Board and Staff
Board of Directors
Tom McShane, Scituate, President- Tom McShane is a principal of the Dewey Square Group and heads their Energy and Environmental practice. For 12 years, he served as the primary environmental lobbyist for the Massachusetts executive branch under two Governors, building the coalitions and consensus for passage of all environmental statutes in the 1980s. Later, as Chief of Staff in the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, Mr. McShane helped to develop and implement the Secretary's strategic internal and external communications plans. And in 1991, he was appointed by Governor William Weld as the Undersecretary of the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs.
Mr. McShane remains deeply involved in the Walden Woods Project and the Thoreau Institute. He is one of the founding directors of the Island Alliance, the organization that led to the Boston’s Harbor Islands designation as a National Park. He has also served as co-chairman of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Energy & Environment Committee. At the local level, Mr. McShane has served as a member of the Mansfield, Massachusetts, Planning Board and the municipal Master Plan Committee and as a Director of the Natural Resources Trust.
Ann Roosevelt, Cambridge, Treasurer- Ann Roosevelt has been a political activist and worked to protect the environment for many years. She was Sen. Ted Kennedy's Ass't Science Advisor, the Legislative Director and New England Regional Director of Friends of the Earth, and the President of the Environmental League of Massachusetts. She has worked on many political campaigns. She is committed to electing progressive candidates at both the local and national level.
Betsy Shure Gross, Brookline, Clerk- Betsy Shure Gross is a lifelong conservationist. She is the former Executive Director of the Office of Public Private Partnerships at the Commonwealth’s Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Prior to creating the OPPP, she served as the Special Assistant for Community Preservation under former Secretary Bob Durand. She is a public private partnership development expert with thirty years of experience creating partnerships for environmental protection, historic landscape preservation and community preservation at the local, state and national level.
Ms. Shure Gross was a Founding Member and National Co-Chair of The National Association for Olmsted Parks; The Massachusetts Association for Olmsted Parks (now incorporated into Preservation MASS); The Emerald Necklace Conservancy; Historic Massachusetts, Inc; and the Massachusetts Community Preservation Coalition. She has served as the Chair of the Boston Harbor Islands Partnership, and currently serves on the boards of Directors of numerous local non-profits.
Chuck Anastas, Westborough, At-large- Chuck is Co-founder and Managing Partner of Durand & Anastas Environmental Strategies, Inc., and oversees the company’s permitting and regulatory business. Chuck served from 1999 – 2003 as Chief of Staff at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, where he was responsible for oversight of the Secretary's initiatives and managing senior staff activities, including operating and capital budgets, municipal harbor planning, and the land protection program. He has a broad range of government experience in both the executive and legislative branches, including special assistant to the Lieutenant Governor. He is a veteran of local government having successfully worked with stakeholders to implement community goals and assist in local government issues pertaining to zoning, education, housing, and the environment. Chuck lives in Westborough with his wife, Sharon, and their two daughters, Anna and Becca.
Rob Moir, Somerville, At-large -Rob is an educator, scientist, and activist with a proven history of institutional management and marine policy success. A Switzer Environmental Fellow with a Ph.D. in environmental studies from Antioch New England Graduate School, Dr. Moir is founder and director of the Ocean River Institute. In 2007, he was appointed manager for the Mass Ocean Coalition to work for the Ocean Conservancy, Mass Audubon and Conservation Law Foundation. Dr. Moir continues today as an active member of the Mass Ocean Partnership and serves as a member At-Large on the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Board. Dr. Moir is a co-founder and is currently Board Chair of Ocean Champions, the nation's first political c4 organization for ocean conservation.
As president of the advocacy organizations Salem Sound Harbor Monitors, Salem Sound 2000 and later Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, and through his appointment by the Secretary of the Interior to the Boston Harbor Islands Partnership, Dr. Moir has been a local environmental leader. He was awarded the James Centorino Award for Distinguished Performance in Marine Education by the National Marine Educators Association, which he later served as president. He was an assistant scientist with the Sea Education Association, a major gifts officer for his alma mater, Hampshire College, and serves today on the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, Cambridge School of Weston. Dr. Moir has a Masters of Science and Teaching from Antioch New England Graduate School, public and private teaching experience, and certificate of studies from the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole.
He lives with his wife Toni Czekanski and they have three sons: Brady, Ryan, and Jesse.
Andrew W. Savitz, Brookline, At-large- Andy Savitz is currently the president of Sustainable Business Strategies, which helps organizations to think creatively about opportunities and risks related to sustainability. As a partner in Environmental and Sustainable Business Services at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, he assessed, designed, and helped companies to implement environmental and sustainability programs. Previously, he was the General Counsel of Environmental Affairs for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and a staff member of the U.S. House Committee on Commerce, Consumer and Monetary Affairs Committee.
