Colleen is the executive director of the Friends of Ballard Park, a nonprofit organization focused on providing educational and cultural programming to the community at little or no cost in Newport’s only nature preserve. In this position Colleen works with numerous local businesses and nonprofit organizations to provide educational programming for the under served youth of Newport and create unique family activities like the Annual Ballard Park Pumpkin Tour.
She also provides marketing services to several area businesses including McGrath Clambakes, Inc. She covers City Council news for Newport This Week. Up until July of 2005, she wrote and took the photographs for the weekly society column "02840" which ran in Newport This Week.
For eight years Ms. McGrath held marketing and special event positions at a variety of national magazines in New York City. During her tenure in magazine publishing she developed and implemented multi-million dollar budgets, managed staff members and outside consulting firms.
Ms. McGrath is a 1986 graduate of Rogers High School and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Providence College in 1990.
Colleen McGrath
Colleen is daughter of Tom & Kathy (Murray) McGrath. Her parents founded Tom McGrath Clambakes, Inc. in 1969 which her brother, T.R., currently owns and operates. Colleen also has a sister Bridget Bidlack.
Both the McGraths and Murrays have a long history of involvement in Newport.
Tom is a retired Newport fire fighter and a member of several civic organizations including the Ancient Order of Hibernians and Knights of Columbus. He currently serves as the planning director for the Restoration Advisory Board at the Naval Station which he joined in 1998. Kathy is a graduate of Salve Regina. She currently serves as president of the Rogers High School Alumni Association and on St. Mary's Capital Campaign. She was a Meals on Wheels volunteer for twenty five years.
civic involvement
Newport City Council
Elected November 2004, Served 2005 - 2006
Executive Board of
Newport Substance Abuse Prevention Task Force,
June 2003 - present
Secretary of Cliff Walk Commission
August 2000 - November 2003
Secretary of Ladies Ancient
Order of Hibernians,
June 2001 - August 2003
© Colleen McGrath 2007