MEET THE NANTUCKET ADVISORS
ReMain Nantucket has convened a group of more than 20 local and regional advisors to bring expertise in conservation, public works, real estate, architecture, historic preservation, natural resources, marine biology, fisheries, civil engineering, art, science, and transportation to participating university teams. This interdisciplinary group will continue to provide resources and insight as the teams move through the spring 2021 semester and examine the complex issue of sea level rise on Nantucket.
Ken Beaugrand, Chair of the Nantucket Preservation Trust
Ken Beaugrand has been a director and President of the Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce, an eight-term President of the Nantucket Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB), a vice president of the Nantucket Historical Association, a committee member of the school housing project, and a director of the Nantucket Housing Office. Ken holds degrees from Brown, Columbia Law School (Doctor of Law) and the University of London, (Masters Degree in law). He has worked as a lawyer with a Wall Street law firm in New York City, and has lived and worked in England, France, Switzerland, Holland, the Bahamas, Japan and Canada. He was President and CEO of the US operations of Manulife Financial prior to his move to Nantucket.
He is currently the Chair of the Nantucket Preservation Trust, and the Chair of the Community Preservation Committee, a director of the Nantucket Rotary Club and vice president of the Nantucket Association of Real Estate Brokers.
Bruce Beni, Real Estate Broker and Co-President of the Nantucket Shellfish Association
Bruce Beni grew up in the New York City suburbs and was introduced to Nantucket when he was five years old. Following his graduation from Union College, he joined the Hearst Corporation where he launched a successful fifteen-year career in publishing, where he worked for such titles as: Architectural Digest, Cosmopolitan, and Good Housekeeping. Subsequently, he founded the magazine titled Medizine, a consumer healthcare publication available in pharmacies nationally. In 1999 he moved to Nantucket full time where he then pursued a career in real estate. Bruce joined Lee Real Estate in 2016 after fifteen years of experience as a broker selling real estate on Nantucket. Bruce’s love for fishing led him to become the current-co president of the Nantucket Shellfish Association, with the mission “to protect and preserve the waters of Nantucket.” Bruce is an artist and was the president of the Artists Association of Nantucket for seven years. He remains an active member.
Mary Bergman, Historian and Executive Director, Nantucket Preservation Trust
Mary Bergman is the Executive Director of the Nantucket Preservation Trust, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of Nantucket’s unique architectural heritage. She is a writer concerned with themes of memory, nature, and the intersections between the human and natural world. Mary received her BA from Smith College in American Studies and an MA from American University in Public History. Originally from Provincetown on the tip of Cape Cod, Mary has lived and worked on Nantucket since 2014. Her ties to the island go back to the 1920s when her great-grandparents lived on India Street.
Dr. Sarah Bois, PhD, Director of Research and Education, The Linda Loring Nature Foundation
As a plant ecologist, her research has focused on a myriad of conservation and biodiversity topics including non-native invasive species, native shrub phenological response to climate change, coastal vulnerability and resiliency, management of sandplain grasslands, and rare species conservation. In her current position, Dr. Bois manages 275 acres of conservation land which consist primarily of sandplain grasslands, coastal heathlands, freshwater wetlands, and coastal shrublands. Her position at LLNF marries her interests in research, stewardship, and education where she leverages research experiences into educational opportunities. She currently sits on the Town of Nantucket’s Coastal Resiliency Advisory Committee. Sarah received her PhD from the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Connecticut where her dissertation research focused on invasive plant distributions in New England and efforts to prioritize species management in light of climate change.
Leah Hill, Assistant Biologist, Town of Nantucket
Leah Hill went to Eckerd College for her bachelor’s degree in marine biology and later graduated from the University of Florida with a master’s degree in fisheries and aquatic sciences with a focus in aquaculture. She has been the Assistant Biologist for the Town of Nantucket Natural Resources Department since 2014. Her primary duties within the Town are to culture shellfish at the municipal hatchery for stock enhancement, run the oyster shell recycling program, and facilitate/execute oyster restoration projects within Nantucket waters. In 2017, she planned and implemented the first oyster restoration project in Nantucket and has been collecting data on many aspects of it since 2016. Prior to her position with the Town, she traveled to the island of Zanzibar, Tanzania to teach proper hatchery techniques to local hatchery employees. In addition, Leah spent a few months in Eleuthera, Bahamas where she grew Cobia in a hatchery setting as well as an offshore cage at the Cape Eleuthera Institute.
