PBN Leaders & Achievers Awards 2025
CAROLINE DILLON
The Village Common of Rhode Island Executive director
FROM THE TIME she was a child, Caroline Dillon remembers accompanying her mom to her job, where she worked with older adults. Dillon saw her have a one-on-one impact, she said.
Small Office, Big Impact: Rhode Island Health Care Association Upgrades to Energy-Efficient Lighting
For many small businesses and nonprofit organizations, relatively simple upgrades can deliver meaningful savings while…
Learn More
That early memory influenced her decision to get a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy at McGill University in Montreal, an MBA at the University of Toronto and later a Master of Science in health administration from Rhode Island College.
“It’s why I went into physical therapy; and with an advanced degree, I can have a larger impact on the system,” Dillon said.
Today, Dillon is executive director at The Village Common of Rhode Island, a Providence-based nonprofit volunteer organization that helps older adults who want to stay in their homes as long as possible. The organization consists of a network of communities, which Village Common dubs “villages” around Rhode Island.
Its volunteers, some of whom are in their 70s, help members with everyday tasks, such as driving them to appointments, running errands and helping with computer issues.
“It fills me with a sense of pride, how they’re giving back to society,” Dillon said. “Older adults are our gems. They have so much value and resilience, in their stories and what they’ve achieved.”
Since becoming executive director in 2021, Dillon has handled many aspects of the Village Common, such as overseeing its finances and fund development. She directs day-to-day operations, including hiring and guiding staff. Since she came on board, she has grown the number of villages from four to 10 and volunteers have more than tripled.
Dillon says managing that growth has proved to be a challenge. Having the infrastructure so the organization can continue to grow is part of that challenge, as well as staffing and funding. Support has come from the Rhode Island Foundation, among others, but Village Common, which also relies on membership fees, is always looking for new sources and grantors. “With a small paid staff, there is only so much we can do,” she said.
Dillon credits the staff, her family and Village Common volunteers with her success as a leader.
“They keep me going. I need a village to support me,” she said.
