January 23, 2025 (Cape Cod, MA) – Heroes In Transition’s (HIT) Board of Directors is excited to welcome Silene Gordon of Bourne as its new Executive Director.

“HIT is such an important organization that makes a meaningful difference in the lives of countless individuals and families in our community who are sacrificing and have sacrificed so much for our country,” said Gordon, who was hired last January as HIT’s marketing manager. “I am humbled the HIT Board has entrusted me with the honor of leading Heroes In Transition and helping us take the next steps in our growth.”

“Silene embodies all the qualities we want in an Executive Director. She is talented, driven, intelligent, and passionate about our mission and about giving back to those we serve,” said HIT President and Co-founder Cyndy Jones. “While we are eager for this next chapter in HIT’s journey, we also want to extend our sincere gratitude to Nicole Spencer for laying the foundation for where we are today.”

Prior to coming to HIT, Gordon was the business development coordinator for two-and-a-half years at MassHire Cape & Islands Workforce Board. She spent nearly two decades as a journalist for several Cape-based media outlets.

Raised in Wareham, she holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from St. John’s University, spending the early part of her career in New York City and Boston before returning to Cape Cod in 1998. She and her husband Rupert, a science teacher at Falmouth High School, have two children, Natalia and Louis, both of whom live in Boston.

She is a 2022 graduate of Leadership Cape Cod and currently serves on the board of Philanthropy Partners of the Cape & Islands.

In February, Gordon will succeed Spencer, who lives in East Falmouth and who has been with the organization since December 2012 when her brother was the first veteran on Cape Cod to receive a service dog from HIT. The impact the dog had on her brother’s life motivated Spencer to get involved in HIT’s work. In 2013, she was hired as HIT’s Director of Development before she became its first-ever Executive Director in 2016.

In that capacity, she has managed HIT’s day-to-day operations, delivery of services, implementation of its strategic plan, and growing its fundraising efforts, including starting its Ruck4HIT relay race which will celebrate its 10th anniversary at the end of April.

“Nicole and I have worked so closely together over the past 12 years to bring our programs to veterans, active service men and women, and their families. Under her caring, personal leadership, HIT grew from three programs to 15,” Jones said. “Her one-on-one attention and passion for our mission has enhanced the family experience that HIT has become known for. Her enthusiasm and dedication to our work has been infectious, positively impacting our entire team at HIT, from Silene down to our Board of Directors. Although it is with a heavy heart that we say farewell to Nicole, we look forward to Silene stepping into this position and leading our organization with a similar spirit of care, compassion, and dedication.”

“Since she arrived a year ago, Silene has fit in perfectly with the Heroes In Transition team,” said Spencer. “That team culture is something I experienced when I first arrived at HIT over a dozen years ago. It starts with Cyndy’s leadership. Under her careful, loving guidance, she allowed me to grow personally and professionally. I will be forever indebted to her and the HIT family for giving me the support I needed to flourish and make an impact here in this community I’m so fortunate to call home.

“It’s this sense of camaraderie and shared purpose which will serve Silene as she carries the torch forward, ensuring that HIT continues to grow and thrive,” Spencer continued. “I am so excited to see Silene bring her own unique talents to this team while honoring the values and mission which have guided HIT since our beginnings.”

“I have been blessed to work closely with Nicole over the last year,” said Gordon. “Her leadership and commitment to HIT have been a constant source of inspiration and I not only consider her a colleague and a mentor, but a friend. Nicole has taken HIT to new heights and I look forward to building upon the incredible accomplishments that occurred under her direction.”

To ensure a smooth transition, Spencer will remain on as an advisor through May.