Jeff Carlson, Natural Resources Director, Town of Nantucket
Jeff Carlson is the Director of the Town of Nantucket Natural Resources Department and has been responsible for its operation since the creation of the Department in 2011. In that time the staff has grown from one full time to eight full time employees, with six seasonal employees. The department has been a part of many significant programs including development of a Shellfish Management Plan, Hazard Mitigation Plan, Pond Management Principles, and Fertilizer Regulations. The Department has also completed a 2.5 million dollar renovation of the Town of Nantucket Shellfish Propagation Facility. The Department continues its mission to preserve, protect or restore Nantucket’s natural resources through responsible active management, research education, and outreach by completing projects like oyster reef construction, living shoreline design and implementation, and water quality management. Jeff also acts as the Town’s Conservation Agent and is the administrator of the Conservation Commission. Prior to becoming Beach Manager for the Town of Nantucket in 2006, Jeff was an environmental permitting specialist for Nantucket Surveyors and successfully permitted projects for residential and commercial development. Jeff graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources and has completed the Suffolk University Public Administration Certification Program.
Michelle Carnevale, Grant Program Director, 11th Hour Racing
Michelle Carnevale is the Grant Program Director at 11th Hour Racing leading the organization’s ocean health grant making. 11th Hour Racing works to mobilize sailing, maritime, and coastal communities with an innovative approach to inspire solutions for the ocean. Driven by a philosophy of “local solutions to global problems,” the organization connects international sailing teams with global events and utilizes these platforms to spotlight a broad portfolio of community grant projects. Prior to joining 11th Hour Racing, Michelle spent six years at the University of Rhode Island Coastal Resources Center working on the state climate change adaptation plan and developing state policy and best practices for offshore wind energy development. She holds a B.S. in Marine Ecology from Cornell University, an MBA, and an M.A. in Marine Affairs/Coastal Management from the University of Rhode Island.
MJ Levy Dickson, Artist, MIT, the Boston Architectural Center and Wenzhou-Kean University
M.J. Levy Dickson explores global interconnectedness through her artwork, and has discovered a common denominator in the natural world. She finds in nature patterns of color, light, mood, subject, texture, and sound that transcend conventional boundaries, such as, those between sight and sound, land and water, or time and space. These discoveries are reflected in her varied artwork and teaching, from her tenures as artist-in-residence in Tangier, the Perkins School for the Blind outside of Boston, The Farm in Jaipur, to her setting up the art studio for a Graphic Design Department in China. With a deep body of work spanning oils, acrylics, watercolor, charcoal, pencil, pen and ink, glass, and repurposed materials, playing the boundaries between Abstract, Representational, and Expressionist, she finds, records, and is inspired by the similarities of all global cultures and celebrates the differences. Dickson has taught at MIT, the Boston Architectural Center, and the Michael Graves College at Wenzhou-Kean University in China. Working with people who have limited vision, mental health issues, on the autism spectrum, and other special needs, as well as, typical children and adults of all ages, has honed her instinct for art as communication. She provides a counterpoint to a culture in which emotions are intellectualized and verbalized – yet not available to everyone in these forms. Encompassing thought and meaning visually, tactilely, and aurally, she offers a bridge by which diverse audiences can experience the unexpressed.
Harrison Fraker
Harrison Fraker received his MFA in Architecture from Princeton and Cambridge Universities. He is considered a pioneer in climate responsive architecture and sustainable urban design. He has received major awards, including The Topaz Medallion – the highest award for excellence in architectural education over 50+ years of teaching, practice and research; first at Princeton (1968-84), then as chair and founding dean at University of Minnesota (1984 95), and finally as the 5th Dean of CED at UC Berkeley (1996-2019). Having retired, as Professor and Dean Emeritus he writes, lectures and teaches globally on the urgency of integrated systems thinking and the poetics of sustainable urban design. His recent books include: The Hidden Potential of Sustainable Neighborhoods, Island Press and MINDING THE CITY, Field Notes on the Poetics of Sustainable Public Space, ORO Editions (available Jan 2021). He continues to consult professionally, advise graduate students and conduct research on the Oakland ‘Ecoblock’ concept as a Professor of the Graduate School at UC Berkeley.
