Some people find their calling in life and just run with it. There are others that falter, lose their way, but eventually find it again years later, seemingly by chance.
Judy McBride fits into the former category. The 51-year-old Springfield, Mass., native graduated in 1977 from Wellesley College with a degree in English and psychology.
She subsequently received her master’s degree in developmental psychology from George Washington University and went on for a law degree in 1984 at Georgetown Law Center in D.C. The journey makes perfect sense to McBride, who has taken on the role of program officer at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
“I’ve always focused on people dealing with life’s challenges,” said McBride. “My psychology background helps me understand people and their concerns…I think it’s important to understand legal issues and the system as well as the human factor about how people see those issues.”
McBride gained non-profit experience through work at YouthBuild USA where she oversaw grant programs. She most recently spent three years as senior policy associate at Family Justice in New York City.
She now resides in Amherst, Mass., with her husband and three stepchildren. The daily hour-long commute to Hartford is not an issue for McBride because she sees the impact she makes on communities she cares about.
“I get the opportunity here to take what I learned working in government and apply it at a local level, to do work each and every day which has the greatest impact,” she said. “I deal with a wide range of art, social services and housing to mental health…it runs the gamut but they are all very important issues.”
The foundation operates in 29 towns in the region.
The Open Hearth in Hartford received McBride’s first grant in her new role. The funds provided the men’s shelter with new equipment for their wood yard used for job training.
“It felt good to do something that could serve people very much in need, those that haven’t been able to advance without our help,” said McBride.
“The greatest part is connecting with people doing good work in the community,” she said. “We get to go out once the ideas of grants have been developed to get a view of what people can do.”
McBride had previously worked on grants on a national level but the community is what drew her home. “I haven’t looked back,” she said.
Emily Boisvert is a Hartford Business Journal staff writer.