Shira Center is a media leader and innovator who is passionate about elevating the vital role that journalism plays in our discourse and finding sustainable business models to ensure its viability. She currently serves as the VP of Innovation and Strategic Initiatives at Boston Globe Media Partners, where she leads the company’s tentpole planning, develops A.I. initiatives for businesses and forges external partnerships.

Shira received her MBA in Sustainability from Yale University in 2023. She co-founded the Globe’s Sustainability Week and programmed many climate-related events featuring regional leadership. She occasionally writes for the Globe about consumer choices and the environment.

Shira spent most of her career as a political journalist in newsrooms in Washington, D.C. and Boston. She appeared regularly to offer political analysis on cable and network television for nearly a decade. In 2017, Editor & Publisher featured her as a “25 under 35” list of rising newsroom stars, and the Poynter Institute selected her for its Leadership Academy for Women in Media. She also taught political journalism at Northeastern University and was a fellow at Harvard University’s Institute for Politics.

Shira’s proudest professional accomplishment is working with a group of women at the Globe to improve the Globe’s paid family leave policy. She lives with her husband and two young daughters in Boston.

Geoffrey Chasin is a Senior Vice President at Cardinal Logistics Management, a leading transportation solutions provider. Geoff received his BA in Mathematics from Cornell University. He was the owner and President of NRX Logistics for over three decades. Geoff is an avid climate advocate, a transportation business leader, and has been a vocal ELM Corporate Council member. Over the years, he has given back to the community by being active on a number of non-profit boards, mentoring at the Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership at Babson, advocating for climate friendly candidates on the State and Federal level, and through charitable contributions to support numerous causes including the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Rosie’s Place for women in need, and the Epiphany School, a free education provider for middle school children in low-income communities of Boston. Geoff’s hobbies include watercolor painting, woodworking, and calligraphy.

The Massachusetts Business Roundtable is a public policy and business development organization comprised of nearly 100 CEOs and Senior Executives from large employers across the Commonwealth. As President & CEO, JD is responsible for developing and implementing the Roundtable’s agenda on public policy matters, and works collaboratively with opinion leaders, policy makers and other stakeholders in pursuit of its mission to make Massachusetts the most desirable place to live, work and do business and ensure access to a robust, diverse and talented workforce that enhances the Commonwealth’s competitiveness in a global economy.

JD has worked in and around Beacon Hill for more than 30 years.  In the Legislature, he was the Chief of Staff to the House Committee on Commerce and Labor, and was the education issues analyst and Deputy Budget Director for the House Committee on Ways and Means.  After working as both a budget analyst and Assistant to the President at the University of Massachusetts, JD served as Legislative Director for State Treasurer Shannon O’Brien and then as Issues Director for the O’Brien-Gabrieli gubernatorial campaign in 2002.  He joined MBR in 2004 after serving as Legislative/Issues Director for the Early Education for All (EEA) Campaign, where he was responsible for developing and driving legislative support for EEA’s legislation and agenda which included the creation of the Massachusetts Board and Department of Early Education and Care.

JD serves on the Boards of Lever, a start-up incubator in Berkshire County, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation, and Science from Scientists, and is on the Advisory Board of Mill Town Capital and the Advisory Council of the Environmental League of Massachusetts.

William G. Constable, or “Buzz”, is currently Executive Consultant at A.W. Perry, providing development and legal expertise. He first joined A.W. Perry in 1985 and directed the company’s commercial development division and legal services, retiring as EVP and Director in 2018. Prior to joining A.W. Perry, Buzz was a partner at Warner & Stackpole in Boston. In recent years, Buzz has been involved in many leadership roles with The Trustees of Reservations, the Environmental League of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition, the Old South Meeting House, the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. He is also currently a member of the Boston Bar Association, the Real Estate Finance Association (REFA), and the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP). Having served on numerous state and local commissions, including the Central Artery Environmental Oversight Committee and the recent DCR Special Commission, Buzz continues to consult with conservation nonprofit organizations about land development, affordable housing, sustainable development, and policy analysis.

