In close partnership with the Board, the staff are dedicated to the Foundation’s core mission of raising and managing funds to support the College, its students and faculty. The team manages myriad responsibilities – managing capital fundraising campaigns, overseeing the scholarship process, staging successful events, and more.
Sara Anton, CFRE
Chief Executive
Officer
Sara Anton
Sara is the newest member of the CCCCEF team, having stepped into the role of CEO in July of 2025. Born and raised in the Boston area, she spent her childhood summers on Cape Cod where she ultimately returned in 2004 to raise her family.
Known by her peers as “the happiest person in fundraising,” Sara finds joy in connecting with donors and prospects, hearing their stories, and helping them connect their passions to real impact here on the Cape.
“Cape Cod is a place like no other, and so is the College. I’m excited to build on the strong foundation already in place and work alongside an incredible team to support student success and create lasting impact across the region. With ongoing uncertainty around public funding, the Foundation’s role in promoting student wellbeing and financial stability has never been more important.”
Sara is a graduate of Union College and holds a master’s in social work from Boston College. She has held leadership and development roles with several nonprofits over the years, including the Walker Home and School in Needham, the Breckenridge Music Festival, the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, Gosnold Behavioral Health and Calmer Choice.
Sara is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and a member of the Board of Directors at Philanthropy Partners of Cape & Islands, where she also co-chairs Philanthropy Day on Cape Cod. She and her husband, Matt live in Sandwich and have 3 children- Sean, Addie, and Nate and a sweet ‘Mississippi mutt’ named Dottie.
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Judy Widger
Controller/Database Administrator
Judy Widger
Judy started at the Foundation in May of 2010 as the part-time gifts processor. Very quickly her role expanded to managing the Foundation’s donor database. She spearheaded the research and implementation of the current online scholarship application process. In 2015, Judy took on the increased responsibility of managing the Foundation’s finances and, along with Kathy McNamara, ensures that the Foundation has a clean audit every year.
Previously, Judy lived on Nantucket for 10 years with her two sons, and worked in a similar role for the Nantucket Historical Association.
She currently volunteers at the Yarmouth Police Department and is on the Board of Directors for the Yarmouth Police Foundation.
“I have always enjoyed working for a nonprofit. I like knowing that the work I do make a difference to people personally. It is very rewarding to see the impact of scholarships on the students’ educations. The first few years while working here I also took classes and graduated in 2013 with my IT degree. I like to get involved with the community wherever I am. I serve on CCCC’s One College/One Book Committee.”
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Samantha Ricciardi
Development Coordinator
Samantha Ricciardi
Samantha Ricciardi has been working in the nonprofit field since graduating from Westfield State University in 2015 with bachelor’s degrees in communications and history. Samantha continued her education, gaining a master’s degree in higher education from Purdue University in 2022. For the last four years, she has been working in higher education, helping students achieve their goals and have a safe, educational, and enjoyable time while attending school. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling; the next place on her bucket list is Germany; she is also an avid hiker with her pup Oliver!
Samantha looks forward to working at Cape Cod Community College Educational Foundation and helping make a difference to the students that attend Cape Cod Community College!
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