MEET YOUR TEAM
ACT Staff
Rosalind Page
Executive Director
Rosalind works part-time both remotely and in the office. You can reach her at: [email protected]
Rosalind is a 9-year veteran of the ACT board and served as the Board Chair for 6 of those years before her term ended in 2018. Beginning in 2020 she served as the Interim Executive director for two years, followed by two years as a Conservation Projects Manager. Rosalind and her husband Tom also have special ties to ACT as conservation landowners since 2005, finishing a project started by the previous owner.
Rosalind brings a deep understanding of both the conservation work as well as the needs of our communities. She has 40 years of surveying experience and ran her surveying company for 25 of those years. Rosalind's connection to our region is deep and based in her ability to listen so that even the smallest of voices are heard. Her work to advocate for the good of the whole in these roles ties back wonderfully to the conservation and community vitality work that are the cornerstone of ACT’s mission.
Sheelagh Higginson
operations & compliance manager
Sheelagh is in the office full-time, and you can reach her at: [email protected]
Sheelagh came to the US from her native England in the early 1990’s to work at a summer camp based in Connecticut. It was while working there that she met her husband, Paul. After 12-years of coordinating the camp’s Wilderness Challenge program and managing the office, Sheelagh & Paul moved to Bethlehem, NH where they built their house and immersed themselves in the local community. Sheelagh is happiest when on an outdoor adventure be it paddleboarding, open water swimming, canoeing, hiking, snowshoeing or skiing.
Sheelagh has worked in both the non-profit and private sectors in a variety of administrative roles.
RICK WALLING
Conservation Projects Manager
Rick works remotely part-time, and you can reach him at: [email protected]
A former ACT trustee, Rick and his wife Camille own historic farmland along the Connecticut River in Bath. Since moving to the area in 1998, Rick has served on a number of committees and boards for the Town of Bath and the surrounding area. Rick is active with the Ammonoosuc River Local River Advisory Committee and the Connecticut River Joint Commissions.
Rick holds bachelors and masters degrees in anthropology from Memphis State University. While he now operates a cabinetry shop and carpentry business based in one of his farm buildings, most of his professional life was spent in the field of cultural resources management (primarily review and compliance archeology) within university, state, and private sectors. Rick is now working with ACT on land protection projects.
Jesse Mohr
Conservation Ecologist & Land Manager
Jesse works remotely part-time, and you can reach him at: [email protected]
As an ecologist, biologist, forester, conservation planner, and educator at the collegiate and high school levels, Jesse has worked and studied at the nexus of humans, nature, and conservation for over 15 years. As a practitioner and academic, Jesse has sought approaches and solutions that balance the needs of wildlife and ecosystems with healthy human communities. Jesse holds an M.S. in Natural Resources from the University of Vermont and a B.S. in Forest Ecology from the Evergreen State College.
Jesse grew up on a farm in upstate New York. After managing the farm for a few years, Jesse moved to Washington State and pursued a Bachelor’s of Science in Forest Ecology from the Evergreen State College. After graduating from Evergreen, he served as the college’s first forest manager and restoration coordinator, helping to balance and restore the diverse academic, recreational, and educational values of the schools’ 1800-acre forest and preserve. During his time in Washington, Jesse also supervised a Washington Conservation Corps Crew that worked on trail projects deep in the backcountry of Rainer and Olympic National Parks and the region’s many National Forests.
Jesse returned to New England for graduate school. He received his Master of Science in Natural Resources from the University of Vermont in 2006. While in graduate school, he founded Native Geographic, LLC. After graduate school, Jesse balanced his time between Native Geographic, LLC and teaching undergraduate and graduate classes in natural resource inventory and analysis at the University of Vermont. From 2010-2015, Jesse served as the part-time Executive Director of the Upper Valley Stewardship Center, a non-profit landowner collaborative dedicated to sustainable land management and advancing stewardship and outdoor education in the upper valley region of Vermont and New Hampshire.
Jesse is a Certified Wildlife Biologist with the Wildlife Society, a Certified Forester with the Society for American Foresters, a licensed New Hampshire Forester, and a Technical Service Provider with the Natural Resource Conservation Services.
