Charles L. “Charlie” Donahue is a true “son of Norwood”. A gifted scholar-athlete at Norwood High School, our honoree was a 3 year letter winner in both golf and hockey, captaining both teams in his senior year.  He earned All-Scholastic honors from both the Boston Globe and Herald during his senior year.  Charlie also lettered in football and track.  Recently, Charlie was inducted into the Norwood High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

Upon graduation from Norwood High School in 1961, Charlie attended Brown University, where he was a standout defenseman, starting for the Bruins for three years.  He was a starter for the 1965 team, his senior year, that reached the NCAA Final Four.  Upon his graduation, Charlie joined the Peace Corps, serving in Malaysia for two years.  He would go on to Cornell University to earn his Masters degree.

Charlie married Nancy Turner in 1971. They have resided in Westwood for  20  years where they have raised their five beautiful children :  daughters Jessica and Caroline and sons Charles, Morgan and Matthew.   Currently , Charlie is the Vice President of the New England Employee Benefits Council, a member of the Chairman’s Council and a member of the Boston Leadership Group of the Irish American Partnership. Charlie has worked in the non-profit health planning and policy field at the regional, state and federal levels. In the 1980’s Charlie served as Executive Director of  the Health Planning Council for Greater Boston, where he received the National Schlesinger Award from the American Public Health Association and the American Health Planning Association. Charlie was the co-founder of HealthCare Value Management, New England’s largest PPO Network, serving over 600,000 workers with self-insured health policies. He is also a past President of the Massachusetts Health Council.

Long involved in many charitable causes and civic organizations, Charlie counts among his favorites his involvement as coaching youth hockey for over ten years, eventually being named the President of the Westwood Youth Hockey program,  being named Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the New England Chapter of the Ireland Chamber of Commerce in the USA and sponsoring several football teams in Ireland that gives over 100 children the opportunity to play.  Each sports a game jersey with the inscription “Odonncha (Donahue) Boston”

Charlie’s quiet, understated style has allowed him to serve so many special causes over the years without calling attention to himself. He has done so many good deeds without seeking headlines.  The Friends of St. Nick are proud to honor Charlie Donahue as our 2008 Man of the Year !