The Great Bay Stewards Board of Trustees at the February board meeting nominated three new members of the community to its board, all of whom bring a wealth of experience in communications and non-profit work, as well as passion for protecting Great Bay.
Newmarket, N.H. resident Lela Love began her involvement with GBNEER as an education volunteer with the Great Bay Estuarine Research Reserve, where fellow board trustee and volunteer Joe Stieglitz recruited her to consider joining the board. Love is a former Professor of Law at the Cardoza School of Law in New York and was also the Director of the Kukin Program for Conflict management. She previously served on the board of a non-profit marine research facility in Florida, and in her role as chair managed the major challenges facing non-profit research institutes. Her home in Newmarket borders the Bay, giving her a deep appreciation for the beauty and importance of the estuary.
“Lela’s experience will bring another important voice to the GBS Board as we continue to grow and support the Research Reserve,” says Peter Kinner, Stewards Governance Committee chair.
Karen Benedetti is a seasoned marketing and communications strategist with more than 25 years of experience in both the nonprofit and corporate sectors. A resident of Dover, N.H., she has led award-winning campaigns for regional initiatives and brings expertise in community engagement, brand development, and strategic planning. Benedetti has been actively involved in non-profit boards including the Great Bay Figure Skating Club and the New Hampshire Military Assistance Foundation. Most recently, she has been working with a start-up firm developing whale detection and deterrence technology, establishinga marketing strategy and outreach program to help the firm take their technology to the marketplace.
“Karen’s commitment to mission-driven work will help advance the Stewards’ outreach and development efforts,” says Kinner.
Stratham, N.H.-resident Howard Altschiller is the top news executive for publisher of two of the fastest growing websites in Gannett’s USA Today Network: Seacoastonline and Fosters.com. Seacoast Media Group also publishes two daily newspapers, Portsmouth Herald and Foster’s Daily Democrat. He is the immediate past president of New Hampshire Press Association, and co-chair of New Hampshire Committee on the Judiciary and the Media.
Altschiller has years of experience with government and business leaders throughout the Seacoast, including Maine. “Howard’s experience will be helpful to the Stewards as we expand our outreach to communities and organizations in the area,” Kinner says. “As a longtime resident of the Seacoast Howard is also familiar with the value of Great Bay and the issues threatening the estuary.”