Board of Directors
President, Mark Pedersen, Mike’s Automotive
Secretary, Brandy Brooks, The Food Project
Treasurer, Rebecca Schrumm, Somerville Chamber of Commerce
Nancy Bernhard, Somerville Resident
Ron Bonney, Bonney Automotive
Vithal Deshpande, Environmental Coordinator, City of Somerville
Peter James, Harvard School of Public Health
Peter Kwass, Mount Auburn Associates
Jennifer Lawrence, Apex Green Roofs
Kathleen O’Brien, Energize Everett
Dawn Quirk, Tufts University
Board Bios
Nancy Bernhard joined the Groundwork Board in 2004, after participating as a parent in the creation of the Healey School garden. She is inspired by Somerville’s history, neighborhoods, and community spirit, and is glad to live in a city that is a model for sustainable living and redevelopment. *Nancy is the current Board President and has been doing an inspirational job in this position.*
Brandy H. M. Brooks joined the Groundwork Somerville board in 2009, after running into Jen at meetings all throughout the year. She has a professional and academic background in nonprofit management and community design, and she is passionate about developing healthy, sustainable and equitable communities in Massachusetts and beyond. Brandy is a proud 12-year resident of Somerville and is excited to put her skills to work where she lives. She is also on the board of the Community Action Agency of Somerville and on Somerville’s Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee. Brandy recently took a joined the staff of the Food Project as Director of Community Programs.
Peter James is a doctoral student in the Departments of Environmental Health and Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. His research concerns the impact of the built environment on health, spanning from issues of building materials and components of building design to aspects of transportation and urban planning. His dissertation focuses on establishing the causal effects of land-use mix, residential density, and street connectivity on physical activity, dietary patterns, body mass index, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, and total mortality.
Jennifer Lawrence came to Groundwork in 2006, after completing a graduate degree from the Urban and Environmental Planning and Policy Program at Tufts University. Jen is driven by her love for the Somerville community and her desire to give back to that community. As Executive Director of GWS for 4.5 years, she was motivated each and every day because working for a small community-based non-profit allowed her to see the positive change that we are enacting in our city.
Kathleen O’Brien is from Everett, MA and holds a Bachelor’s Degree from UMass Boston with a Double Major in Anthropology and Social Psychology with Minor in Environmental Studies. In addition to this degree, she also holds a Graduate Certificate from the UMass Boston Program for Women in Politics and Public Policy with a research focus on Sustainable Community Development. During this time, she was an Intern at Alternatives for Community and Environment in Roxbury from. Kathleen is currently employed by City of Everett as the Program Coordinator for Energize Everett, funded by a Mass in Motion grant. Her areas of interest include sustainable community development, community food security and youth leadership development.
Mark Pedersen has over a decade of diverse business experience. His professional work experience ranges from marketing and sales, to technology and compliance. Mark’s family owns Mike’s Automotive Services, a local automotive repair facility which is committed to sustainability.
Dawn Quirk is the Waste Reduction Manager for Tufts University. She started her career with the Cambridge Department of Public Works in the recycling division almost ten years ago. The Cambridge DPW taught Dawn much about municipal operations. She has admiration for the Parks Division and the beautifully managed green space and trees in Cambridge. She joined GWS board in the fall of 2010 because she feels strongly that Somerville needs more green space and better tree and green space management. Having grown up in Somerville, she has firsthand experience of the need for youth jobs and mentorship that the Green Team offers.
