Board of Directors

Ron Axelrod
Architect, Construction Manager — Cambridge, MA
Ron Axelrod was a partner of a large engineering and architectural firm focused on airports and major transportation projects in New England. He served as a Director on the Boston Society of Architects and The American Consulting Engineers Council of NE. He lives in Cambridge and his current work is as a Construction Manager. (Chair of Advisory Board)

Jay Baldwin
Owner—Wind River Capital — Cambridge, MA
Jay Baldwin started his professional career as a landscape entrepreneur with City Gardens. After selling his company, he joined Keen Partners—now called Wind River Capital—a venture capital firm in Boston. He jogs along the Charles daily. For many years he has served on the board of the Environmental Careers Organization and the New England Wild Flower Society. (Co-Chair of Fundraising Committee)

Yolanda Darnell
Project Manager, Professional Services, SeaChange International — North Andover, MA
Yolanda is a Project Manager at SeaChange International and prior to that worked as a Project Manager at IBM.  She moved to Massachusetts from North Carolina a couple of years ago and fell in love with the Charles River at first site.  She loves to attend events and activities held along the Charles, including Head of the Charles, Cambridge River Festival, and many others.  Yolanda is a Boston Partnership Alum and enjoys checking out new restaurants, singing in the choir, exercising, and spending quality time with family and friends.

Catherine Donaher, Clerk
Principal, Catherine Donaher & Associates —Brookline, MA
Catherine Donaher is the principal of CD&A, a planning and development consulting firm. She worked as head of planning at MassPort and was president of the Trust for City Hall Plaza, a public-private partnership for redesigning and redeveloping this important urban space. She chairs the board of Dorchester College Bound and has served on the Walk Boston board. She is passionate about swimming in the Charles.

Virginia Foote, Treasurer
Private Financial Consultant — Cambridge, MA
Virginia Foote has a finance background and was the Controller and Director of Strategic Operations for Hult International Business School, a subsidiary of EF Education. Formerly, she taught at the BU School of Management and worked in investment banking in New York and Mexico. Living in Cambridge near the parklands, she frequently kayaks on the Charles, and also walks, picnics, and bikes with her family and dog alongside its banks.

Catherine Henn, Chair
Former General Counsel, Boston Globe/Boston Globe Foundation —Cambridge, MA
Catherine Henn retired from the Boston Globe in 2002. As President of the Old South Meeting House Association, she pursues her interests in historic preservation, civic discourse, and education. She also serves as an overseer at WGBH and as a director of the John F. Kennedy Library. She is an active gardener and enjoys doing environmental volunteer work with Earth Watch.

Debra Iles
Health Care and Education Executive — Newton, MA
Debra Iles serves as the Assistant Dean for Executive Education at Harvard Kennedy School. She has previously worked as an executive with Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, was COO of a health care quality startup, and served as a management consultant. As a frequent runner along the paths of the Charles, she is interested in the connection between active recreation and the Parklands. (Co-Chair of Fundraising Committee)

Mark Kraczkiewicz
Consultant, Former Economist/Strategic Planner—United States Agency for International Development —Watertown, MA
Mark Kraczkiewicz worked overseas with the U.S. Agency for International Development. Earlier in his career, as planning director, he helped the Commonwealth develop its first program for managing the resources of the Massachusetts Coast. He enjoys daily walks along the Charles River Parklands near his home.

Robert O'Brien
Executive Director, Downtown North Association — Boston, MA
Bob O'Brien has long led this not-for-profit coalition of the diverse interests that comprise the West End of Boston, which includes the Charles River and its shoreline between the Longfellow Bridge and Boston Harbor. He has served on the Bridge Design Review Committee, the Environmental Oversight Committee, the New Charles River Basin Citizens Advisory Committee, and the Longfellow Bridge Task Force, all of which have provided community input and oversight on the planning, design, development, and use of the new parkland in this revitalized area of the river.

Lisa Stone
Rower, artist — Newton, MA
Lisa Stone is a rowing coach at The Winsor School. A native Californian (now a want-to-be Yankee) and artist, Lisa is at home on the Charles River three seasons of the year. A 1976 Olympian and Cambridge Boat Club member, Lisa has, for more than 30 years, enjoyed her time on the River.

Renata von Tscharner, ex officio
Founder and President, Charles River Conservancy — Cambridge, MA
Renata von Tscharner was trained as an architect and urban designer in Switzerland. Her professional life has focused on planning and improving public spaces. She immigrated to the United States in 1979. She has co-authored several books, taught at various colleges, and hosts regular TV shows. She windsurfs from Community Boating, and bikes and inline skates along the river.

