Welcoming Stacey Beuttell as Executive Director

The Hideo Sasaki Foundation welcomes Stacey Beuttell as our new executive director. Stacey is an experienced nonprofit leader and design professional. She brings operational leadership and a commitment to design for the public good. Under Stacey’s direction, we will continue our mission to advance equity in design through community-based research, public programming, and design education.

“We have done an extensive search for a new executive director and are very excited to introduce Stacey Beuttell,” said Meredith McCarthy, a Hideo Sasaki Foundation Trustee.

Stacey has spent her career shaping public spaces that reconnect people to nature, prioritize the pedestrian experience, and strengthen community resilience. She has experience building healthy, connected, and equitable communities across Massachusetts. Stacey began her planning and design career at Sasaki, which grounded her in collaborative design with a commitment to excellence and innovation. She spent 10 years at WalkMassachusetts working with public, private, and community partners to make streets safer and communities more walkable. Most recently, she was the Senior Director of Mass Audubon’s Nature in the City program. This urban greenspace equity initiative addresses the nature gap in environmental justice neighborhoods across Massachusetts. Stacey received her Bachelor of Arts from Dickinson College, and her Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Michigan.

Our Board of Trustees Chair, Mary Anne Ocampo, stated, “Stacey brings a remarkable combination of experience across design practice, planning, and nonprofit leadership.  Her deep commitment to inclusive and resilient communities, together with her thoughtfulness and strategic leadership, makes her uniquely positioned to guide the Hideo Sasaki Foundation into its next chapter. We are thrilled to welcome her and excited for the perspective, energy, and care she will bring to advancing the foundation’s mission.”

Stacey shared, “I feel fortunate to have found a role at an organization with a real commitment to community expertise, as well as a true dedication to excellence in design. I have always believed that these two values are not mutually exclusive. It’s amazing to see our organization’s impact, and I am excited to lead the foundation forward.”

With Stacey, we will continue to develop new and existing partnerships and grow our impact, building more equitable cities and communities.