Rachel Hobart, Project Manager, ReMain Nantucket
Rachel Hobart has been a summer resident of Nantucket since 1968, and moved permanently to the Island in 1987 in order to practice law. After raising her three children, she served as Vice President of the Nantucket New School and was a partner in the opening of Fahey and Fromagerie. Rachel began with ReMain Nantucket in May of 2008. Rachel manages ReMain’s public/private partnerships with the Town of Nantucket, particularly focusing on the Island’s transit and transportation systems. She currently serves on the board of trustees of the Nantucket Dreamland. Rachel graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in English and received her law degree from Northeastern University School of Law.
Liz Holland, Nantucket Operation Director, Hyline Cruises
Nantucket has been home to Liz Holland for more than 40 years. In that time she has gained an intimate knowledge and respect for the island, its natural beauty, its history and historical value, and the treasure we have managed to preserve: The magic of Nantucket. Liz graduated from Bay Path Junior College in 1980 with an Associates in Sociology. College summers led her to a permanent move to the island. She has an extensive 32 year career in the food business on the island that included owning both a restaurant (Off Centre Café) and then a bakery (Daily Breads). One winter In New York City at le Cirque, she even worked with famed pastry chef Jacques Torres and his talented crew. After selling Daily Breads in 2011, she took the job of Nantucket Operations Supervisor at Hyline Cruises. Liz served on the Board of Directors Nantucket Chamber of Commerce for six years, on the Board of Directors Nantucket Cares: with the mission of bringing assistance to schools in Puerto Rico after hurricane Maria and was 2019 Nantucket Chamber Of Commerce Tourism Advocate.
Marty Hylton, Co-Chair, Director of the University of Florida Historic Preservation Program and the Center for World Heritage Research and Stewardship
Morris (Marty) Hylton III is a faculty member of the College of Design, Construction and Planning, he also oversees the nation’s oldest, applied learning program for historic preservation – the Preservation Institute Nantucket (PIN) and, its sister program, the Preservation Institute St. Augustine (PISA). Marty’s research and work addresses multifaceted strategies for documenting, advocating, and preserving endangered heritage sites, particularly architectural and cultural resources associated with the mid-twentieth century and underrepresented communities. As part of research and teaching, he created the Envision Heritage initiative to explore how new and emerging digital technologies like terrestrial laser scanning can be used to document and study historic places with an increasing emphasis on coastal communities and sites impacted by sea level rise.
Marty has also served as Initiatives Manager for World Monuments Fund—a New York City-based, non-profit dedicated to conserving endangered heritage sites globally. Marty is a member of the Friends of Florida History Board of Directors and a Trustee of the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation.
Cecil Barron Jensen, Executive Director ReMain Nantucket
Born in Toronto, Canada, Cecil Barron Jensen moved to Nantucket with her husband in 1996 with their three daughters. In the years since, Cecil worked at the Nantucket Historical Association, Nantucket New School, and served as the Executive Director of the Artists Association of Nantucket. Cecil became the Executive Director of ReMain Nantucket and ReMain Ventures in 2018. In addition to her experience in leading dynamic organizations to achieve strategic goals, Cecil has a deep understanding of how cultural organizations contribute to the vitality of downtown Nantucket and the enthusiasm to drive ReMain’s mission forward into the future tackling issues such as transportation, economic stability, and environmental resource management. A past board member of several Nantucket nonprofits, Cecil has recently been appointed to be a member of the Massachusetts Cultural Council. She has a B.A. from Middlebury College in Vermont.
Jennifer Karberg, PhD, Nantucket Conservation Foundation Research Supervisor
Dr. Jennifer Karberg is the Research Program Supervisor for the Nantucket Conservation Foundation and oversees implementation of the multi-faceted research program of the Foundation. Jen’s personal research interests include fresh and salt water wetland ecology and restoration, climate change and coastal resiliency, rare plant ecology, and disturbance ecology. Initially from the midwest, Jen first studied plant ecology at the University of Michigan for undergrad and then obtained advanced degrees from Michigan Technological University in wetland ecology and rare species conservation genetics. In her 12 years on island, Jen has been the co-chair of the Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative Research Conference, served on the Nantucket Conservation Commission, and various boards of the Society of Wetland Scientists. Jen is currently representing NCF on the Nantucket Coastal Resilience Advisory Committee and is Chair of the Women in Wetlands section of the Society of Wetland Scientists.