Ania Wieckowski
Managing Editor, Harvard Business Review Press — Brighton, MA
Ania Wieckowski oversees the processes of book creation at Harvard Business School's publishing arm. As an editor, she has focused particularly on the topic of sustainability strategies for businesses. A Philadelphia native, she now lives in Brighton and delights in kayaking, biking, running, and (afterward) picnicking along the Charles.

 

Advisory Board

Jeffrey Bilezikian lives near the Charles, in Watertown. He is passionate about the River and volunteering. His professional expertise is in retail—formerly, he ran the Christmas Tree Shops, which he sold a few years ago. He pursues many of his athletic endeavors along the Charles.

Dan Calano is managing partner of Prospectus, a real estate firm based in Harvard Square.  Before his career with Prospectus began, Dan was a planner for Massachusetts Coastal Management and also served as chair of the Cambridge Center for Adult Education.  He lives near the Charles River Parklands and strolls there regularly.

Dennis Carlone lives and works in Cambridge. As an architect and city planner, he created the master plan for the Lechmere area. He has worked on many other architectural and planning projects along urban rivers.

John Casagrande is a resident of Boston and helps organizations with strategic planning, management, and government relations. His 20 years of legal and real estate experience have benefited numerous civic institutions. He also expresses a fondness for the skatepark project.

Philip Crutchfield lives in Cambridge and spends much of his time sailing on the Charles River; he serves on the board of Community Boating, Inc. He is a retired business executive who continues to teach at the Harvard Business School and consult on diversity issues.

John DeVillars lives and works in Boston. As former Administrator of the New England Region EPA, he initiated the “Swimmable Fishable Charles 2005” campaign. He is currently Managing Partner of BlueWave Strategies, an environmental advisory firm, and he enjoys the Parklands on a daily basis.

Michael Dukakis served three terms as governor of Massachusetts from 1975-1978 and 1982-1991, following which he served five years on the board of directors for Amtrak.  He currently teaches at Northeastern University in Boston, where he is a Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the College of Arts and Sciences.  He currently resides in Brookline and is an active supporter of parkland improvements both along the Muddy River and the Charles.

Dr. David Ellis served for 12 years as President of the Museum of Science. Prior to coming to Boston, he served as President of Lafayette College, in Easton, PA. A Senior Fellow with The Boston Foundation, he appreciates the view of the Charles River from his home and enjoys walking along its banks.

Michael Epstein is a retired physician who spent his 35-year career at Harvard Medical School, first as a neonatologist and later as the COO of Children's Hospital and the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.  His thrice a week runs along the River take him from his home in Cambridge downstream to the BU Bridge or upstream to the North Beacon Street Bridge.

Paul Fremont-Smith of Boston has retired from his agricultural business and is now involved with the U.S. Ski Team Foundation and other sports-oriented charities. While in Boston, Paul enjoys the Parklands; however, he spends most of the winter skiing out west. He is eager to see a world-class skatepark built in Boston.

Nicholas Godfrey lives in Charlestown and has his own marketing firm, which mainly serves consumer goods clients. Previous, he worked at Lingo Motors, a software company, and at Harpoon, in the branding and communication strategies department.

John Isaacson lives in Cambridge and works in Boston. His firm, Isaacson and Miller, is a national head-hunting firm that specializes in executive positions for civic institutions. John enjoys spending time in the Charles River Parklands on both the Cambridge and Boston sides.

Steven Kropper of Lexington worked in an office with a view of the Charles River for many years. He founded and recently sold Domania to LendingTree. Currently he works in the United States and India at Equinox, which provides technology to help lenders retain their customers. He works from his barn, with a view of Wilson Farm.

Frans Lawaetz lives on Beacon Hill in Boston and works as a systems analyst. He spends as much time as possible windsurfing on the river. Frans also volunteers at Community Boating and co-founded the Charles River Swimming Club that organizes the annual Charles River One-Mile Swim Race.

Henry Lee lives on Beacon Hill and is the founder and president of the Friends of the Public Garden, the Boston Common, and the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. He is widely recognized veteran in parkland stewardship and public/private partnerships.

Linda Lerner of Boston spent several years as Vice President of Human Resources for UST Corp. and U.S. Trust Bank, and now serves as a consultant and executive coach in leadership development and human resources management. Linda’s column in the Boston Globe addresses employment issues. She exercises regularly along the Charles River.

