organizer, Denella builds relationships and gets rapid results,” said Alpert, who has been working alongside Clark for three years. “She uses her creativity to fill opportunity gaps, helping others lead more full and meaningful lives.”
Clark joined the Boston Arts Academy Foundation in 2017 and is currently in her 10th fiscal year with the organization. She recently participated in Boston Arts Academy graduation season, reflecting a decade of supporting Boston Arts Academy students and families.
Clark later served as chairwoman of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women for three terms under Gov. Charlie Baker, advocating for equal pay. Clark was the first woman of color to serve as chairwoman of MCSW. Through this role, Clark shares she learned the importance of “lifting up other women and girls as you climb.”
This is precisely what draws Clark to girls’ LEAP, for it “equips young women with practical skills and confidence that will serve them throughout their lives,” said Clark, and helps them to “discover their own strength, set boundaries, advocate for themselves, and lead with courage.”
Although prominent in her philanthropic roles in health care, women’s rights, and the arts, Clark’s philanthropy is rooted in her close relationships.
In 2024, Clark served as co-chair for the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute in honor of her late brother Conrad, who was murdered. Clark said she is especially passionate about Girls’ LEAP’s teen mentor program, which pairs younger girls with teen mentors. Clark, who refers to this program as a “built-in big sister relationship,” feels it continues her brother’s legacy.
“My brother Conrad taught me that standing up for someone is an act of love and courage,” Clark said. “What I admire about Girls’ LEAP is that it teaches young women to become their own advocates while also creating a community where girls support and protect one another.”
Denella J. Clark, left, with her mentor former Wheelock College President Jackie Jenkins-Scott at a book launch event in May 2026 at Frugal Bookstore in Nubian Square. Courtesy photos
Clark is also the author of “Pastor Pearline’s Philanthropic Kitchen,” dedicated to her late mother, Pearline. Carrying herself with the same creative pursuits that inform her fashion sense and leadership in the arts, Clark combines the components of a philanthropic guidebook with a recipe book, crafting a unique story about how her mom used food to give back to her community.
Clark said the lessons taught in her book mirror those taught in Girls’ LEAP’s mentorship and self-defense workshops, including resilience, compassion, and perseverance in the face of uncertainty.
And as a self-proclaimed “mommy-in-chief” of one son and one daughter, both of whom are now adults, Clark shares that the lessons she taught her daughter, of instinctively trusting her voice, advocating for herself, striving for excellence, and never allowing others to define her worth, are all lessons that LEAP prides itself on.
Clark said she expects Girls’ LEAP to continue to expand its reach “so that more girls and gender-expansive youth have access to its empowering programs. The need for confidence-building, leadership development, and safe spaces for young people has never been greater.”
Tickets to the Annual Women’s Leadership Brunch are $150 for general admission and $75 for Girls’ LEAP community members. All proceeds benefit Girls’ LEAP.
This story is part of a partnership between Dorchester Reporter and the Boston University Department of Journalism’s Newsroom program.