An avid outdoorsman, Buzz enjoys sea kayaking and fly fishing around the world. Buzz received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Williams College, Masters from Yale University, School of Environment, and his Juris Doctor degree from Boston University. In addition, Buzz was honored with a LOEB Fellowship at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design.

Peter DeFeo is the Co-Founder and Chief Legal Officer – Emeritus of VetCor, one of the leading veterinary practice acquisition and operating companies in North America, where he now advises the CEO, CLO, and senior management team.  Peter previously held the roles of Chief Development Officer and Chief Legal Officer at VetCor.  Peter also worked as in-house counsel for several companies in the energy and environmental fields, and began his career as a mergers and acquisitions, securities, and project finance lawyer at several Boston law firms, including Goodwin Procter.

Peter is a member of the Cancer Research and Care Advisory Council at Brigham & Women’s Hospital and the Board of Trustees at Lawrence Academy.

Peter received his J.D. from Harvard Law School and his B.A. in History from Tufts University.

Currently residing in Natick and Edgartown, Peter enjoys spending time on the water and attending Celtics and Red Sox games.

Sam Fleming is a retired Interim General Manager and Managing Director of News and Programs at 90.9 WBUR-FM. Sam oversaw and managed the content of daily broadcasts and programming, as well as supervised over 100 employees. Prior to this, Sam served as a news director and reporter at New Hampshire Public Television (PBS) in Durham, NH, a political reporter for the Ten O’ Clock News in Boston, a political reporter at WMUR-Tv in Manchester, NH, a news director at New Hampshire Public Radio in Concord, NH, and a host and reporter for Morning Edition. Sam brings over 40 years of experience in public broadcasting, as well as a deep network in communications and journalism. Sam received his degree from the University of New Hampshire and is extremely passionate about environmental issues. Sam currently resides in both Cambridge and Martha’s Vineyard with his wife.

Dave Forbes is the Chief Commercial Officer of T-Omega Wind, a producer of floating offshore wind turbines based in Boston, MA. He most recently served as COO of Halo Energy, a manufacturer of efficient shrouded onshore micro-turbines. Prior to operating roles in wind energy, Dave was an investor & Principal at Shenzhen Valley Ventures – a FrontierTech focused fund with offices in Palo Alto, Boston, Berlin, and Shenzhen, China.

Within alternative assets, Dave also held roles at the private equity firm Caltius Capital, VC fund Watertower Ventures, and FX & Futures hedge fund ATS Capital. Before his career in finance, Dave served in Advance & operations roles for (then) U.S. Senator John Kerry, the Office of Governor Deval Patrick, and the executive office of former President Bill Clinton.

Dave holds a BA in International Political Economy from Fordham University and an MBA in Venture Capital/Private Equity from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Outside of work, Dave is an avid boater & outdoorsman. A former Eagle Scout, he has trekked mountains on 5 continents. Dave continues to volunteer in elections and with the Boy Scouts of America.

Dr. Aisha Francis is the current President and Chief Executive Officer of Franklin Cummings Tech, making her the first female president of this 104-year-old institution. Her main goals as President are to ensure BFIT continues to lead in the clean tech industry, and successfully develop BFIT’s new campus in Boston’s Nubian Square. She is an active Trustee of WBUR, a member of the Boston Employment Commission, a member of the Advisory Board for the William Monroe Trotter Institute for the Study of Black Culture, and a Judge for the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation’s Profile in Courage Essay Contest. She was recognized as a member of the Boston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 and contributes to the civic health of Boston through volunteer work and advocacy. Throughout the course of her career prior to BFIT, Dr. Francis held senior roles at Economic Mobility Pathways, the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, and Harvard Medical School. In 2021, she was appointed to the board of directors at Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, a state agency dedicated to the growth of the clean energy sector in MA, and in 2020, she was appointed to the City of Boston’s Employment Commission.

