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.