Board of Directors
President, Nancy Bernhard, Somerville Resident
Secretary, Michael Lambert, Director of Transportation and Infrastructure, City of Somerville
Treasurer, Catherine Brady
Ron Bonney, Bonney Automotive
Brandy Brooks, Somerville Resident
Karyn Coughlin, Sherman Cafe, Owner
Melissa DeFreece, Tufts University, Scholars Program
Vithal Desphande, Environmental Coordinator, City of Somerville
Sylvia DeLuca, Interior Designer
Peter Kwass, Mount Auburn Associates
John Lawson, The Eagle Eye Institute
Meridith Levy, Somerville Community Corporation
Peter Mills, Citizens Energy
Vilma Sullivan, Somerville Garden Club
Board Bios
Catherine Brady has been crunching numbers since it was done with pencil and ledger paper. She took an eight-year break from accounting to engage in grassroots organizing and fundraising in the 1980s and early 90s with INFACT, leader of the Nestle and GE boycotts. Catherine has held positions ranging from part-time bookkeeper to Director of Finance and Administration with several progressive non-profits in the Boston area. She and her life partner and their daughter live on the edge of Somerville in Cambridge.
John Lawson has nearly ten years experience working in the non-profit sector. He has managed grassroots fundraising initiatives for the Democratic National Committee, worked in the Office of Major Gifts at WBUR, and was most recently Manager of Individual Giving at The Food Project, a Boston based organization focused on urban agriculture and sustainable food systems. John is delighted to be serving on the GWS board and continues to be inspired by the powerful work of the staff and youth. He lives in Chelsea, MA.
Peter Mills manages the Energy Services and Solar Energy business areas at Boston-based Citizens Energy Corporation. Prior to Citizens, Peter was the founding Director of the City of Somerville’s Office of Sustainability & Environment. While in Somerville, he developed a distinct sense for the value and importance of open green spaces within a dense, urban fabric, and was thrilled to discover that this need was being met in admirable fashion by Groundwork. The city as a living workshop for sustainability continues to inspire Peter’s involvement on the GWS board.
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.
Sylvia C DeLuca joined the Board of Directors this year after getting to know Groundwork through a summer youth event she was organizing for another community organization. She is a commercial interior designer and associate at the Boston architectural firm Hacin + Associates. Sylvia joined GWS because she feels strongly about environmentally responsible community development and, being an avid gardener, knows the positive impact of greening ones surroundings.
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.*
