Our Board Members

Board Chairs

Gail E. McCann, Board Chair

Gail McCann is a recently retired partner with the law firm Locke Lord LLP. She served as chair of the firm’s Real Estate Department and has particular knowledge in a wide variety of construction and project financing, including affordable housing, apartments, hotels, power retail centers, office and industrial space, and assisted living and other healthcare facilities. Her experience includes mezzanine finance transactions and projects involving low income housing tax credits, historic tax credits and new markets tax credits. She also frequently represents asset-based and middle market lenders for a broad spectrum of companies. Her practice frequently includes representations of agents/lead lenders in syndicated senior and mezzanine loans. She also has extensive experience in commercial loan restructurings, workouts, foreclosures, note sales, and REO sales. Admitted to the Bar in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, Gail is a fellow and a member of the Board of Regents of the American College of Mortgage Attorneys  and is a Rhode Island Bar Foundation Fellow. She also served as a member of the Professional Advisory Council of the Rhode Island Foundation. Gail received her JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and graduated from Brown University (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa). She also attended the University of Edinburgh.  She is a Past President of the Brown University Alumni Association and been on the Board of Directors of Caritas House, AAA Northeast and other community organizations.   She lives in North Attleboro, MA. Gail joined the Board in 2012, was elected Secretary in May 2013, Vice-Chair in May 2016 and Chair in May 2017.

Sharon D. Conard-Wells, Vice Chair

Sharon Conrad-Wells has been in community development work for most of her life, professionally and personally. After working as a computer systems analyst and serving as Clerk to the RI Senate Corporations Committee, she returned to her roots and became involved with the West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation where she as been the Executive Director since 1991. Under Sharon’s leadership, West Elmwood Housing is a member of NeighborWorks America and holds several national certifiations including Home Ownership Center, Full Cycle Lender, Green Organization and HUD approved counseling agency. Sharon has completed the arduous adaptive reuse redevelopment of two Brownfield historic mills and three low income tax credit rental projects. A recent example of one of her projects is Sankofa Apartments, a new construction of low income rental properties that was completed in August of 2016; it has an abutting urban agriculture component and won a Smart Growth Award in 2017.
Sharon serves on the Board of Directors for Care New England, the Brain Injury Association of RI, the Housing Network of RI, and the Integra Medicaid AE Governing Council. She holds a Master of Education degree from Cambridge College and is a Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government Achieving Excellence in Community Development fellow. She joined the Board in 2017.

Rebecca R. Riley, Secretary

Rebecca R. Riley worked for nearly twenty years as Program Director and Vice President at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in Chicago. During her tenure she helped the foundation implement multi-million dollar grant making initiatives focused on community development, urban policy and regional planning, and advancing the arts and cultural institutions. Active in both local and national philanthropic networks, Riley was a co-founder of the Funders Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities and a past chair of Grantmakers in the Arts. Since retiring from MacArthur in 2000, Riley has consulted with national corporations and foundations including ABN-AMRO/LaSalle Bank, the Annie E. Casey and Ford Foundations, and The Urban Institute. She has been an active trustee on many nonprofit boards including WBEZ (Chicago’s NPR affiliate), the Regional Plan Association in New York and the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Washington, D.C. From 2011-2014, Riley joined her husband, who was US Ambassador to ASEAN, in Jakarta, Indonesia from where they traveled extensively and worked throughout the ten Southeast Asian member countries. She continues to work with the Yangon Heritage Trust in Myanmar on the preservation and adaptive reuse of the historic urban landscape of Yangon. A graduate of Ohio University with a BA in Literature, and Indiana University with Master’s degrees in Library Science and Educational Media Production, Riley resides in Tiverton, RI.

Michael L. Friedman, Treasurer

Michael Friedman is Director of Sales and Leasing at Paolino Properties. He focuses his practice on commercial and investment properties. He is a licensed Real Estate Salesperson in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts and has worked at Sweeney Real Estate and Appraisal and Gaspee Real Estate Partners. Michael was previously Vice President at Clubhouse Capital LLC, a corporate finance advisory firm located in Providence, RI and Gerber Finance Inc., an Asset Based Lender to lower middle market companies. He is also the managing partner of Mulligan’s Island, LLC, operator of a golf and family entertainment center in Cranston, RI. Michael graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business with a BS in Economics and a concentration in Accounting and Entrepreneurial Management. He is a native of Providence and now lives in East Greenwich where he currently resides with his wife and three children. Michael joined the Board in 2009 and sits on the Executive and Development Committees.

Director Emeritus’

Arnold B. Chace, Director Emeritus

Buff Chace is the Managing General Partner of Cornish Associates, the eight buildings that make up the Westminster Street Lofts and Mashpee Commons, L.P. He has 33 years experience as an investor, financial advisor, urban planner and real estate developer. Buff is currently a board member emeritus of Trinity Repertory Theatre, an officer and member of the Executive Committee of the Providence Foundation, and an inaugural member of the Congress of New Urbanism. Buff resides in Providence. A founding member of the Board, Buff served from 1998 to 2006.

Louise Durfee, Esq., Director Emeritus

Louise Durfee is a trail-blazing lawyer and an early champion of legal protections for Rhode Island’s environment. Over her five decades in the law, Louise also served as a partner in the law firm of Tillinghast, Collins & Graham and later with the law firm of Brown, Rudnick LLP. She was the first woman ever appointed to Rhode Island’s Board of Bar Examiners, and served on the state’s Committee on the Treatment of Women in the Courts. A past president of Save the Bay and first general counsel of the Narragansett Bay Commission, Louise was Rhode Island’s Director of the Department of Environmental Management from 1991 to 1994. A founding member of the Board, Louise served from 1998 to 2004.

