Michael Fantom, Executive Director
Michael Fantom is a mission-driven, non-profit leader with demonstrated success building organizations and teams. His leadership experience includes extensive governance, donor, volunteer, strategic partnership management and youth development.
Michael became the Executive Director of New England FIRST on March 1, 2021. He was first exposed to robots and LOGO as a primary school student in Scotland. LOGO is a language developed in the 1960s to introduce children to basic programming concepts and teach programming. LOGO was a language created by Seymour Papert and Marvin Minsky- cofounders of the MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab. Michael was introduced to the LOGO language as an 11-year-old. Two professors at the Artificial Intelligence Department of Edinburgh University, Jim Howe and Tim O’Shea led this small research project back in 1976. Little did he imagine while learning to program a turtle to move and draw with simple words and directions as a Scottish school child that he would lead FIRST programs throughout New England.
Formerly the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the Ronald McDonald House® Charities of New England he led an organization with an annual operating budget of over $3.5MM, assets of $13MM, 18 employees and 400 volunteers.
Michael is recognized for several accomplishments during his long tenure with Ronald McDonald House Charities. He grew the capacity of the Providence House program, managing all aspects of the capital and building campaign to add additional bedroom and living capacity, successfully developing and securing $5MM capital campaign funds. As a result of this growth, the Providence capacity generated new hospital partnerships in the area of pediatric behavioral health.
Michael led all foundation, grant and major gifts strategic planning in conjunction with key staff and Board support and developed the “Adopt a Room” fundraising model, which was recognized as a best program within the RMHC community. He also led Ronald McDonald Family Room growth in the Boston Region, adding four new family rooms and strengthening mission-critical relationships with regional hospitals including UMass Memorial Medical Center, MGH for Children and Women and Infants Hospital.
Previously, Michael served as Director, Program Services/Interim Executive Director at Crossroads for Kids Inc., a non-profit providing leadership programs for young people from at-risk environments in Boston and Eastern Massachusetts. In this role, Michael built several strategic partnerships for the organization, including with Boston Medical Center, Boston Renaissance Charter School, WiredWoods, The Institute of Contemporary Art and the Duxbury Bay Maritime School. During his tenure with the organization, Michael oversaw a $2MM+ budget, executed programs at 4 facilities, and managed a full-time and seasonal staff of 150+ employees.
Originally from the United Kingdom, Michael served as the Director for The National Asthma Campaign (Asthma U.K.) for Project for Asthma and Eczema Kids (PEAK) Health Education in Edinburgh, UK. As Director, he planned and delivered a comprehensive youth development program for young people with asthma/eczema. Michael ensured consistently high quality of care and compliance with legal and statutory requirements. He recruited a new Medical Board of Directors and led a partnership project owned by The National Asthma Society and The National Eczema Society.
Michael earned a B.A. (Hons.) in Elementary Education Studies from the University of Lancaster, United Kingdom. He pursued Non-Profit Leadership studies at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and holds a Certificate in Strategic Perspectives in Non-Profit Management from Harvard Business School.
Michael has been a Trustee for AscapeUK, an educational adventure holiday experience for children with atopic conditions, and a former a Board Member of the “The Molar Express” RI-USA, Pediatric Dental Care Mobile. He is a Life Member of A.F.S. International Youth Development Organization.