After graduating from Fisk University summa cum laude and a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Dr. Francis received her Masters and Doctorate in English Literature from Vanderbilt University. Here, she taught and published topics of English Literature and Gender Studies before transitioning into fundraising. Originally from Nashville, TN, Dr. Francis currently resides in Hyde Park with her husband and two young children.

Kathy Gasperine is a relationship manager for Amalgamated’s commercial banking clients across nonprofit, advocacy, and sustainability sectors.

Across her two decades of professional experience in fundraising, management, and donor advising, Kathy joined Amalgamated Bank to establish the Boston Commercial Banking presence in 2020. A veteran of the three US presidential and national campaigns, Kathy recognizes the importance of forging strong relationships and building teams centered on growth. She previously held national fundraising and leadership roles for President Barack Obama, Secretary Hillary Clinton, and Governor Deval Patrick.

She serves as Board Chair of Reproductive Equity Now and on the Advisory Board of BLabs Boston and Higher Ground Labs. Kathy graduated from Ithaca College with a dual bachelor’s degree in Organizational Communication from the Park School of Communications and Politics. She lives in Concord, Massachusetts, with her family.

Donna joined SeaAhead’s Board of Directors in 2019 and SeaAhead’s staff in 2020.  She leads the company’s bluetech angel investor group, the Blue Angels, which includes 40 members representing diverse ocean-related industries and technologies, and provides capital, mentorship and network connections for bluetech start-ups.  As a member of the executive team, she is also deeply engaged in raising SeaAhead’s fundraising effort; the company’s involvement in the growing micro- and macro- algae industries; the UpSwell program to attract additional investors and capital to the blue economy; and several strategic partnerships.

Donna served as Interim President & CEO of the New England Aquarium while continuing as Chair of the Board and a member of the search committee recruiting a long-term CEO for this $47 M non-profit organization attracting 1.4 million visitors annually and employing 250+ full-time staff and more than 1500 volunteers.  As Board Chair and Interim CEO, Donna led the institution to update and implement its strategic plan, begin a cultural shift, restructure its development department, exceed its fundraising goal (30% increase year to year), and generate an operating surplus.  She received a Governor’s Citation, Resolution of Honor from the MA House of Representatives, Official Citation from the MA State Senate, and Certificates of Recognition from US Senators Warren and Markey, US Congresswoman Clark, and Mayor Walsh for her efforts.

In the corporate sector Donna also co-founded and served as Vice President of Business Development for venture-backed biotech diagnostics company Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: EXAS), which reached a market cap of $26 B.  Donna focused on strategic partnerships, intellectual property, physician awareness, value proposition, reimbursement, and commercialization.

Prior to these roles, Donna served as Director of Marketing and Business Development at Genzyme Genetics, Manager at Company Assistance Limited in Warsaw, Poland, Consultant at Bain & Company, and Market Analyst at biotech company BioTechnica International.  She received an AB in Biology from Princeton University, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a Masters in Sustainability through Harvard Extension.  Donna lives with her husband and family dog, travels whenever possible (especially to catch up with her four children), and is a certified scuba diver.

Her professional affiliations include:

SeaAhead, Inc.:  Board Director of Boston-based bluetech hub spurring innovation and building sustainable, high- growth, ocean-related companies through an incubator, venture studio, angel investor group, and other vehicles

New England Aquarium:  Immediate past Board Chair (6 years) and Interim CEO (1 year); current member, mission and DEI committees; former member, finance, governance, audit, and development committees; extensive experience with strategic planning, risk management, public interface, customer experience, education, conservation impact and advocacy

Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston:  20+ years of board service; chair, program committee; member, executive committee; past chair, Board of Trustees; former member, strategic planning, governance, and development committees