Chuck Larson, Special Projects Manager, Town of Nantucket
Chuck Larson is a professional engineer and program manager with more than 30 years of experience leading projects and providing services to help organizations make better long-term capital planning decisions and improve annual operations. He is currently managing strategic projects as an employee of the Town of Nantucket with a focus on community sustainability, community resilience building, planning for climate change, and reviewing the designs for coastal engineering projects.
Chuck’s career includes more than 20 years of experience in state Departments of Transportation (DOT) in the areas of pavement management, pavement design, and developing IT-based decision-support systems to integrate historical transportation data with Geographical Information Systems (GIS). He also has private sector experience as a principal-level consultant in an engineering firm directing services for pavement management, data collection, and pavement design across North America. Additionally, Chuck has IT consulting experience as a principal-level consultant responsible for implementation of computer systems for transportation asset management, maintenance management, safety management, and statewide-GIS for the West Virginia DOT. He is a past member and former chairperson of the Transportation Research Board’s Standing Committee on Pavement Management Systems. He is active in the Transportation Research Board and has published several journal articles on his work.
Matthew R. MacEachern , Founder and Principal of Emeritus
Matthew R. MacEachern is founder and principal of Emeritus, Ltd., an architecture, design, and planning firm with offices based in Nantucket and Boston. Founded in 2000, Emeritus has designed multiple residential and commercial projects on the island including many Historic Core District sites. In 2018, Emeritus received the Nantucket Preservation Trust’s Preservation Award for New Construction. Prior to receiving his architecture degrees, BArch & AAET from Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, Massachusetts, he completed programs at Harvard Graduate School of Design and Ecole d ’Architecture du Languedoc-Roussillon with concentrations in urban planning and architecture, respectively. Matthew served as a member of the Nantucket Historical District Commission from 2002 – 2004 and was founding chair of the Nantucket Affordable Housing Trust in 2009. Matthew has lived on Nantucket year-round with his wife and their children since 2000.
Judy MacLeod, Vice President of the Maria Mitchell Association
Judy MacLeod chairs the facilities committee for the Maria Mitchell Association (MMA), and is enthusiastic about the educational role the organization may be able to play in demonstrating to the Nantucket community sustainable ways of adapting to the challenge of sea level rise. MMA is an island organization dedicated to science education in the spirit of its namesake, famous Astronomer and educator Maria Mitchell.
Judy joined the MMA board in 2013 when the nonprofit was initiating fundraising efforts for an Aquarium/Science Center on Washington Street. At present, the MMA remains committed to consolidating its aquarium and natural science education operations in a new facility at 29-33 Washington St, and today’s vision is that the location becomes a year-round landing point for students, island residents and visitors who want to learn more about the unique skies, seas and land of Nantucket Island. Passionate about our oceans and environment, Judy has a background in management, including land planning and development for companies including the Walt Disney Company, as well as in tech and the nonprofit sector. Her island home is in the downtown core, and when she is off island she is usually on the coast of California, where she grew up. Judy holds a masters degree in business and a bachelor's degree in International Relations/Economics from Stanford University.
Michael May, Former Executive Director, Nantucket Preservation Trust
Michael May spent the last 13 years advocating for the preservation of Nantucket’s architectural heritage as the Executive Director of Nantucket Preservation Trust. Michael spent the majority of his career in historic preservation and under his leadership at the NPT, the organization expanded Nantucket’s designation as a National Historic Landmark. From 2010 to 2019, he served on the Historic Structures Advisory Board, ‘Sconset Advisory Board for the Town of Nantucket. Michael received his Bachelor of Arts in American Studies and Art History from the University of Delaware and his Master of Science in Historic Preservation from Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture and Planning.
Robert McNeil, Director of Public Works, Town of Nantucket
Robert McNeil, Director of Public Works for the Town of Nantucket, brings more than 28 years of experience in progressively more challenging positions in leading people in civil engineering design and construction of highways, railways, water distribution and treatment facilities, sewer collection and treatment infrastructure, site developments, municipal peer reviews, and corridor studies for numerous projects within New England. Rob’s experience spans project management, drainage design, site grading, right-of-way acquisition, cost and quantity estimations, contract oversight, construction inspection, and construction management. Rob has a Masters of Public Administration with Honors Concentration in Public Works and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. He has studied at the FEMA - Emergency Management Institute and has been published in the American Public Works Association Reporter magazine.
