On the first anniversary of the pivotal moment in Massachusetts history, when Governor Baker called on all nonessential business to shut down as a result of a worldwide pandemic, the American Red of Massachusetts honors its heroes.  President and CEO of Putnam Investments, Robert L. Reynolds, chairs the inaugural event, Heroes Breakfast Boston, on Wednesday, March 10, 2021.

The virtual gathering will consist of awards in ten categories, including Global Citizen honoring the work of Boston’s scientific community and the lifesaving vaccines that were born and bred right here in Massachusetts.  Other categories include: blood services, community impact, emergency professional, firefighter, good Samaritan, law enforcement, military, nursing and youth.

“After a year like no other – a country facing a deadly pandemic, record-setting natural disasters, and civil unrest, the year ahead remains uncertain” said Holly Grant, CEO of the Red Cross of Massachusetts. “Amid these challenging times, the Red Cross remains on the frontlines bringing help and hope to families who need it most. But we are not alone. There are heroes among us who exemplify the humanity and volunteer service of the Red Cross and are serving their community. We debated whether this was the year to launch such an ambitious event – but after the events of the last 12 months, we realized it was needed now more than ever.”

“Whenever I think of help, whenever I think of hope, I think of the American Red Cross,” said Robert L. Reynolds, President and CEO of Putnam Investments. “When I was approached to chair the Heroes Breakfast Boston, the answer was without hesitation – yes. If there were ever a time to honor people who have given so much during the pandemic and beyond, it is now. I stand in awe of the heroic acts and the contributions of each of these honorees and I am proud of the local busines community who has supported these efforts.”

The Red Cross is proud to welcome the Boston NBC and Telemundo Owned Stations as the official multi-media partner for this event. NBC10 Boston and NECN News Anchor, Melody Mendez will serve as the virtual event Emcee. A diverse council of civic and community advocates led by Boston Athletic Association Chief Executive Officer Tom Grilk evaluated more than 130 worthy submissions.

Leadership Council

• Joseph J. Albanese, President and Chief Executive Officer, Commodore Builders
• Stephen M. Brackett, President, Managing Member, Co-head of Alternative Investments, Shepherd Kaplan Krochuk
• Herb Chambers, President, The Herb Chambers Companies
• Robert Ciardi, Founder and Managing Partner, Provident Healthcare Partners
• Robert Coughlin, Previous President and Chief Executive Officer, Massachusetts Biotechnology Council
• John Fish, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Suffolk Construction
• David Giunta, President and Chief Executive Officer, Natixis Investment Managers
• John T. Hailer, President and Chief Executive Officer, 1251 Capital
• Jim Judge, President and Chief Executive Officer, Eversource
• Robert K. Kraft, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Kraft Group
• David Long, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Liberty Mutual Insurance
• William McEnroe, Managing Director, FTS
• Anthony L. Picano, Senior Vice President, Webster Bank
• R. Robert Popeo, Chairman, Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky, and Popeo, P.C.
• Bob Reynolds, Event Chair, President and Chief Executive Officer, Putnam Investment
• Marcy Reed, President, National Grid – Massachusetts
• Bob Rivers, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Eastern Bank
• John W. Stadtler, Partner; U.S. Financial Services Industry Group, PwC
• Jane Steinmetz, Managing Principal, EY
• Chris Wayland, President and General Manager, NBC Boston

Heroes Council

• Mary Chin, Chief Executive Officer, Asian American Civic Association
• Brigadier General Ronald Cupples, Mass National Guard
• Catherine D’Amato, President and Chief Executive Officer, Greater Boston Food Bank
• Commissioner Jack Dempsey, Boston Fire Department
• Dr. Sophia Dyer, Medical Director, City of Boston
• Yvonne Garcia, Chief of Staff, State Street
• Robert Gittens, Executive Director, Cambridge Family and Children’s Services
• Dr. Laurie Glimcher, President and Chief Executive Officer, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
• Tom Grilk, Chair, Chief Executive Officer, Boston Athletic Association
• William Gross, Retired Commissioner, Boston Police Department
• Peter Healy, President, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
• Dr. Anne Klibanski, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mass General Brigham
• Karen Teller, Philanthropist and Committee Chair, Board of Directors, American Red Cross
• Harold Shaw, Chief Security Officer, Massachusetts Port Authority
• Dr. Peter Slavin, President, Massachusetts General Hospital