Wilfrid L. Gates, Jr., Director Emeritus

Wil Gates is Chairman Emeritus of Gates, Leighton & Associates, Inc, a subsidiary of BETA Group, an engineering, landscape architecture and consulting firm located in Lincoln, RI. A Landscape Architect for forty-two years, Wil worked for the Rhode Island Department of Transportation prior to forming his own office in 1972. He was Founding President of the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Wil is a Commissioner of the Providence Capital Center Commission and Chairman of its Design Review Committee. He is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Highland Memorial Park, a private cemetery located in Johnston, Rhode Island, and a former incorporator of The Providence Foundation. A past president of the environmental Council of Rhode Island, he was also President of CLEAN RHODE ISLAND and of Save the Bay, Inc. He was a long-time member of the Citizen’s Advisory Committee to the Solid Waste Management Corporation. He served as an East Providence City Councilman-at-large and is past Chairman of the Boards of the East Providence Chamber of Commerce and the East Providence Public Libraries. A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, Wil is Past-President of the RISD Alumni Association. He resides in North Kingstown. Wil joined the Board in 2009 and sits on the Public Transportation Subcommittee.

Michael S. Hudner, Director Emeritus

Michael S. Hudner is a co-founder and has been CEO of the B & H Shipping Group since 1978. The Group has been involved in a myriad of shipowning and operating projects involving over 130 vessels. These have included offshore support vessels, dry bulk carriers, crude oil carriers, refined petroleum product carriers, and combination carriers (oil and dry bulk). He has been involved extensively in the financing activities of these projects, including the creation of three public shipowning companies, as well as in their investment activities and shipping operations. Michael is a member of the R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council, a Trustee of Mystic Seaport Museum, the Council of American Bureau of Shipping, and is a member of the New York Bar Association. He lives in Little Compton and was on the Board from 2003 to 2009.

Michael F. Ryan, Director Emeritus

Emeritus Michael F. Ryan is Vice President of Government Affairs for National Grid in Rhode Island. Mike joined the former Narragansett Electric Company in 1994. Prior to that, he served for eight years as the Rhode Island Director of the offices of United States Senator John H. Chafee. Mike spent almost ten years in the executive branch of Rhode Island state government – first as a Legislative Assistant to the Lieutenant Governor and later as Special Assistant and Press Secretary to Governor J. Joseph Garrahy. Mike served as a member of the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education from 1997 to 2011; was appointed vice chairman in 2003 and served until 2011. He is a member of the Rhode Island Commodores Board of Governors. Mike serves as chairman of Boy’s Town New England. He was appointed by Governor Lincoln Chafee to sit as a member of the Rhode Island Airport Corporation. He is the former chairman of Grow Smart Rhode Island and has served or does serve on the boards of several organizations including the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, Navigant Credit Union, Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council, Urban Collaborative and The Providence Journal Summertime Fund. Mike is also a member of the Providence College President’s Council and the Junior Achievement CEO Council. Mike is a 1974 graduate of Rhode Island College, a 1993 graduate of Leadership Rhode Island and was named to the Rhode Island College Alumni Honor Roll. In 2006, he was the recipient of the Alumni Service Award from Rhode Island College and in 2008, received an Honorary Degree – Doctorate of Humane Letters from the New England Institute of Technology. He resides in Little Compton. Mike served on the Board from 2001 to 2007 and was Chairman of the Board from 2002 to 2006.

Lucie G. Searle, Director Emeritus

Lucie Searle specialized in the re-development of historic properties and for the past 25 years has focused most of her efforts on downtown Providence. Through her work with AS220, a non-profit community arts organization and also the Providence Preservation Society, Lucie has been responsible for the adaptive re-use of several high profile downtown buildings. The Chair of the Providence Preservation Society’s Board of Directors, Lucie also serves on the boards of Farm Fresh Rhode Island and the Providence Revolving Fund. She received her B.A. from the University of Rhode Island and her M.A. from Tufts University. Born and raised on her family’s farm in Exeter, Lucie now resides in Providence. Lucie joined the Grow Smart Board in 2008. Most recently she participated in the Grow Smart led initiative to re-instate the State Historic Tax Credit program; and she also served on the 2013 Grow Smart Awards committee.

Deming E. Sherman, Esq., Director Emeritus

Deming Sherman is a partner at the law firm Locke Lord, LLP and has been with the firm for more than 45 years. He has extensive experience litigating business and environmental cases. Active in the arts and cultural community, Deming serves on the boards of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, First Works and the Providence Athenaeum. He is also active in several conservation organizations. He is Chairman of the Capital Center Commission. Deming received his B.A. from Amherst College and his J.D. from University of Chicago Law School. He resides in Providence. Deming served on the Board from 1998 as a founding member until 2013 and served as Chairman of the Board from 2006-2009.