Conor McCourt
Stewardship and Trails Manager
Conor works full-time both remotely and in the office and you can reach him at: [email protected]
Conor grew up in Colchester, Connecticut, where he spent his free time developing his love for the outdoors by fishing, trail running, mountain biking, and exploring one of his favorite places, Salmon River State Forest. He graduated from Bacon Academy in Colchester, CT where he played lacrosse, ran cross country, and played trombone in an award-winning jazz band, before attending the University of Vermont to study Forestry and Parks, Recreation and Tourism at the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources. While at UVM, Conor spent his time out of class working at a local Burlington bagel shop, participating in the UVM Timbersports Team, skiing at Sugarbush and Smuggler’s Notch Ski Resorts, and exploring nearby swimming holes in the summertime. He also worked for the State of Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation as a trail crew member where he developed a passion for building and maintaining trails.
Conor graduated from the University of Vermont in 2023 with a B.S. in Forestry and a minor in Parks, Recreation and Tourism, specializing in sustainable forest recreation management. He started working for ACT in June of 2023 as a part-time Trails Manager and is now a full-time Trails Manager and Conservation Projects Assistant. Conor lives in Franconia and loves being in close proximity to Cannon Mountain, where he tries to ski as often as he can! He has deep family ties to northwestern Maine, visiting his grandparents and cousins often, and enjoys snowmobiling, canoeing, camping and fishing in the North Maine Woods.
Katrina Meserve
Outreach Manager
Katrina works full-time both remotely and in the office and you can reach her at: [email protected]
Katrina grew up on the coast of Maine and in the woods of the Northeast Kingdom, Vermont. This is where her passion for natural spaces developed. From paddling and beach days on Maine’s coast and hiking the striking Mount Katahdin, to roaming the Vermont fields and forests with her siblings. She graduated from Mount Holyoke College where she used her love for the outdoors to obtain a degree in Environmental Science with a concentration in conservation. She has previous experience on multiple organic farms, but most recently worked as a program coordinator for a Youth Development AmeriCorps program where she connected members to youth-based nonprofits around New England.
Katrina loves spending time in her garden, exploring the White Mountains, and rock climbing with her partner, Calvin.
Heidi Evans
Development Manager
Heidi works part-time both remotely and in the office and you can reach her at: [email protected]
Heidi grew up on the seacoast and spent summers in Lyman tromping through the woods with her family and swimming in every body of water she could find. Upon graduating with a Classics degree from UNH she moved to DC to work on the hill. After tiring of the city life, she bounced up to Lyman for a bit of a break and never left. She worked in the creative department at Garnet Hill for 12 years and then struck out on her own to produce commercial photoshoots. She is currently the Deputy Town Clerk in Lyman. Heidi enjoys spending time with family, reading, traveling, paddleboarding and watching movies.
Niki Star Bauman
Coös County Conservation Assistant
Niki works part-time both remotely and in the office and you can reach her at: [email protected].
Niki brings a wealth of experience and a truly passionate spirit to our organization. She's a proud US Armed Forces Veteran, having dedicated 11 years in uniform and continuing her service as a contractor overseas, supporting her brothers and sisters in arms.
Niki is a true nature enthusiast, finding solace and healing in the great outdoors, which she considers her personal mental health sanctuary. She believes deeply that everyone deserves to experience the restorative power of nature, emphasizing that our forests, mountains, and waterways are vital for trauma recovery. This belief is rooted in her extensive experience as a life coach for stress and trauma, where she's worked with over 20,000 individuals globally for more than 20 years.
Beyond sharing her love for the outdoors with children and fellow "adult-kids," Niki is also dedicated to empowering people to minimize chemicals in their homes. She's currently expanding her knowledge as a full-time honors student at White Mountain Community College, double majoring in Conservation Law Enforcement and Environmental Science, and will be graduating in May. Her journey will continue as she transfers to Plymouth State to complete her bachelor's degree.
With an incredibly active mind, Niki unwinds through a variety of activities: reading (oh my goodness, she loves books) camping, hiking, scuba diving, flying, traveling, spending time with loved ones, and simply relaxing with her dog, Bruno, and cat, Fletcher. In her limited spare time, she serves on the advisory board of Protect Us Kids Foundation- a nonprofit dedicated to safeguarding youth globally from cyber exploitation- and is the Ombudsman for the Granite Guild of Coos County, where she currently resides.
