During the Select Board meetings on July 15 and Aug. 12, the board appointed seven new members to town committees.
“We are so fortunate to have so many people with such distinguished backgrounds,” said Kara Minar, Select Board chair, during the Aug. 12 meeting.
The first appointment occurred July 15, in which Aaron Nutt was appointed to the Community Preservation Committee. Working full time in corporate strategy at Dell Technologies, Nutt said he is excited to contribute more to the town and community, as he said he believes the CPC is integral to what “makes Harvard Harvard.”
Minar jokingly called Nutt and his wife the “volunteer family of the year” after Nutt said his wife, Amy Nutt, is president of the PTO, member of the Commission on Disabilities, and former president of the Harvard Family Association.
The remaining six appointments occurred in the Aug. 12 meeting. Two new members, Elizabeth Fesl and Heidi Gómez, were appointed to the Commission on Disabilities. Fesl, principal toxicologist at Johnson & Johnson MedTech, wrote in her application that having both physical and mental disabilities gives her a perspective on how difficult navigating the world with disabilities can be. Through the commission, Fesl wrote that she believes she can make Harvard a more equitable and enjoyable place for everyone.
Gómez, a former psychologist in both public schools and clinical settings, wrote in her application that through her work with assessing special needs and recommending accommodations to help students better access the curriculum and participate in school activities, she has become familiar with a range of disabilities people can have. She also wrote that she is a wheelchair user, which provides her with a perspective on being a person with mobility challenges. (Gómez is also a contributor to The Harvard Press.)
Victoria Mead, retiree, was appointed to the Council on Aging. COA Chair Margaret Murphy introduced Mead with a thoughtful speech in which she invited the Select Board to join her in a short exercise of imagining yourself nervously entering the Harvard Senior Center.
“You enter and are waved a welcome from the person behind the desk,” Murphy said. “‘How can I help you? We haven’t met yet, but this is going to be a great day here.’… This beacon of welcome is Vicki Mead, a volunteer at the front desk.”
Mead wrote in her application that she doubled the number of people whom she knows in town through the COA and has gotten to work alongside extraordinary volunteers and employees.
Another new appointment was Paul Robertson, an attorney with more than 30 years of experience, to the Planning Board. In his application, Robertson wrote that he is familiar with Massachusetts zoning statutes and common law and has served for nonprofit boards in the past. Most notably, Robertson wrote that he has founded, and has headed for 15 years, the Friends of Lynn and Nahant Beach nonprofit organization, in which he has advocated for the preservation, care, and best use of coastal areas on the North Shore.
Jeff Tingle, who studied geology, chemistry, and public health, was appointed to the Sewer and Water Commissions. In his application, Tingle wrote that while he is “retired depending on the day,” he is also exploring creating a startup focused on decision support with forecasting in wastewater pathogen, hospital admissions, testing outcomes, and more. He also wrote that he has a vested interest in what happens to water and sewage in the town, as he lives at the intersection where a proposed waterline would come through. However, he said he will not limit himself to his own perspective, but look out for the best of the whole community.
Lastly, Meagan Riley, a biologist for NOAA Fisheries, was appointed to the Conservation Commission. She wrote in her application that in her current work, she coordinated with federal and state agencies to ensure regulatory compliance with the Endangered Species Act and to implement measures to avoid, minimize, or offset impacts. Riley said she has an overall love for conservation.
Alongside the seven new appointments, the Select Board appointed Eve Wittenberg as the Select Board representative to the Municipal Affordable Housing Trust and the Open Space Committee, and they appointed Brian Killeen as the School Committee representative for the Open Space Committee.
Furthermore, the board made a few adjustments to their annual appointments, changing Mike Ewing’s status to a full member as the Conservation Commission representative on the Historical Commission, rather than an alternate, and correcting Mario Cardenas’ status to a full member on the Harvard Climate Initiative Committee rather than an associate. Executive Assistant Julie Doucet said the board members are making sure they “cross their t’s and dot their i’s.”
Throughout the meeting on Aug. 12, Minar emphasized the board’s gratitude for all of their volunteers and everyone who spreads the work and encourages other town members to step up.
“I met a longtime resident who said that it’s sort of part of the package to volunteer on a committee,” Gómez said.
Marley Smith is a student intern at the Press. She attends Northwestern University.