Martha L. Werenfels, Director Emeritus

Martha Werenfels, AIA, LEED AP, is a principal at Durkee, Brown, Viveiros & Werenfels Architects, a 24-person firm in Providence, RI. Martha has extensive experience in a wide range of historic preservation projects, including restoration of national historic landmarks, rehabilitation of various building types, and compilation of preservation feasibility studies. She has been the principal architect for multi-phased restoration projects at the Rhode Island State House, the Newport Casino, the Cranston Street Armory and the Tabernacle on Martha’s Vineyard. Martha is a past president of AIA/Rhode Island and an advisor to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She also serves on the boards of the Historic Preservation Education Foundation, the Providence Preservation Society and the William Hall Free Library. Prior to joining DBVW, Martha worked for the National Park Service in Washington, DC, and served as the State Historical Architect for the RI Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Cornell University and a Master’s Degree in History from Brown University. Martha joined the Board in 2011. She lives in Cranston with her husband and two sons.

Edward Wood, Director Emeritus

Ed Wood retired as CEO of the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative at the end of 2011. While there, he oversaw the work of about 600 employees and volunteers in more than 30 countries, with a budget of $65-70 million annually. Previously, he was Chief Operating Officer of the Initiative, after first serving as volunteer leader of a Clinton Foundation team that produced a care and treatment plan for Tanzania to assist some 1.2 million HIV+ individuals over five years. Prior to his work with the Clinton Foundation, Ed had spent four years in semi-retirement as a writer, consultant and investment manager. Until 1999, when the company was sold, Ed was president and CEO of Coaxial Communications Inc. which operated cable television systems in Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia and Illinois. Prior to this, he was president of BDS Management Co. From 1983 to 1990, he was an international business strategy consultant with Telesis headquartered in Providence, RI. He also participated in industrial policy studies for the Province of Ontario and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. For most of the 1970s and the early 1980s, Ed was in Rhode Island state government serving for various periods as Deputy Administrator of the Public Utilities Division, Director of the Department of Transportation and Director of the Department of Environmental Management. In the early 1990s, he also served as Chief of Staff to the Governor of Rhode Island. Ed has an undergraduate degree in Political Science and an M.A. in Japanese Studies, both from the University of Michigan. He served as a Captain in the Marine Corps with service in Hawaii and Vietnam and later was a reporter and editor for the Associated Press and the Providence Journal. Ed is a director of the Nature Conservancy Rhode Island Chapter and the Hopkinton Land Trust. He is past chair of the Rhode Island Committee for the Humanities and was founder of the Wood Pawcatuck Watershed Association. He served as the elected town moderator for Hopkinton, RI, for more than 25 years. He is a trustee of the Brightman Hill Charitable Foundation, a family foundation he founded in 1999. He lives in Hope Valley. A founding member of the Board, Ed served from 1998 to 2006.

Board Members

Lloyd Albert

Lloyd P. Albert currently serves as Senior Vice President of Public / Government Affairs at AAA Northeast, an auto club serving over 5.7 million members in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey. Lloyd is a registered lobbyist who directs legislative and public policy activities for the motor club, and serves as its official spokesperson. Previously, he served as AAA’s Vice President of Branch Operations, overseeing the club’s 63 branch offices. He currently serves on AAA’s national Public Affairs Committee and Issues Subcommittee, both dealing with policy development for the 58 million-member federation, as well as numerous ad hoc work groups and task forces. Prior to joining AAA in 1995, Albert worked for Brooks Pharmacy as Assistant Vice President / Region Manager, where he directed store operations across an 8-state region in the northeast. Albert’s past and present civic activities include participation on the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation Funding, the Rhode Island Transportation Advisory Council, the American Highway Users Alliance Board, the Executive Committee of the Narragansett Council – Boy Scouts of America, the National Eagle Scout Committee, the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce Federal Affairs Committee and Chair of its Transportation Committee, the Board of Inspiring Minds, Chair of the MADD RI Board, the Board of the Providence Foundation, the RI Traffic Safety Coalition (co-chair) and the Bonnet Shores Community Council / Land Trust. Albert is a graduate of Leadership Rhode Island and is the recent recipient of a National Outstanding Eagle Award from the BSA and the 10th Annual Transportation Highway Safety Award from RIDOT. A native of Northern Maine and a graduate of Dartmouth College, Lloyd and his wife Jean make their home in Narragansett, RI

Daniel A. Baudouin

Dan Baudouin, AICP, is the recently retired Executive Director of The Providence Foundation. The not-for-profit Foundation, founded in 1974, serves as a private-sector voice in downtown economic development issues, monitors public policy, and initiates projects that have a positive impact on Providence’s downtown and the City. The Foundation is supported by 125 leading corporations and institutions. A graduate of Fordham University, where he majored in economics, Dan also holds a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from New York University. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, as well as a member of the International Downtown Association. He is a past president of the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Planning Association.
Dan has held numerous volunteer Board positions throughout his career. Currently, he is a member of the Providence Economic Development Partnership, Rhode Island’s Transportation Advisory Committee, and Rhode Island Community for Justice. He was selected to receive the 2006 Distinguished Leadership Award by the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Planning Association. In 2007, he was elected to the Hall of Fame of the Providence/Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau. Dan lives in Providence. He joined the Board in 2010 and was one of Grow Smart’s founders.

