A lifetime of reaching out to Boston kids brings Sumner to Children’s Hospital

Banner Staff

One of the good things about B. Christopher Sumner is that he was born and raised right here in Boston.

His knowledge of the city, coupled with his commitment to community service, is bound to serve him well as he starts his new job as director of community outreach at Children’s Hospital Boston.

“I believe that everything I have done in my life has prepared me for this job,” Sumner said. “What I really like about Children’s is that they really want to do right by the community and, more importantly, they want the community to lead us in that effort.”

Sumner joins the Office of Child Advocacy in working to help implement the hospital’s community benefits strategy of “Healthy Children. Healthy Communities.” In his role, Sumner is responsible for building relationships with community organizations and other key partners in the city that help improve the lives of Boston’s children and families.

“For more than 130 years, Children’s Hospital Boston has worked towards ensuring the health and wellbeing of children in all communities — especially Boston’s children,” says James Mandell, M.D., president and CEO of Children’s. “We are excited that Chris’s skills and experience in forging creative partnerships across sectors will help us to continue to fulfill that mission in new and innovative ways.”

As executive director of the Boston TenPoint Coalition, Sumner was responsible for creating and sustaining partnerships at community, municipal, state and federal levels, as well as successfully gaining support from a wide variety of external constituents, including the clergy, the government, business and individuals. More than 4,000 high-risk youth have been served through coordinated Boston TenPoint services.

Prior to his service at the TenPoint Coalition, Sumner served as executive director of the Blue Hill Boys & Girls Club, directed the Boston Urban Youth Foundation and served as executive director of the “I Have A Dream” Foundation. Sumner is also an associate pastor with Jubilee Christian Church International.

“Our goal is to have an ongoing relationship with the community,” Sumner said. “This isn’t just about collecting data.

“Throughout the hiring process, I was consistently inspired by Children’s commitment to listening to the community and advocating for the health of children across all lines,” Sumner says. “Their approach is similar to that of the TenPoint Coalition — that it does take a healthy community to raise a healthy child. I am excited that I can bring my own skills to bear in helping them fulfill this vision.”