Advisory Council

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.

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.

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.

Dr. Aisha Francis is the current President and Chief Executive Officer of the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology (BFIT), 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.

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.

Dr. Bill Lundberg is the current President and CEO of Merus N.V., a company that is developing antibodies to treat cancer. He serves as Independent Director of Vor Biopharma, Q32 Bio, and 1928 Diagnostics AB. Previously, Bill was the Chief Scientific Officer at CRISPR Therapeutics. Bill received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, M.B.A. from UMass Amherst, M.D. from Stanford University and clinical training in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Nicole Obi is the incoming CEO if 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.

Steph Speirs is the Co-Founder and CEO of Solstice, a software company that is dedicated to bringing affordable solar power to all American households. Before Solstice, she deployed renewable energy in off-grid communities in India and Pakistan. Prior to her work on energy, Steph served in a variety of policy and political roles including Deputy Field Director during the first Obama presidential campaign, Special Assistant for the Office of the Secretary in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Director for Yemen at the White House National Security Council. She has been the recipient of the Department of Energy’s C3E Entrepreneurship award, Inc Magazine’s Female Founder 100, and Elle Magazine’s Impact Woman Entrepreneur of the Year award.

Steph holds a Bachelor’s of Arts in History and International Studies at Yale University, Master’s in Public Affairs for International Development at Princeton University, and an M.B.A. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Sierra Club Foundation and the Advisory Board of the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy. She is originally from Hawaii and was raised by a single immigrant mother.

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.

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.