Donor Profile
Dennis Kearney
Dennis Kearney believes there’s no place quite like NECC. “For parents of a child with autism to have a resource like NECC makes an immediate and significant difference in the quality of life for both child and family,” he says. “I know of no other alternative that would be as beneficial.”
Dennis is a true Boston native – he attended Boston Latin School , received his bachelor’s degree and master’s in public administration from Harvard, and earned his law degree at Suffolk University Law School.
He worked in government for 15 years, including 10 years as sheriff of Suffolk County before he began practicing law in 1987. Dennis first became aware of NECC’s work in the late 1980s when the state process for funding special education was dictated by a rate setting commission and NECC was having difficulties receiving proper tuition reimbursement. With Dennis’s help, the problems were resolved. But Dennis didn’t see NECC as just another client. He was so moved by the good work he saw happening at NECC that he became involved as a donor. “The work NECC does is very important,” he says. “Taking care of and improving the lives of children with autism and other disabilities is truly a special mission.”
It’s not only the mission, but the way NECC approaches it that earns Dennis’s praise. “The commitment to excellence that’s at the very heart of NECC is extremely appealing,” he says. “It’s a commitment that you can see in every staff member – it’s very evident, very obvious.”
Dennis and his spouse, Bernadette, married since 1975, have a daughter, Elizabeth, a recent college graduate now working and living in New York, and a son, James, who just started college. Dennis expects to continue supporting NECC as it continues to grow and change the lives of more children and families.