He currently serves on the Steering Committee of the Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Environmental and Natural Resources Program, the Trustees of the Boston Zoos, and the Board of the Environmental League of Massachusetts.
Andy graduated from Johns Hopkins University, New College, Oxford and Georgetown University Law Center. He lives in Brookline, with his wife Penny, and children Noah, Zuzzie, and Harry. He is an avid, life-long Boston Red Sox fan.
Andrew Schuyler, Boston, At-large- Andrew Schuyler is Regional Director of the New Fuels Alliance, a non-profit policy organization that works on fuel diversification strategies. He is originally from Wisconsin and has lived in Colorado, Montana, Utah, Rhode Island, the Berkshires and Boston. He has worked as a reporter for several newspapers in the northeast, and served as Chief of Staff in the Massachusetts State. During his seven-year tenure in state politics, Mr. Schuyler succeeded in advancing several projects directly related to economic growth, environmental protection, and sustainable energy development. He also worked on a variety of issues that strengthened renewable energy standards, and was a founding member of the Berkshire Renewable Energy Collaborative. Mr. Schuyler has extensive relationships with policy makers, the press, and regulators, as well as a clear understanding of state and federal legislative processes. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the Rocky Mountain School of Photography, and serves on the Advisory Board of The Institute for Massachusetts Biofuels Research.
Advisory Board
John DeVillars, Boston, Co-chair
John P. DeVillars is a Founder and Partner of BlueWave Strategies, which works as an advisor and investor in environmentally complex real estate and renewable energy development projects. Previously, Mr. DeVillars was the Executive Vice President of Brownfields Recovery Corporation (“BRC”), a Boston-based real estate investment and development company that focuses on environmentally impaired properties. From 1994 to 2000, Mr. DeVillars held the position of the New England Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He previously served as Secretary of Environmental Affairs for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Chairman of the Board of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, and Chief of Operations for Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis. From 1991 to 1994, he was Director of the Environmental Services Group for Coopers & Lybrand where he initiated and led the firm’s environmental management systems group. He has received the President’s Award of the Nature Conservancy, given annually for national leadership in environmental affairs.
Mr. DeVillars holds an MPA from Harvard University and a BA from the University of Pennsylvania. He serves on the Board of Directors of several groups, including Clean Harbors, Inc. and the Massachusetts Environmental Trust, and lectures at MIT, the Harvard Graduate School of Design and the Kennedy School of Government.
Sheila Kennedy, Cambridge, Co-Chair
Sheila Kennedy is an independent city planner and writer, specializing in issues of housing, community development, and education. Currently Ms. Kennedy is an Adjunct Professor of Political Science at Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts. Prior to joining the faculty there, Ms. Kennedy worked for the Harvard University Joint Center for Housing as a consultant and director of the community housing forum. She worked as a banker and tradesman, and in the Office of Program Development of the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency. Ms. Kennedy has served as a Program Developer for the Massachusetts Land Bank and the Executive Director of the Mayor’s Special Commission on Housing for the city of Boston.
Ms. Kennedy has been active in many philanthropic and community endeavors. She has served on the boards of Zoo New England, Boston Center for the Arts, Buckingham Brown & Nichols School, Fearless Hearts from Homeless Children, and Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless. Ms. Kennedy is also the co-founder of Artstart: An Arts Program for Homeless Children. She is a graduate of Wheaton College and also holds a Masters in City Planning from Harvard University.
Jay Baldwin, Cambridge
Co-founder of Wind River Capital Parnters, Mr. Baldwin has focused on private placement activities for Wind River’s client companies. Prior to founding Wind River, Mr. Baldwin spent 15 years in business operations. In 1975 he co-founded City Gardens, Inc., ultimately growing it to become the third largest interior landscaping company in the United States, with over 200 employees operating in seven states. Mr. Baldwin was responsible for managing company sales efforts, developing over 3,000 accounts. These included some of the nation’s largest and best-known financial institutions such as Fidelity Investments, John Hancock Life Insurance Co. and the Bank of Boston. In 1991 Mr. Baldwin and his partners sold City Gardens to a British firm.
Mr. Baldwin holds a B.A. from Boston University and is active on many local non-profit Boards and Advisory Boards.
