Board of Directors
Nancy Bernhard, Writer
Rachel Borgatti, EarthWatch
Thomas Combs (Clerk), Committee for Public Council Services
Vithal Deshpande, City of Somerville Dept. of Environment and Sustainability
Peter James, Harvard School of Public Health
Peter Kwass, Mount Auburn Associates
Mark Pedersen, Digital Plunge Marketing
Enxhi Popa, Tufts University
Dawn Quirk (President), Tufts University
Rebecca Schrumm (Treasurer), Somerville Chamber of Commerce
Larry Venezia, Rockland Trust
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 proud to live in a city that is a national model for active living, urban agriculture, and smart transit development.
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.
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.
