DONOR STORY My Cambridge—Smart and Full of Surprise “What I want, to borrow a phrase, is for Cambridge to ‘stay weird,’” says Rosemarie Torres Johnson. She laughs—but she means it. She loves the complexity in this city—and she wants to help sustain it. A Southern California transplant who has called Cambridge home for more than 20 years, Rosemarie leads the Foundation’s Governance Committee. She brings to it a keen understanding of the mission, an eye for organizational excellence and a gift for seeing the big picture. Her work at the Foundation extends to the Development Committee, and she brings her creativity and warmth to every aspect of the organization’s work. Rosemarie draws on deep experience in public relations, media and investor networks in her efforts to enlarge the Foundation’s means and impact. She is a founding partner in Persephone Venture Partners, a network of investors with a portfolio ranging from health care to high-tech to a Broadway musical. A former WGBH overseer, she has held leadership roles at Concord Academy, Shady Hill School and Beacon Academy: access to education and opportunity looms large for this mother of three. At the Foundation, Rosemarie brings many talents to the board and to the work of the Foundation. A highly engaged board member, she and her husband have established the Johnson Family Fund—a donor advised fund at the Foundation. “We can accomplish so much more if people chip in, in every sense of the word, and we all work together,” she says. A pragmatic optimist, she sees a clear path to meeting local challenges by mobilizing people and resources to make positive change. “If we can’t find the answers with the minds and resources here in Cambridge, then where will they be found?” Rosemarie Torres Johnson in a candid moment at a forum focused on the state of Cambridge as the city faces the impact of an historic economic boom. Photo by Romana Vysatova. 9