Samuel J. Bradner

Sam is a managing partner with Peregrine Group LLC, headquartered in Rumford, Rhode Island, with offices also located in Newport, Rhode Island and Boston, Massachusetts. As the managing partner for all third-party advisory services, Sam brings more than 25 years of land-use planning, development, policy and construction experience in both the public and private sectors. Peregrine provides turnkey real estate advisory services to public agencies, school districts, private developers and owners throughout southern New England and nationally.
Prior to Peregrine, Sam was a development director with a national development company specializing in historic tax credit and urban revitalization projects in seven cities throughout the United States. As development director, his responsibilities included managing and negotiating the commercial development process, including design, acquisition, scheduling, New Market and historic tax credit financing and implementation for redevelopment projects throughout the New England region. In addition, he facilitated new business opportunities and planning initiatives in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Sam graduated from The University of Rhode Island (Bachelor of Landscape Architecture) and The University of Maryland (Masters in Public Policy). He currently sits on the Board of Directors for GrowSmart RI, the Rhode Island Distributed Generation Board, Providence Foundation and the Oliver Hazard Perry Rhode Island and is a 2018 graduate of Leadership Rhode Island.

Kenneth R. Burnett

Ken Burnett, Senior Vice President/Assistant Manager of Commercial Lending for BankNewport, has more than 19 years of commercial lending experience. He is a member of the Providence Chamber of Commerce and serves as the president of Grace Church Apartments. Providence Business News recently selected Ken as one of the “40 under 40.” Ken graduated from Bryant University with a BA in accounting. He resides in Scituate. Ken joined the Board in 2006.

John Chambers

John Chambers directs Fuss & O’Neill’s Brownfield and Urban Redevelopment team in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The multidisciplinary team includes environmental assessment, remediation, and site design engineers and scientists specializing in productive property re-use, site design and assessment and remediation. During his career John has completed a wide range of environmental assessment and remediation, water resource planning and development, and site redevelopment projects. John has extensive experience in brownfield and urban redevelopment, funding acquisition, development financing strategies, and multidisciplinary permitting and regulatory solutions. He has led many public outreach efforts and is a state leader in environmental justice regulation and policy. John graduated from Tufts University with a BS in Geology and received his Masters in Civil Engineering from Washington State University. He lives in Woodstock Valley, Connecticut. John joined the Board in 2012.

Gilbert “Gib” Conover, Jr.

An electrical engineer, inventor and entrepreneur, Gib Conover has devoted his career to the development of startup companies dedicated to the design, manufacture and distribution of medical, industrial, and consumer electronics products. He currently serves as President and COO of Ultradian Diagnostics, an early stage medical device company whose mission is the development of advanced, continuous, wireless biosensors for on-patient monitoring and management of chronic illnesses. For more than 20 years, as co-founder and later President of Goldline Controls, Inc. (originally Independent Energy, Inc.), Gib led the company from initial product concept through design, development and marketing of electronic controls for the solar energy and swimming pool markets. The company’s products eliminated the need for chlorination chemicals and constant maintenance, through the use of a breakthrough technology that generated chlorine from small amounts of salt in pool water. In 2004, Goldline was acquired by Hayward Pool Products, and Gib continued to manage the operation until 2006. Gib has also been a partner and investor in companies that developed desktop blood analyzers for use in physicians’ offices and targeted coupon dispensing kiosks at retail locations. Gib is a graduate of Brown University with a BS in electrical engineering. He lives in Providence and now focuses his time and energies on angel investing, philanthropy, and cycling. Gib joined the Board in 2011.

Trudy Coxe

Trudy Coxe has led the Preservation Society of Newport County as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director since late 1998. Prior to assuming that position, she served as Massachusetts Secretary of Environmental Affairs for five years, Director of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for 2 years, and as Executive Director of Save The Bay for 11 years. Trudy sits on the boards of the Rhode Island Commodores, the Metcalf Institute for Marine & Environmental Reporting, and the Community College of Rhode Island. She also serves on the Advisory Board of the Conservation Law Foundation/Rhode Island, is an Incorporator of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, BankNewport and the Newport Health Care Corporation. She has received honorary degrees from Roger Williams University, the University of Rhode Island, and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Trudy graduated from Beaver College (now Arcadia University). She lives in Cranston. Trudy joined the Board in 1999 and serves on the Nominating Committee and the Executive Committee.

Michael A. DeCataldo

Michael A. DeCataldo is the former managing partner at Sansiveri, Kimball & Co., L.L.P. and the former managing member of SK Wealth Management, L.L.C., the firm’s fee-only financial planning arm. Michael retired from active practice in December, 2018. When practicing, Michael specialized in advising clients in the areas of tax, accounting and financial planning. As the managing member of SK Wealth Management, Michael provided comprehensive financial planning and investment advisory services. Michael is a life-time member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Rhode Island Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Rhode Island Society of Certified Financial Planners. In April of 2010, Michael received the Mission Award from the RI Society of Certified Public Accountants – an award that recognizes outstanding leadership within the Society, the accounting profession and/or the greater community. Michael serves on the board of Grow Smart RI, is a member of the Bristol County Savings Bank advisory committee and the Saint Robert Bellarmine finance committee.

James Diossa

James Diossa is a senior advisor at The Brown University Policy Lab where he provides advice on The Lab’s engagement with state and local government partners, helps to identify emerging priorities, and develops new projects. Prior to joining The Policy Lab, James served two terms as Mayor of the City of Central Falls, Rhode Island. Upon taking office in 2012, James became the youngest mayor in the state’s history and the city’s first Latino mayor. Assuming leadership of a postindustrial urban city in the midst of municipal bankruptcy proceedings, he developed strategic partnerships, stabilized the city’s finances, and raised its long-term bond rating to investment grade. He also secured millions of dollars in federal, foundation, and private sector funding to improve the city’s quality of life and infrastructure. Most recently, James led efforts to partner with the neighboring city of Pawtucket to create a unified response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which included organizing a volunteer corps and engaging the former head of the Rhode Island Department of Health to serve as the city’s Chief Health Strategist. James previously served on the Central Falls City Council, where he organized citywide efforts to save the city’s only library and prevent the closure of the city’s only post office. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Becker College. Born and raised in Central Falls, Rhode Island, James is the proud son of Colombian immigrants and a lifelong soccer enthusiast.

