After joining Advocates more than 40 years ago as a program manager, Gould assumed her leading role as CEO in 2013 and has worked to expand the nonprofit’s reach to now serve more than 40,000 individuals with development disabilities, brain injuries, and mental health challenges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
July saw Gould lead Advocates through a merger resulting in a combined projected fiscal 2024 budgeted revenue of $211 million, more than a 50.7% increase from fiscal 2023. The merger with Franklin-based Horace Mann Educational Associates, Inc. and Lawrence-based Family Continuity made Gould the head of an organization of more than 2,500 employees, the most of any human services nonprofit in Central Mass.
In September, Advocates opened a 2,700-square-foot Autism Welcoming Center at the Natick Mall, which serves as an autism training center for businesses and a social space for children and families.
Emphasizing a person-centered and collaborative environment even amidst immense growth, Gould secured Advocates a spot on The Boston Globe’s list of Top Places to Work in 2024 as well as earning herself 44th on the publication’s Top 100 Women-Led Businesses.
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.