Anne L. Kelly is the Vice President of Government Relations at Ceres, leading the Ceres Policy Network, Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy (BICEP). BICEP is a coalition of 52leading consumer-facing companies advocating for meaningful climate and energy policy at the federal and state levels. Ms. Kelly is a registered lobbyist and is actively engaged on Capitol Hill on behalf of Ceres and BICEP member companies. She is an environmental lawyer with twenty-five years of combined experience in the private and public sectors. In the 1990s, she directed the Massachusetts-based Environmental Crimes Strike Force consisting of a multi-disciplinary team of legal and engineering professionals charged with bringing high-profile civil and criminal actions against environmental violators through the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General. Ms. Kelly later worked as special assistant to EPA Region 1 Administrator John DeVillars. In this role, she worked on corporate leadership programs and developed an International Pollution Prevention Program which was piloted in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Ms. Kelly is a member of the adjunct faculty of Boston College Law School where she has taught courses in environmental law and climate change. She has also taught environmental law at Tufts University, Suffolk University, and New England School of Law. Ms. Kelly also serves on the board of Massachusetts Interfaith Power & Light (MIP&L) and is fellow in the American College of Environmental Lawyers (ACOEL). In addition to her law degree, she holds a M.P.A. from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

Janet Kraus is a serial entrepreneur who has started and sold two companies (Circles and Spire) and is currently the Co-founder and CEO of her third company, Peach. Peach is a social selling athleisure brand on a mission to help women build a better tomorrow. In between startups, Janet joined the faculty at the Harvard Business School in Entrepreneurial Management where she taught and shared her experience from 2010 to 2017. Janet has been profiled in the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Fortune Small Business, and the New York Times, and was a recipient of Boston’s 40 Under 40 and a finalist of Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year. Janet received her Bachelors degree in Political Science in 1988 at Yale University, and her M.B.A. at Stanford University in 1994.

Ted Ladd, also known as Edward H. Ladd, is a retired Chairman Emeritus from Mellon Investment, an investment management firm of BNY Mellon. Prior to his retirement, Ted joined the Trustees of Reservations in 1983 after he became concerned about development within his community. He has been a member of the Trustees of Reservations for 30 years, in positions ranging from a corporate trustee to a member of the Advisory Council, and eventually joined the Board of Directors where he served four terms. In 2017, he played a vital role on the fundraising committee for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of World’s End. He is the Trustees’ 2019 Charles Eliot Award winner, as well as the 2019 Conservationist of the year. Ted graduated from Harvard Business School in 1962. He enjoys being outdoors and his hobbies include sailing, hiking, and exploring nature.

Virginia “Ginger” Lawrence joined ELM’s Board of Directors in November, 2008. She was Senior Grants and Project Administrator at Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) from 1995 until she retired 2008. Before her tenure at NESCAUM, Ms. Lawrence earned a Masters in Environmental Studies at Brown University.

Mr. Mahmood Malihi is Co-President and Partner at Leggat McCall Properties (LMP), a leading provider of real estate development, project management, and advisory services in Boston. LMP provides leadership and guidance to owners and stakeholders on a variety of real estate and development matters. We assist clients in developing long-term plans to achieve their real estate goals and further their mission on the advisory services side. We also act as third-party project / development managers on behalf of our institutional clients, and we selectively invest our own capital in joint ventures with equity partners on the principal investment side of our business. As Co-President, Mahmood is responsible for co-managing the company and identifying new business opportunities. As a senior principal in the firm, he is a member of LMP’s Investment Committee and Executive Committee.

Mr. Malihi is currently acting as a real estate advisor to several institutional owners, including Harvard University, Northeastern University, Tufts University, The First Church of Christ, Scientist, as well as Procter & Gamble, on a wide range of strategic and transactional real estate matters.