Dennis L. DiPrete

Dennis DiPrete practices civil and environmental engineering in RI, MA and CT. He is the principal of a 45 person engineering firm with offices in Cranston, RI; Newport, RI; and Dedham, MA. His engineering and site design credentials include over 25 years of extensive land planning and environmental engineering relating to all types of public and private land development DiPrete Engineering is actively working on mixed use, Neo-traditional neighborhoods, and other Smart Growth developments as well as conventional land use design. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in RI, CT, and MA and a graduate of Merrimack College in North Andover, MA. Dennis serves on the Board of Directors of Ocean Tides School, Board of Directors of the RI Association of Home Builders, and is actively involved in fundraising activities for the MS Society. He lives in Narragansett. Dennis joined the Grow Smart RI Board in 2006 and sits on the Executive and Development Committees.  He was elected Secretary in May of 2016.

David Easterbrooks

David Easterbrooks has served as Pare Corporation’s Director of Marketing since 1998. He is a Certified Professional Services Marketer with more than 30 years of experience in the field of marketing and business development for engineering and architectural firms. Prior to entering the marketing/business development field, he was a high school English teacher, drafting instructor, and work for several years as a designer, draftsman, and land surveyor with a Rhode Island civil engineering firm. As Director of Marketing and Business Development at Pare, he is responsible for coordinating the firm’s strategic and marketing planning, overseeing the development of proposals and marketing collateral materials, directing the firm’s promotional activities, managing the firm’s marketing staff, and developing new business opportunities for the firm. David is a fellow with the Society for Marketing Professional Services and a certified professional services marketer with The Society for Marketing Professional Services.

Mary K. Ettinger

Mary Ettinger serves as Senior Vice President, Senior Business Lender for Bank Rhode Island. Ettinger is responsible for developing new commercial real estate relationships and arranging financial solutions for the construction, purchasing, and refinancing of investment real estate projects. She also manages a portfolio of established commercial real estate clients, working closely with developers, investors, and local businesses to meet their financial needs. In addition to her work at BankRI, Mary serves as a board member for Mystic Branch of the Ocean Community YMCA. Mary holds a B.A degree in Business Administration from Flagler College in Florida and resides in Mystic, Connecticut.

Maia Farish

Maia Farish moved to Rhode Island in 2011 when her late husband Donald J. Farish became the 10th president of Roger Williams University. She immediately entered Rhode Island’s preservation-nonprofit and community-advocacy orbit and currently serves as a Board member for Grow Smart Rhode Island, The Public’s Radio, the Providence Public Library and also serves on the Advisory Board of the Providence Preservation Society. She previously served on the boards of Preserve Rhode Island, the Newport Restoration Foundation, Old Slater Mill Association and the Herreshoff Marine Museum. Maia brings a broad range of professional and nonprofit board experience to her community work in Rhode Island. Prior to moving to Rhode Island, Maia served in leadership roles on the board of the New Jersey Historic Trust. Between 1996 and 2005, she held positions as the Executive Director of the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach, Director of Community Relations for Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, and Executive Director of the Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce. She was a founding trustee of the Nantucket Sustainable Development Corporation. She also worked for more than two decades in public relations, marketing and development in the higher education, healthcare, and arts/cultural-nonprofit sectors. Maia joined the Grow Smart Board in 2013. She has lived Providence since 2018.

Eugenio Fernandez, Jr.

Eugenio Fernandez Jr. Is the founder of Asthenis, a public health organization with a pharmacy located in the affordable housing complex of Wiggin Village, near the low-income Providence neighborhood where he grew up. In July of 2018, Asthenis opened as the only pharmacy in the state of Rhode Island owned by a person of color. During the earlier stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Asthenis was one of the first organizations to provide access to COVID-19 rapid testing in Providence. In late 2020, Eugenio designed, led, and operated an innovative model for COVID-19 vaccination delivery. In partnership with city Mayors, Asthenis delivered COVID-19 vaccination clinics to our state’s hardest hit communities efficiently and safely. Eugenio attended Classical High School, completed his undergraduate studies as a quadruple degree major at the University of Rhode Island, and holds a graduate degree in public health from Harvard University.

Glenn Gardiner, AIA, LEED AP

Glenn Gardiner is a principal and founder of Northeast Collaborative Architects (NCA). The Newport-based firm provides architecture, master planning and sustainable design services. Their work encompasses new construction, renovations, restorations and adaptive reuse projects. The firm specializes in historic architecture and serves clients in the municipal, cultural, hospitality, education and residential sectors. Glenn himself has more than 30 years of experience and specializes in sustainable design for education, transportation, institutional and residential clients. He has designed over 15 learning environments in Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts and developed master plans and multiple academic buildings for five school campuses. Recently he teamed with Providence Green Airport on their new Interlink transportation hub. Glenn is a past chairman of the Board of registration and examination of Architects for the State of Rhode Island, a member of the NCARB Exam Writing Committee for the A.R.E. Exam, and an Adjunct Professor of Architecture at Roger Williams University. Glenn earned a B.S. in Architecture from the University of Illinois and an M. Arch from Miami University. He lives in Newport. Glenn joined the Board in 2015.