The Heroes Breakfast Boston is free to attend and will be held virtually on March 10, 2021 beginning at 8 a.m. To register visit: https://www.redcross.org/local/massachusetts/about-us/news-and-events/events/boston-heroes-breakfast.html

About Robert L. Reynolds

Mr. Reynolds has more than 30 years of investment and financial services experience and is a member of Putnam Investments' Executive Board of Directors. In addition to his roles at Putnam, he is Chair of Great-West Lifeco U.S. and is regarded as a driving force of innovation and progress in institutional and retail financial services.

About Putnam Investments

Founded in 1937, Putnam Investments is a global money management firm with over 80 years of investment experience. At the end of January 2021, Putnam had $190 billion in assets under management. Putnam has offices in Boston, London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Singapore and Sydney. For more information, visit putnam.com.

About NBC10 Boston

Owned by NBCUniversal, NBC 10 Boston delivers viewers in the Greater Boston area, Southern New Hampshire and Northeastern Massachusetts NBC’s award-winning daytime, primetime and late night signature programs. Launched on January 1, 2017, the station features the largest weather team in the region, an exclusive 10-day forecast and a daily lifestyle program called “The Hub Today.” The station’s investigative units, “NBC 10 Boston Responds” and “The Investigators” answer local consumer inquiries and shine a light on questionable practices. NBC 10 Boston also delivers local breaking news and information to viewers on-the-go through its dedicated website NBC10Boston.com, a customized mobile app and via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat.

About Telemundo Boston

Owned by NBCUniversal, Telemundo Boston, WNEU, is a local Telemundo owned station that serves viewers in the Greater Boston area. Telemundo Boston produces 10 hours of local news programming each week. The station’s newscast, “Noticiero Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra” (Telemundo New England News) is the #1 Spanish-language newscast in New England airing every weeknight at 5:00 PM, 5:30 PM, 6:00 PM and 11:00 PM and delivers live, local breaking news, weather forecasts and special reports, as well as sports and entertainment information to Spanish-speaking audiences in Boston and in Hartford, Connecticut through a simulcast via WRDM. Telemundo Boston also airs Telemundo Network’s world-class programming and a weekly sports feature, The Red Sox Report. Audiences can also receive the most-up-to-date news and information across the station’s digital and mobile platforms at TelemundoNuevaInglaterra.com, via the “Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra” mobile app, and its social media channels @TelemundoNI.

About NECN

Owned by NBCUniversal, NECN serves as the largest 24-hour regional news network in the U.S. Since its launch on March 2, 1992, NECN has grown to include 3.6 million subscribers in more than 1,050 cities and towns throughout all six New England states. NECN has established itself as an industry leader as the only cable television news station to earn a George Foster Peabody Award and the Alfred I. DuPont – Columbia University Broadcast Journalism Award, among many other accolades. On January 19, 2020 NECN relaunched its entire network targeting a new audience- millennial women 25-40. As a digital first network, NECN has changed the way it delivers news, entertainment, and lifestyle content across all platforms.

About Melody Mendez

Melody Mendez joined NBC Boston in the spring of 2016. Her career as an award-winning anchor and reporter has taken her to cities across the country over the last decade, from Jackson, Tennessee to Champaign, Illinois and Seattle, Washington, to Denver, Colorado and most recently, Chicago. She has covered major stories across the country, like Hurricane Katrina and the Aurora, Colorado theater shooting. She is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the Society of Professional Journalists and an active volunteer with several organizations including the American Cancer Society and Special Olympics.