Harry Mattison lives in Allston and is a member of the City of Boston’s Harvard Allston Task Force. He is the founder of the AllstonBrighton2006 email forum and maintains a blog (allston02134.blogspot.com). Harry manages architecture and engineering software testing at Autodesk. He and his family enjoy the Charles River for sailing, canoeing, bicycling, and walking their dog

Barbara Norfleet of Cambridge is a sociologist and photographer with many books and exhibits of her artistic work. She is a retired professor and curator of Harvard University’s Carpenter Center. Barbara is also an avid gardener.

Geraldine Pangaro of Beacon Hill retired in 2007 from the John Hancock Life Insurance Company where she was Vice President, and for the last 12 years she headed the International Group Department. She assists the Conservancy with financial analysis and is a regular walker on the banks of the Charles.

Matthew Petrie of Watertown is an architect. He has worked on the renovations to the Hasty Pudding Theatre and the MIT Media Lab. He is a former Board Member for the Chicago Architecture Foundation. Matthew enjoys walking along the banks of the Charles River with his family and his dog.

Joan Pickett of Mid Cambridge works in planning for an academic medical center in Boston.  She is active in Cambridge civic activities advocating for the preservation and increase in open space in Cambridge and believes that the Charles River Parklands are one of the most valued open space resources in Cambridge.

Patricia Pratt lives and works in Cambridge where she practices landscape design. She is an active birder, urban space activist, and is currently writing a biography of an art collector. She has served as the chair of the Cambridge Community Foundation and helped with the restoration of Fresh Pond in Cambridge.

Sue Pucker, a co-owner with her husband of Pucker Gallery on Newbury Street, recently moved to the Back Bay.  She is interested in education and arts projects that impact the community.

Candace Roosevelt lives on Beacon Hill in Boston. After many years with the Joslin Diabetes Center, she joined Pathfinder as a public health expert and a professional fundraiser in high-net-worth donor solicitation. She enjoys the Charles River Parklands on a regular basis.

Bruce Schwoegler is the Founder and Chairman of MySky Communications, Inc. He also serves as a consultant and ambassador to the Massachusetts Environmental Trust. Previously, Bruce was chief meteorologist and science reporter for WBZ-TV, Boston. In his free time, he enjoys biking along the Charles.

Nancy Schön of West Newton is probably best known for her "Make Way for Ducklings" sculptures in the Public Gardens.  Nancy, a renowned public artist, cares deeply for the river and the parklands and works tirelessly to raise funds and awareness for the world-class skatepark.  She is also an avid athlete and swimmer.

Amy Segal lives in Newton. She is Counsel to the law firm WilmerHale, and specializes in advising tax-exempt organizations. Before turning to law, Amy worked as a writer and editor in the United States and Europe. She enjoys bicycling and walking with her family along the Charles River and surrounding areas.

Raul Solano of Cambridge came from Mexico 32 years ago to attend Boston University. He is a CPA and has an MA in Urban Planning. Raul currently works for the Boston Housing Authority. Most mornings—year round—he runs along the river for some two hours.

Christopher Stevens works on the Charles River in Newton as Director of the Not-for-Profit Practice Group at Braver PC, an accounting and financial advisory firm. As a Boston area resident for many years, Chris has a deep understanding of the important role the Charles River plays in enriching Boston’s landscape and community.

James Storrow lives in Stormville, NY, but is a frequent visitor to Boston, where his ancestors left a major parklands legacy later developed as Storrow Drive. After a career in theater management he became a scholar in the history of landscape architecture and the work of Andrew Jackson Downing.

Mary Tambiah works at Boston University, where her office overlooks the Charles River. She has more than 20 years of experience as a senior fundraiser and now specializes in planned giving. Mary was originally trained in city planning and previously worked in banking.

Paul Walker of Cambridge, and Washington, DC, is Program Director for Global Green USA. He has been actively involved in Cambridge politics for more than 20 years and is the co-founder and longtime board member of the Lakes Region Conservation Trust. He was a founding board member of the Charles River Conservancy.

John T. Williams (Ike) of Cambridge is of counsel with the law firm Stern Shapiro Weissberg & Garin LLP, a litigation firm with a wide area of practices. John is a frequent lecturer on intellectual property and entertainment law. John has served on the Cambridge Arts Council Board, and sees the Charles River Parklands as a civic space with great potential.