Mahmood has served on various boards and associations in his 40-year career with Leggat McCall Properties. He currently is a member of the Board of Overseers at WGBH, a member of the Board of Overseers at Boston Youth Symphony and is a member of the Board of Trustees at Huntington Theatre. In the past, he has served as President of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board (GBREB), President of the Real Estate Finance Association (REFA), President of Habitat for Humanity of Boston, a trustee at Hebrew Senior Life, and a trustee at Riverside Community Center, to name a few.

Mr. Malihi holds an M.S. in Construction Management from Stanford University. He earned a B.S., summa cum laude, in Civil Engineering from Tufts University.

Ayr is dedicated to creating practical solutions that directly address climate change. He is the founder of Clover Food Lab, a Boston-based fast casual restaurant company focused on re-thinking our food system with sustainability at the core. Clover has been at the frontier of re-thinking food systems and has helped catalyze regional changes ranging from composting policy, to building a New England Grainshed, to moving national chains to cleaner ingredient labels.

Currently Ayr is providing coaching, consulting, and mentoring support to a select set of innovative climate tech and food companies.

Ayr holds BS, and SM in Materials Science from MIT as well as an MBA from the Harvard Business School. He helped build the marketing department at Patagonia. And worked as a management consultant with McKinsey and Company. He is a member of Food Tank’s Director Peer Group, focused on bringing agriculture into broader climate conversations.

Nicole Obi is the CEO of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts (BECMA) and is a Member of the Board of Advisors at Longfellow Investment Management. In addition, she is currently a member of the Boston Chapter of The Links Inc, a volunteer service organization for Black professional women, GBH’s and Women’s Foundation of Boston’s Board of Advisors, and a member of the Intensive Community Program Committee at the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra. She was previously the Vice President of Customer Insights and Engagement Strategy at Fidelity Investments. Nicole received Masters degrees from the MIT Sloan School of Management and the MIT School of Urban Planning and Design, and her Bachelors degree of Science in Finance and Financial Management Services from Hampton University.

Matt Patsky is the CEO and Lead Portfolio Manager of Trillium ESG Global Equity strategy, an investment firm focused on social and responsible investing, as well as the Portfolio Manager of Trillium Sustainable Opportunities strategy. Previously, Matt worked at Winslow Management Company in Boston, where he served as director of research, chairman of the investment committee, and portfolio manager for the Green Growth and Green Solutions Strategies. He was a Member of the Board of Directors at the Environmental League of Massachusetts, Shared Interest, Pro Mujer, US SIF, and Root Capital, and is currently a Member of the Board of Directors at Toniic.

Matt received his Bachelor of Science degree concentrating in Economics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Matt lives with his husband Jun Untalan in Boston.

Aly Rose is the Oceans, Seafood, & Aquaculture Sector Lead at CREO Syndicate, a 501(c)3 public charity that works with a network of ultra-high-net-worth family offices leveraging private capital to invest in climate solutions. At CREO, Aly connects investors with mission-aligned opportunities in the regenerative blue economy. She delivers insights about various ocean-related investment opportunities, identifies financing gaps and investment opportunities in the market, leads sector-related educational programming, and informs members about relevant sector updates. She represents CREO on international panels with investors, fund managers, and government officials, reinforcing CREO’s status as a global thought leader. Additionally, Aly conducts market landscape analyses and publishes reports about emerging sector-related ocean-climate investment trends.

Before her role at CREO, Aly worked at SeaAhead, where she held the position of Sustainability Analyst, including an active role with the organization’s Bluetech angel investment group. While at SeaAhead, Aly also served on the original working group for 1000 Ocean Coalition’s Impact Navigator, responsible for the draft launched at the 2022 UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon. In addition, she spearheaded the inclusion of impact measurement & management metrics in SeaAhead’s BlueSwell Incubator curriculum. Aly began her career in education, teaching Spanish in various public and private schools in Brookline, Massachusetts. Aly holds a BA degree in Comparative Policy, Environmental Studies, and Spanish from Bowdoin College, an MA degree in Spanish Linguistics from Middlebury College, and an MPP degree in Climate Change and Sustainability Policy from Northeastern University. She resides in Boston with her adorable dog, Luna.

