Patricia A. Foley was born in South Boston, graduated Milton High School in 1971, and received her BS in 1977 from the University of Massachusetts/Boston in Sociology. She currently is President of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, the region’s largest public interest harbor advocacy organization with more than 2,500 members, a staff of six and a budget of nearly $1 million.
Patty began her career of public service as a juvenile probation officer in the Quincy District Court, where she helped pioneer alternative sentencing programs for youthful offenders.

In 1979 she joined Boston Mayor Kevin White’s reelection campaign, and in 1980 served as a congressional district field organizer for United States Senator Edward M. Kennedy’s campaign for President in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Foley then returned to Massachusetts, and in January of 1981 signed on as Legislative Assistant to State Senator George Bachrach.

In 1983 Patty joined then Lieutenant Governor John Kerry’s staff, serving first as a policy analyst, then Finance Director for his Senatorial Campaign in 1984. Following his victory, she served as Deputy Chief of Staff in his Washington Office, then home to serve as Massachusetts Chief of Staff. In 1990, Foley served as Kerry’s Campaign Manager for his first reelection campaign.

In 1991, Foley moved to New York City, where she joined Paul Grogan’s staff as Senior Vice President for External Affairs at LISC, the Local Initiatives Support Corp., the nation’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to assisting community development corporations (CDCs) in rebuilding their neighborhoods. At LISC, Foley developed and implemented a national communications strategy on behalf of the community development movement, ran a $200 million fundraising campaign, and worked directly with the Congress to advance policies that strengthened America’s cities, including the Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit.
In 1999 Foley joined Save the Harbor/Save the Bay as a strategic planner and consultant. In 2000, she was appointed President, a position she has held since that time.

On the strength of Patty’s extensive experience in local, state and federal government affairs, non profit management, and in innovative public-private approaches to community building, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay has emerged as a leader on critical issues affecting the health of our harbor and the future of our waterfront and our city.
Under her leadership, the organization:

- Won a precedent setting environmental policy victory which will make the beaches of South Boston and North Dorchester among the cleanest in the nation.

-Pioneered efforts to reconnect Boston’s citizens and neighborhoods with the waterfront and the Harbor.

- Created two new non-profit organizations to strengthen programming and activate Revere Beach and the Fort Point Channel.

- Leads the effort to build the South Bay Harbor Trail, a 3.5 mile long pedestrian friendly bikeway which will link Ruggles Station in Roxbury to the Fan Pier in South Boston.

- Develops innovative new youth programs which bring 5,000 young people to Boston Harbor each summer.