Brian Goldberg

Brian Goldberg is an architect and strategic advisor working primarily with social enterprises and non-profit organizations. From 2002-2017 he served in a number of roles at Rhode Island School of Design including Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, Dean of Graduate Studies, and Senior Critic in the Department of Architecture. Before coming to RISD Goldberg taught in the Department of Modern Culture and Media at Brown University and was a Senior Research Analyst in their Scholarly Technology Group. Previously he co-founded and directed several non- and for-profit organizations, including the experimental media distribution company Drift Distribution and the interaction design company Avalanche Systems. His creative work includes films, video, photography, installation, and architecture. He has served on numerous non-profit governing and advisory boards involved with the arts, education, food systems, and public health. Goldberg holds a Master of Architecture from Rhode Island School of Design, a BA in Visual Art and Semiotics from Brown University, and was a student at the Whitney Museum of American Art Independent Study Program. He joined the Board in 2017.

Karen Grande

Karen Grande is a partner at the law firm of Locke Lord LLP. For more than 30 years, Karen has served as bond counsel to cities and towns as well as to many state, regional and municipal agencies which finance public projects including school projects, health care and higher education facilities, public water supply and wastewater projects, recreational facilities and economic development projects. Karen has served as bond counsel on various redevelopment bonds and tax increment financings and has done a significant amount of legislative drafting. She has developed experience relating to finances of distressed communities, and served as counsel to the State in connection with the Chapter 9 Bankruptcy of the City of Central Falls. She has been a frequent speaker and writer on public finance subjects. Karen is a Regular Fellow of the American College of Bond Counsel and a Fellow of the Rhode Island Bar Foundation. She has been named the Best Lawyers’ 2015 Providence Public Finance “Lawyer of the Year.” She has also been listed in both The Best Lawyers in America in the area of Public Finance Law as well as a Rhode Island Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters. She has an AV (Preeminent) Rating from Martindale Hubbell. Karen also serves on the Boards of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School and the Greenwood Credit Union and has served as an Elder at the Greenwood Community Church, Presbyterian. Karen holds a JD from Suffolk University Law School and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Music from Syracuse University where she studied voice. She has recently become a certified SCUBA diver.

 Dr. William H. Hollinshead

William Hollinshead is a pediatrician, epidemiologist, and long time Medical Director/Chief of Family Health policy and programs in the Rhode Island Department of Health, retiring in 2008. He is an Assistant Professor in the Brown Departments of Pediatrics and Epidemiology. Dr. Hollinshead has talked and written on a variety of topics, including uses of public health information for policy leadership, impacts of local socio-environmental forces on children’s development, and building community opportunities for youth success. Dr. Hollinshead has been active in leadership of the Assocation of Maternal and Child Health Programs, the National Commission to Prevent Infant Mortality, the National Academy for State Health Policy, and other national organizations. Recently, he’s been President of the RI Chapter of the AAP and involved with RI Kids Count, Reach Out and Read, RI Healthy Mothers Health Babies Coalition, the RI Parent Information Network, Successful State, the Brown ReadyRI Initiative, and other local groups addressing children’s healthy development. Dr. Hollinshead has trained at Princeton, the University of Minnesota, Rochester, and Harvard. He currently resides in Rehoboth, and joined the Board in 2017.

Jason E. Kelly

Jason Kelly is the Executive Vice President/Chief Information Officer for Moran Shipping. Founded in Rhode Island, Moran is the largest independent steamship agency in the United States. Under his direction Moran Shipping has become a leader in the management of marine information systems. As Executive Vice President, Jason led the company’s decision to maintain and expand operations in Rhode Island and to rehabilitate the former Rhode Island Medical Society Building in Providence as Moran’s new corporate headquarters. A Historic Preservation Tax Credit project, the property is rehabbed to LEED standards and incorporates the first geothermal heating and cooling system in downtown Providence. In 2013, Governor Chafee appointed Jason to the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation Board. He also serves as a trustee of The Providence Foundation and on the Providence Harbor Commission. Prior to joining Moran, Jason lived in Puerto Rico, working for the Puerto Rican government in various positions related to investment promotion, international trade and finance. Jason graduated from the Boston College Carroll School of Management. He resides in Providence. Jason joined the Board in 2009 and sits on the Executive Committee and the Development Committee.

Xay Khamsyvoravong

Xay Khamsyvoravong is from Providence, Rhode Island. He serves as the Chairman of Providence Water – one of the largest water utilities in the Northeast – and is a member of the City of Cranston’s Investment Commission. At Providence Water Xay has led initiatives around water quality, workforce diversity, cyber security, and sustainability – including renewable energy projects that made the utility one of the first in the region to be entirely powered by renewable energy. He is also a member of the board of directors for Grow Smart Rhode Island, a 501(c)3 focused on sustainable planning and development. Xay is a sought after public finance expert, having worked as a municipal advisor, banker, issuer and investor. Over the course of his career Xay has executed hundreds of infrastructure financings across the country, for projects ranging from public transit systems to water utilities. Xay began his career in the public sector, as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Rhode Island General Treasurer, serving as a senior advisor to the Treasurer throughout the 2008 market meltdown. Xay has been named one of Providence Monthly’s Top 10 to Watch and Providence Business News’ 40 under 40. He is a double graduate of Brown University earning a BA in International Relations as well as a Masters in Public Affairs. He also holds a Juris Doctor from Roger Williams University School of Law, where he graduated magna cum laude, ranking in the top ten of his class and publishing the Law Review’s then top ranked article, “Asset Transfers: Rebalancing Rhode Island’s Balance Sheet.”