Robert Miklos, Co-Chair, Artist and Founding Principal, DesignLAB Architects
Robert is founder of the Boston-based firm designLAB architects, a firm focused on arts, cultural, and educational projects, many of which use an innovative approach to adaptive reuse combined with environmental sustainability, a philosophy they call Critical Stewardship. designLAB projects include the Headquarters for the International Fund for Animal Welfare in Yarmouthport, the experimental theater for MIT, the contemporary art museum for Mass Art, the expansion of the Concord History Museum, the restoration of the venerable Dartmouth Hall at Dartmouth College and the transformation of the Curley Community Center in South Boston as part of the City’s coastal resiliency plan. These commissions, among others, have been recognized by national awards and press, including the American Institute of Architects National Honor Awards, Chicago Athenaeum Architectural Awards, Business Week Awards, Society of College and University Planning Awards and the AIA Committee on the Environment Award.
Robert believes that the practice of Architecture is fundamentally a cultural art. He fostered within his firm a creative planning process that enthusiastically engages clients and communities. As a result, the firm’s projects have dramatically transformed the institutions they serve. In 2000, Robert was inducted into the AIA College of Fellows for his career achievements.
Robert has served as design faculty at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, Rhode Island School of Design, and Northeastern University, and on the board of the Boston Society of Architects. He received his Master Degree in Architecture from Harvard Graduate School of Design and a Bachelors of Fine Arts from the Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA). In 2018, he received the Annual Award for Artistic Achievement from the CIA. His involvements on Nantucket are many. Robert is an Artist member and Trustee of the Artist Association of Nantucket. He has served as a pro-bono advisor to both the Maria Mitchell Science Association and the Nantucket Historical Association (NHA). He recently helped NHA with the creation of the Forsyth Gallery at the Whaling Museum and the masonry and window restoration of Macy Warehouse under a grant from the Massachusetts Historical Commission. In the summer of 2020, Robert collaborated with Marty Hylton to direct the South Washington Street Study with students in the Preservation Institute Nantucket (PIN) Studio program.
Emily Molden, Executive Director, Nantucket Land Council
Emily Molden holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Vermont in Biological Sciences and Wildlife Biology. During and following her undergraduate studies, she participated in a number of research projects involving endangered species protection with species experiencing pressure from a changing climate. She moved to Nantucket in 2004 to begin working for the Nantucket Land Council as Resource Ecologist and continued in that position for 15 years. In April 2019, she took over as Executive Director of the Nantucket Land Council. Emily’s experience as it relates to the Envision Resilience: Nantucket Challenge includes participation in Nantucket’s Coastal Management Plan Work Group, proposal review for Nantucket Conservation Commission, water quality monitoring, familiarity with local and state regulations and local zoning bylaw, and stormwater infrastructure improvement efforts with Nantucket DPW.
Melissa Philbrick, Former Executive Director, ReMain Nantucket
Melissa Philbrick grew up in Falmouth on Cape Cod, graduated as an American Civilization major from Brown University, and received herJD from Columbia University School of Law. She moved to Nantucket with her family in 1986, where her legal practice was primarily real estate and corporate (for-profit and non- profit) based, with a focus on land use regulation. Melissa left the active practice of law in 2008 to become the founding Executive Director of ReMain Nantucket, from which position she retired in 2018. She now serves as an Advisor to ReMain. She has worked with a variety of Nantucket non-profit boards over the past three decades and currently serves on the Boards of the Community Foundation for Nantucket, the Nantucket Cottage Hospital, and the Residences at Sherburne Commons.
Alan Worden, Founder and CEO, Community Data Platforms
Alan Worden is the Founder and CEO of Community Data Platforms and a successful serial entrepreneur who has built businesses on Nantucket and off-island. Community Data Platforms scales the work of the Nantucket Data Platform, a prototype community data platform developed to help make the island “smarter and stronger” by leveraging data and analytics. Alan has served as a Senior Advisor to ReMain Nantucket for 10 years. He is an experienced sailor who, in 2001, sailed a 44’ sloop halfway around the world double-handed.