Judith Eiseman, Pelham
Judy Eiseman has been a long time environmental advocate and consultant on regional and state-wide environmental, land-use, and citizen-action issues. She is a Trustee of the Water Supply Protection Trust. She is the Past President of the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions (MACC) and a member of its President’s Council. In addition, Ms. Eiseman is the Chair of The Kestral Trust and a member of the Steering Committee of the Mass Land Trust Coalition. Ms. Eiseman is also active in her home of Pelham, serving as a member of the Democratic Town Committee.
Andie Finard, Wellesley Hills
Andie Finard is an artist and long time supporter of HIV/AIDS work. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Boston Living Center, which aims to foster the wellness of all HIV positive people and respond to the changing needs of the HIV/AIDS community.
Marion Fremont-Smith, Cambridge
Chris Gabrieli, Boston
Mr. Gabrieli is chairman and co-founder of Massachusetts 2020, a nonprofit organization working to provide educational and economic opportunities to children across the Commonwealth. Massachusetts 2020, along with the state Department of Education, has been overseeing an Expanded Learning Time Initiative and assisting schools in putting ELT into practice since 2004.
Mr. Gabrieli is also co-chairman of the National Center on Time & Learning, a think tank that researches expanded learning time; supports public policy efforts at the local, state and federal level; and provides technical assistance to schools, districts, and states seeking to convert to a longer school day. He’s also co-author of Time to Learn: How a New School Schedule is Making Smarter Kids, Happier Parents, and Safer Neighborhoods, a book about the need to rethink the standard school schedule.
Jay Healy, Shelburne Falls
Mr. Healy is the owner of Hall Tavern Farm in Charlemont and former state legislator and agricultural commissioner.
Dennis Kanin, Newton
Dennis Kanin serves as Of Council at Foley Hoag in Boston and is a principal at New Boston Ventures, a real estate development company. He previously served as Chief of Staff to former U.S. Senator Paul Tsongas, and managed his Presidential, Senate and U.S. House campaigns.
Mr. Kanin’s various political appointments include the National Democratic Party Commission on Platform Accountability, the National Party Charter Commission, acting as National Co-Chair of the Dukakis Finance Committee in 1988, a National Vice Chair of The Kerry Finance committee in 2004, and most recently working on Governor Deval Patrick’s Housing Task Force. He is also active in a range of organizations including: former New England Chair of the Anti-Defamation League, President of the Board of Trustees of the Roxbury Latin School, and member of the Community Health Committee at Children’s Hospital. He earned his B.A. and J.D. from Harvard College.
Josh Kraft, Newton
Josh Kraft is a prominent community leader in the Boston area. In 1993, he founded the Chelsea Boys and Girls Club, and has served as its Executive Director ever since. He is a 1989 graduate of Williams College, and is married with two daughters, ages 7 and 9.
Richard Levitan, Chestnut Hill
Richard L. Levitan is President of Levitan & Associates, Inc., a Boston based energy management consulting firm that specializes in the oil and natural gas industry, resource adequacy and planning, transmission, alternative energy, and economics. Founded in 1989, LAI provides consulting expertise to independent system operators, utilities, investors, and regulatory bodies throughout the U.S. Prior to forming LAI, Richard was a Vice President at Stone & Webster. He is a graduate of Cornell University and Harvard University. He is married to Susan Edgman and has a daughter, Amelia, who is a freshman at George Washington University.
Stacey Rainey, Boston
Stacey Rainey is currently a member of Microsoft’s Partners in Learning team, where much of her time is focused on the School of the Future. The school is a 750 student high school with a technology based educational model, created by a partnership with the School District of Philadelphia. Before moving to Microsoft, Ms. Rainey served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Jane Swift where she oversaw environmental issues. Earlier in her career she worked at Coastal Zone Management within the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs. Ms. Rainey also served on the Board of Trustees of the University of Massachusetts from 2002-2006.
Ted Smith, Cambridge
Ted Smith is an active leader on issues of climate change and conservation. Since 1993, he has been the Executive Director of the Kendall Foundation, which funds initiatives to mitigate climate change. He also serves as a board member and treasurer of the Cambridge Energy Alliance, a major cross-sector initiative to conserve energy in the city of Cambridge. Mr. Smith is on the board of Clean Air-Cool Planet, an organization that creates partnerships in the Northeast to find and promote solutions to global warming. In addition, Mr. Smith is a board member of the National Parks Conservation Association in Washington, D.C., and the Vice-Chair of the board of the Alaska Conservation Foundation in Anchorage. He received his Ph.D. in Politics from the University of California, Berkeley.