Bob Taylor currently serves as a partner and supporter of environmental, social impact, and political NGOs. Bob served as a Member of the Board of Directors at the Environmental League of Massachusetts since 2019 and a Member of the Board of Trustees at Beaver Country Day School since 2017. Prior to this, he served as an Advanced Leadership Initiative Fellow at Harvard University and a Managing Partner at Advent Partners where he led Advent’s global portfolio support team to create strategic and operational initiatives that enable companies for long term growth and success.

Bob received his Bachelor of Science degree, concentrating in Metallurgical Engineering from Lafayette College and his Master of Business Administration and Management degree from the University of Virginia, Darden School of Business. Bob is highly skilled in venture capital, corporate development, private equity, and management consulting.

Katie Theoharides is the President and CEO of the Trustees of Reservations.

In her previous role as Head of RWE Renewables Offshore (East), she oversaw all offshore wind development activities of RWE, from the Gulf of Maine to the Gulf of Mexico and beyond. Before that, Katie was the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs in Governor Baker’s administration, overseeing more than 3,000 staff, a budget of $232 million and six energy and environmental agencies – one of the largest and most diverse such portfolios in the country. In this role Katie worked to help establish the first utility scale offshore wind farm in the country, the 800MW Vineyard Wind project, followed by subsequent procurements for 800 and 1600MW wind farms, and the establishment of major supply chain and port investments in the Commonwealth.

Katie has significant experience negotiating complex climate, energy and environmental legislation, directing agency budgets, implementing new initiatives, and building a climate resiliency program for the Commonwealth.  Theoharides guided the development and implementation of the Administration’s efforts to safeguard Massachusetts from the impacts of climate change, support cities and towns, and coordinate efforts across state government to reduce emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. She worked to implement Executive Order 569, led the development of the State Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan and created the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness program, working to grow the program to reach 95 percent of cities and towns in the Commonwealth in less than 4 years. Theoharides established a net zero by 2050 goal for Massachusetts while in the role and focused on aligning the Clean energy and climate plan with this target.

Trained as an ecologist, Katie has significant experience in leading complex projects and policy initiatives, team management, and strategy. She loves sharing her passion for clean energy and climate change with her husband and three kids.

Rob Tuchmann is a retired partner from WilmerHale’s Regulatory and Government Affairs and Corporate and Transactional groups. He has expertise in real estate development and leasing, remediation of contaminated sites, and environmental permitting. Rob is a former chair of the Environmental and Real Estate Practice Group, as well as the Executive Committee at Hale and Dorr. He was also the chair of the Central Artery Environmental Oversight Committee for 17 years.

Rob was a Fellow in the Lawyers ClearingHouse inaugural class of 2012-2013. Since then, he has been active in the community, leading the Access to Justice Fellows project in collaboration with the Boston Public Market Association to create and operate the new Boston Public Market. Rob has devoted 1500-2000 hours to help create and operate the Boston Public Market.

Rob received WilmerHale’s 2008 Reginald Heber Smith Award for Community Service and WilmerHale’s 2007 “Mentor of the Year Award” in recognition for his career guidance and professional development advice to junior attorneys at the firm. Rob was also named “New England Super Lawyer” in real estate for more than twenty years. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Oberlin College magna cum laude and his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School.

Ann Wallace is currently the Director of Programs at The Funders Network where she manages working groups and regional networks, and serves on the governance committee for the Partners for Places grant program. She was a partner at GMA Foundations for 15 years where she focused on environmental grantmaking and consulting. Ann received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Duke University and her Master of Arts with a concentration in environmental policy from Tufts University. She has expertise in environmental policy, smart growth and sustainability, as well as extensive experience in foundations and fundraising. Ann enjoys spending her free time gardening, bird watching on the South Coast, and enjoying the outdoors.