Rose Saia, Executive Director

Rose joined Centre Street Food Pantry in the Fall of 2019 as a part-time Pantry Manager. When the pandemic began, she pivoted the operation to a new program and distribution model to address the exponential increase in food insecurity. She became Executive Director in 2021.

Prior to joining Centre Street, she was Pantry Director for Open Table, a Metrowest regional grocery and meals agency. Her experience in nonprofit organizations includes being a member of the board of directors and marketing chair for The Capital Network and WEST (Women Entrepreneurs in Science and Technology) and as a CEO coach for women leading high growth businesses at The Commonwealth Institute. Her professional career is anchored in high technology where she was a leader of technical, product marketing and business development teams for startups and global providers. She was the CEO and co-founder of a network security consulting and product company that was acquired by Juniper Networks.

Rose is a published writer and professional true-life storyteller who has appeared on local stages and on the national television series, “Stories from the Stage.” A native of Boston, she attended Suffolk University and UMASS Boston, then completed Lesley College’s Programs for Management in Business and Industry BA in Organizational Behavior. She now lives in Acton and is on the board of directors of a nonprofit community supper where she can sometimes be found in the kitchen cooking for 100 guests.

Rose lived with food insecurity most of her childhood and shared a story about this on The Moth Radio Hour.