Howard M. Kilguss

Howard Kilguss is Chairman and partner of Acqualine LLC, an acquaculture company.  He was formerly the President and CEO of EXCELL Manufacturing Company. Howard’s election to the Grow Smart Board Chairmanship is the latest in a series of community leadership positions including memberships on the boards of Save The Bay, the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council and the Rehoboth Land Trust. He also serves on the Governance Studies Advisory Board for the Washington, DC-based Brookings Institution and was a New England Advisory Council member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Howard received his B.A. from Boston University in 1967. An amateur rowing enthusiast, he won the Canadian Championship and earned a silver medal in the U.S. National Championships. He lives in Rehoboth, Mass. Howard joined the Board in 2000 and was elected Chairman in May, 2009.

Marcus Mitchell

Marcus Mitchell is the owner and principal executive of Shere Strategy Enterprises, a boutique strategic solutions company. With more than 25 years of experience managing a diverse array of organizations, groups, projects and initiatives, he has expertise in a mediation, diversity training, conflict resolution, crisis management, community and economic development policy, and corporate strategy development. He previously served as an AARP Executive Council member and as President of Fellowship Farm, an historic international human relations training facility. He is the Founding President of Providence Community Library and once served as Director of Community & Economic Development with the United States Senate. Mitchell is author of the book, “Leadership Secrets: Right in the Heart”; co-author of more than 15 scientific research publications, a joint recipient of the Queen’s Award for Scientific Innovation; and is an editor of the book, “Biotechnology: Business, Regulation & Law.” He is also US Coast Guard AUX Division Commander.

Maureen Moakley

Maureen Moakley is a Professor Emeritus of Political Science specializing in American Government, Rhode Island Politics and Media and Politics. She writes extensively on state politics; her books include The Political Life of the American States, Party Alignment and State Politics, and Rhode Island Politics and Government with Elmer Cornwell. Her current research focus is on the question of statehood for Puerto Rico. In addition to her academic work, she does regular political commentary on state politics on Rhode Island PBS and Rhode Island NPR.

Leslie Moore

Leslie Moore is a full-time urban missionary who moonlights as a social entrepreneur, real estate investor and non-profit consultant devoted to caring for and bringing hope to members of communities who experience significant challenge, oppression, poverty and isolation. Leslie worked for 16 years as a senior staff member at the Boston nonprofit College Bound Dorchester, helping to support its transition from a broadly focused network of community centers to one that focused solely on the most off track, gang and court involved young people. Leslie built the organization’s social and emotional department to support the non-academic needs of the young adults. Recognizing that a significant number of their constituents were homeless and without positive support networks, Leslie spearheaded a network of houses and individuals who support adults in transition which has now expanded from the Greater Boston area into Rhode Island. Known as “Traction,” it is a ministry of Central Square Church in Cambridge. Today, Leslie focuses her real estate investments in the Central Falls – Pawtucket area of Rhode Island where she works to develop an urban loop of family-friendly establishments built and operated by many who have found themselves on the margins of society.

Jay O’Grady

Jeremiah T. O’Grady (D) represents District 46 in Lincoln and Pawtucket. He was first elected in November 2010. A Deputy Majority Leader, Representative O’Grady serves as the second vice-chairman of the House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources and is a member of both the House Committee on Corporations and the House Committee on Judiciary. He previously served on the Lincoln Town Council as vice president from 2005 to 2007 and president from 2007 to 2009. He was also Town Moderator in 2010 and also served on the town Budget Board. He was the sponsor of a 2016 law that paved the way for nonprofit organizations to purchase foreclosed homes in Rhode Island and sell them back to the foreclosed-upon homeowners with mortgages they can afford. In 2015, he led the Special Legislative Commission to Study and Assess Rhode Island’s “Fair Funding Formula,” which studied the state’s education aid formula as it impacts public school districts and charter schools. In 2012, he sponsored legislation which was enacted as part of the budget to restore nearly $10 million in previous cuts to the developmentally disabled community. More recently, he sponsored the Student Journalists’ Freedom of Expression Act, enacted in 2017. Rep. O’Grady is a program officer at Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), an organization dedicated to revitalizing communities. He previously served as a director at ONE Neighborhood Builders, formerly Olneyville Housing Corporation, and is a past director of Benchmark Human Resources. He is a volunteer coach for the North Stars Special Olympics team. Rep. O’Grady earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Vermont in 1997 and a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Rhode Island in 2009. He was born on June 30, 1970. He is married to Elizabeth (Crohan) and they have two children, Anna and Declan.

