Cushing has become a part of her family

Board Profile: Joanne Jaxtimer

Cushing board member Joanne Jaxtimer has had a distinguished career in the field of corporate philanthropy. Jaxtimer, who has a son with intellectual impairment, is particularly proud of her work advocating for the special needs community. She has long championed the importance of promoting opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental differences to reach their full potential through education, social engagement, recreation, and integrated employment.

Her son, Michael Jaxtimer-Barry, worked in the food service program at Cushing as a student of Milton Public Schools, and he also took a 12-week evening course in cooking at Cushing. For the past seven years, he has been employed by the same department that trained him. He returns to Cushing three days each week, working on the culinary team under Gerry Fanning, Cushing’s director of food service.

“Every time I drive to Cushing, I just feel so grateful that he’s happy with his employment and that there’s a wonderful, safe place for him to go,” Jaxtimer said. “Gerry does a beautiful job continuing to train him, and he enjoys giving back and helping the students.”

Seeing the happiness of Michael and so many others motivates Jaxtimer to continue to stay so involved with Cushing.

“I can’t imagine Cushing not being part of our lives,” she said. “It’s the heart of the organization that we are so grateful for. It provides a wonderful learning environment, and it’s such a joyful place. All of the things that parents want for their children are realized at Cardinal Cushing Centers.”

A Milton resident, Jaxtimer is the founder of Joanne Jaxtimer Consulting, a firm she launched in 2017 that focuses on providing nonprofit organizations with fund development, relationship management, and stakeholder engagement services. She spent 22 years with BNY Mellon, retiring as the company’s co-head of global philanthropy. In addition to serving as a long-time board member at Cushing, she volunteered her time to assist with the capital campaign and has served on a number of committees, including the Development, Springtime, and Fun Run. In 2017, she was honored with the Richard Cardinal Cushing Award at the Springtime gala.