Helen Spaulding, Ipswich
Helen Bowdoin Spaulding is former Chair of the Boston Foundation, one of the oldest and largest community foundations in the country, where she oversaw an endowment of more than $600 million and grants of more than $34 million annually. Mrs. Spaulding is a philanthropist, community leader and volunteer. She has served on the boards of more than 30 nonprofit organizations, including Georgetown and Boston Universities, New England Aquarium, Wang Center for the Performing Arts, United Way of Mass Bay, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, The Island Alliance, the Conservation Law Foundation, and the Woods Hole Research Center. She is a former member if the board of the University of Vermont and on the advisory councils of two programs at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Over the last decade, Mrs. Spaulding has received numerous awards, including an honorary Doctorate in Humanities from Rocky Mountain College, the Distinguished Citizens Award of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, and the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Arthritis Foundation.
Cathy Douglas Stone, Boston
Staff
Lora Wondolowski, Executive Director- Lora joined MLEV as the founding director in 2005 after 5 years with the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund. At LCVEF, she worked on a variety of programs from managing the New England programs, working on electoral campaigns, to most recently directing a national youth outreach program. Before moving to Massachusetts, Lora worked in Washington, D.C. for the National Audubon Society as Asst. Director of Outreach for one of their national campaigns. She has her BS in Ecology, Ethology, and Evolution from the University of Illinois at Urbana and MS in Environmental Studies from Bard College. Lora lives in Greenfield where she enjoys kayaking, gardening, and bird watching. She is married with two girls, Phoebe & baby Alice.
Erik Balsbaugh, Political Director- After receiving a BA in International Studies with an Environmental Policy concentration from Colby College, Erik applied his desire to protect the wilderness by working on the campaigns of candidates who embodied his ideals of environmental advocacy. He served in a variety of capacities on the campaigns of John Kerry ('04 and '08), Hillary Clinton, Mike Capuano and Martha Coakley; where he established field and political operations across New England. Most recently, Erik worked for the MIRA Coalition, where he worked to educate the Massachusetts immigrant population about the electoral and legislative process.
Erik’s passion for protecting and preserving the environment took form while he was in high school. While working as an expedition canoe trip guide, he saw first hand the effects of human encroachment and how unfettered human activity drastically altered the land he loved. Erik is also an avid cyclist, hiker and skier. In 2006 he and a friend embarked on a 7,000 mile bicycle tour to raise money for Reach Out and Read, an early literacy organization which provides books for underprivileged children across the US.
Matt Nelson, Heat Is On Campaign Project Coordinator- Heat is On is a project of national LCVEF and our c3 arm, MEVEF. Matt Nelson has been a campaign organizer for the last five years. In 2009, Matt was the Campaign Chair for City councilor Henrietta Davis. In 2008, Matt was the Virginia State Director for Healthcare United a project of the Service Employees International Union. Matt has also managed electoral campaigns for city, town, and state races in Cambridge, Brookline, Arlington, and Medford. Matt is from Cambridge, earned his B.A. from the University of Arizona, and is currently at Suffolk University pursuing a Masters Degree in Public Administration.
Gina-Louise Sciarra, Major Gifts Officer- Gina-Louise joins MLEV after running a $2 million dollar capital campaign to restore the historic First Churches in Northampton, MA. She specializes in managing large-scale campaigns and projects, from creation to organization to implementation. Prior to relocating to Massachusetts, she worked for the San Francisco-based national political consulting firm Terris Barnes Walters & Boigon, and the American Civil Liberties Union in New York City. She has a M.Phil in Sociology from The Graduate Center, CUNY and a BA from Smith College.
Annie Chiorazzi, Intern- Annie is a senior at Brandeis University with majors in Politics and American Studies. Originally from Tucson, Arizona, her love for politics and the Boston Red Sox brought her to the greater Boston area. Along with interning for MLEV, she is also the secretary for Brandeis’ student-run group Students for Environmental Action, the largest activist club on campus.
Leslie Guthrie, Intern- Leslie is a rising Junior at Boston University studying Sociology and Environmental Analysis and Policy. She serves as an Eco Representative at BU and writes for the university’s sustainability website. Originally from Baltimore, Leslie loves Boston for its history, culture, and tasty vegan restaurants.
Philip Ramirez, Intern- Phil is a rising senior at Tufts University currently studying International Relations and Public Health. With an avid mind for research and a thirst for politics, Phil joined the Mass League of Environmental Voters this past June. Originally from New York, Phil is excited to be working in the heart of Boston’s downtown during such a politically charged legislative term.
Michele Rolph, Intern- Michele recently graduated with a B.A. in Environmental Policy and Analysis from Boston University. She has worked on local political campaigns and is excited to be a part of Mass Leauge of Environmental Voters. She lives in Boston and enjoys engaging in Massachusetts politics.