Donald W. Powers

Donald W. Powers has over 23 years of experience in all aspects of architectural practice including urban and town planning, multi-family housing, commercial and institutional buildings, adaptive re-use and single-family residences. In recent years he has concentrated on integrated, mixed-use planning and architectural design with the goal of creating truly diverse and vibrant neighborhoods. Through a 13 year association with the Congress for the New Urbanism and frequent collaboration with some of the best firms in the country doing traditional urban design (including the noted firm of Duany Plater Zyberk), Don has developed an expertise in the technique and art of creating livable communities and cherished places. Before forming Union Studio Architecture & Community Design (formerly Donald Powers Architects) in 2000, Donald worked with several internationally recognized architects and planners including Cooper Robertson + Partners of New York City and Kyu Sung Woo, Architect of Cambridge, MA. For seven years, he worked as a lead designer with Graham Gund Architects of Cambridge, Massachusetts, before relocating to RI. Donald received his B.S. in Architecture from University of Virginia in 1988, where he was awarded the annual Design Prize, and received his Masters in Architecture from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design in 1992. He holds professional licenses in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont and New York. Donald is an active member of the Congress for the New Urbanism and has a single minded vision to restore communities and save the world from sprawl. Donald resides in Providence. He joined the Board in 2011.

Justin Savage

Justin Savage is the Founder and CEO of EveryBill. EveryBill provides enterprise-class web-based applications and payment-collection platforms to businesses that collect, process, and settle electronic payments and deposits through automatic and manual means. Justin founded EveryBill upon graduating from college and grew the company to its present size by delivering a high level of service and a technically superior product. Justin is a graduate of the 2016 Leadership RI Class. He graduated from the University of Chicago with a B.A. in Sociology.

Pamela M. Sherrill

Pamela Sherrill, AICP, is the executive director of the East Providence Waterfront District Commission, a quasi-state organization with a mission to transform 300 acres of the formerly industrial waterfront through a streamlined regulatory process which facilitates environmental improvements, public access, economic development, and positive fiscal impact while encouraging mixed use, a quality product and community sensitivity.  From 2010 to 2018 she was a principal of Pamela M. Sherrill Planning, LLC, where she provided transportation and municipal planning expertise. She served as the Town Planner and Administrative Officer for the Town of Johnston from 2010-2014. Prior to working for Johnston, she was principal planner for municipal and multi-modal transportation projects for the Pare Corporation, located in Lincoln, Rhode Island. She has over 30 years experience linking land use and transportation planning, combining her community perspective with multimodal transportation planning. She was inaugural president of WTS-Rhode Island, the local chapter of the Women’s Transportation Seminar. Pam holds a B.S. in Environmental Design from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She resides in East Providence. Pam joined the Board in 2006 and is a trainer in Grow Smart’s Training Collaborative for Conducting Effective Land Use Reviews.

Julia Anne M. Slom

Julia Anne leads Washington Trust’s Commercial Real Estate Group, whose team focus is developing commercial real estate loan business. She is responsible for a large commercial portfolio and a team of seven lending officers. Julia Anne joined the Bank in 1994 and has extensive experience in real estate and commercial lending and banking. Julia Anne serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ocean State. She is the Finance Committee Chairman of Christ the King Parish and a member of Parish Council. Additionally, she is an alumni class officer for Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut, and is a member of the advisory board of LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation) and its related credit committee. Julia Anne received a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Connecticut College, and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in finance from the University of Rhode Island. She is a member of The Providence Foundation, REFA (Real Estate Finance Association) and is a member of their board of directors. Her other affiliations include NAIOP (National Association of Industrial and Office Properties), and the Risk Management Association (RMA). She is a 2004 graduate of Leadership RI. Julia Anne joined the Board in 2011. She lives in Charlestown.

Joseph T. Wanat

Joe Wanat is the Managing Director of VHB’s Providence office, where he oversees the operations of a team of transportation, land development, and environmental professionals. His primary areas of expertise include traffic engineering, safety, design, planning, permitting, and project management. Current and former projects that Joe has worked on include serving as an On-Call Traffic Design Consultant for RIDOT, making Green Infrastructure Improvements to Thames Street and Spring Street in Newport, overseeing Brown University’s Institutional Master Plan, and serving as the Multimodal Planning Lead to develop the Warwick Station Development District Guidelines.
Joe is involved in several civic and community organizations. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure. He is also on the Board of the City of Worcester Zoning Board of Appeals. Joe received his BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Massachusetts and his MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of California. He joined the Board in 2017.

George W. Watson III

George Watson is Counsel with the law firm Robinson & Cole.  He is a member of the firm’s Environmental + Utilities Group, where his practice is focused on siting and permitting energy, utility, and other infrastructure projects. His work regularly involves the range and intersect of environmental, real estate, and land use concerns. His practice also includes the negotiation of environmental land use restrictions, representing clients in the acquisition, development, and disposition of commercial real property, and telecommunication facility siting and leasing matters. He earned his JD from Northeastern University School of Law and a B.A in Sociology and Political Science form Williams College. George joined the Grow Smart RI Board in 2016.

Nancy Parker Wilson

Nancy Parker Wilson has been General Manager of Greenvale Vineyards since she, her husband William, and parents started the winery operation in 1992. The original 52 acre Greenvale Farm has been in Nancy’s family since 1863 and is listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. The restored stable turned tasting room has about 15,000 visitors per year after restoration 18 years ago. Previously, Nancy has served as Director of Public Information for the Stone Zoo and Franklin Park Zoo, both in the Boston area. Nancy started her own community relations company which included clients like the Boston GreenSpace Alliance. Nancy is currently on the RI State Conservation Committee, Board of the Eastern Rhode Island Conservation Committee, and the Portsmouth Agricultural Committee. She is also on the boards of Discover Newport, the Portsmouth Free Library, and the Portsmouth Arts Guild, and serves as Secretary for the Newport Historical Society. Nancy graduated from Wesleyan University and joined the GrowSmart RI Board in 2017.