Boston Arts Academy Foundation announced that Petrina Martin Cherry, vice president of sales, marketing and community outreach at Boston Medical Center HealthNet Plan and the Boston Medical Center Health System, has joined its 24-member advisory council. The advisory council is a volunteer committee that works with BAA Foundation to increase its visibility, broaden its network of supporters, and contribute to the overall strategic interests of Boston Arts Academy, the city’s only public high school for the visual and performing arts.
The advisory council plays a key role in helping BAA Foundation secure critical funding from individual and institutional donors to keep the arts in Boston Arts Academy, augment the school’s budget, and build long-term financial sustainability.
“Petrina is a committed supporter of our vision and mission and is a great asset to our Advisory Council as we work together to build a brighter future for thousands of artist-scholar-citizens at BAA,” said BAA Foundation President Denella Clark. “Her personal dedication to community engagement is inspiring and will help engage others to join our efforts, amplify BAA and its students, and reach the Foundation’s ambitious financial goals.”
“BAA is one of our city’s most remarkable institutions, helping to enrich not only the lives of its distinguished students, but also our community in general,” said Cherry. “I’m proud to be a part of the work that BAA Foundation and its Advisory Council does to strengthen arts education in Boston and enhance the character and culture of our city.”
Cherry is a marketing and healthcare executive with more than 25 years of experience specializing in marketing strategy, healthcare marketing and community program development and entertainment marketing. She is highly regarded as a consulting resource across multiple industries in healthcare equity and social determinants of health, diversity and inclusion, and branding. In addition to her corporate relationships, Cherry previously spent 15 years in entertainment marketing and media training and is an expert at developing brand strategy for celebrities and nonprofit organizations.
Earlier this year, Cherry was appointed by Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh to the COVID-19 Health Inequities Task Force. She currently serves on the board of trustees for the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts (Emeritus) and the Boys and Girls Club of Boston. She also serves on the advisory board of Arts Emerson at Emerson College and is the co-chair of the Women’s Forum for the National Association of Health Service Executives. She holds an Executive MBA from Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson School of Business.