ACT Board of trustees
CHRIS NICODEMUS, FRANCONIA
President / Chair of the Board
Chris grew up on a family farm in eastern Long Island where he developed his passion for land conservation, property stewardship and sustainable land use as a philosophy. His family was active in a long standing community driven effort to preserve of the Nissequogue River Valley and its ultimate designation as a New York State Wild and Scenic River.
Chris and his wife Ping have owned a house in Franconia since 1986 and in the past two decades Chris has headquartered his business as a biomedical research consultant in Franconia with ongoing collaborations at research institutes and hospitals around the world. A graduate of Harvard College and the State University of New York, he is a board certified medical subspecialist in clinical immunology and has extensively published in the fields of molecular biology, clinical immunology and medicine. He holds multiple patents in the area of therapeutic cancer immunology. He has 35 years of senior management experience working with several biotechnology companies in the greater Boston area.
Chris is an avid outdoor recreationalist with a passion for skiing, hiking, mountain biking, and sailing. He serves on the Franconia Conservation Commission and became actively involved with ACT during the early years of establishing the Cooley Jericho Community Forest as a regional asset. He scouted, mapped and helped construct the trail network on that property and is an active member of the ACT Lands committee seeking to assure responsible stewardship for the many properties being preserved by ACT and its family of volunteers. The mountains and sea meet in New England. It is through the better appreciation of the wonder and vulnerability of both that individuals and society can assure the future for all.
Jeff Burt, franconia
Treasurer
Jeff has been actively involved with land conservation for over two decades and currently serves on the board of the Thousand Islands Land Trust (NY) and the Board of Advisors for the Appalachian Mountain Club. After many years of winter and summer treks to the White Mountains with his family, he made Franconia his home, building a house in 2014 after 60 years in Connecticut.
Prior to 2000, Jeff devoted 30 years to the trust investment business in Connecticut, managing personal, institutional and endowment client accounts for Colonial Bancorp, Shawmut Bank and serving as Chief Investment Officer for Webster Trust Company. He received an MBA from University of Bridgeport (CT) and BA from Franklin College (IN).
Jeff is never far from a tennis court and enjoys cross-country and downhill skiing, hiking, woodworking and sailing.
Ellen Pritham, EastoN
Secretary
Ellen was born in Boston and spent her childhood in Cambridge and Melrose. She graduated from New England Baptist Hospital School of Nursing and Boston College. As an RN Ellen spent most of her time in Pediatrics and the ER and then teaching pediatric nursing.
She and her husband Howard moved to Littleton to raise their three children in the White Mountains. After moving Ellen started a business, Duck Soup, where she spent the next several years in retail.
Ellen first became aware of the importance of protecting the landscape when her aunt and uncle’s dairy farm on Martha’s Vineyard was taken by eminent domain to build a high school. This was devastating to them and was a huge loss of a beautiful saltwater farm to the community. If only there had been the knowledge and an organization in place to help protect that land, thus sparking an interest in conservation.
Ellen has served her community throughout many ventures. She has been on the school board in Bethlehem, the Franconia Ski Club Board of Trustees, the White Mountain Mental Health Board, and the Burch House Board. She is a current member of the zoning board of appeals in Easton.
Harry Robertson, Sugar Hill
Harry was raised on Lafayette Road in Sugar Hill, where he learned from a very young age to love skiing at Cannon, hiking, and being outdoors.
After college at the University of Colorado and UNH (BA), he moved to the Boston area for his IT career, where he and his wife Patty raised a family (Allie and Ben) and he earned an MBA from BU. The years away from Sugar Hill were filled with frequent visits home to see family, hike, ski, mountain bike, rock climb – anything to do with the out-of-doors and mountains. Harry continues these favorite activities today, some of which are on ACT properties. Harry also spent his younger years working in his father’s construction business and always has a personal carpentry project underway.
Harry’s father Phil was part of the group that worked to make Sugar Hill its own town - creating the youngest town in NH. His father was also an avid environmentalist. Phil would be thrilled to know of the preservation efforts of ACT and Harry hopes to do his part to continue these efforts.
Harry has been an active member of the ACT Lands Committee for a few years, loving monitoring, searching for boundaries, trail and view clearing.
Caleb Winder, Franconia
Caleb co-leads the investment activities of the MemorialCare Innovation Fund (MCIF). With over 20 years of venture capital investment experience, he works closely with portfolio companies to develop scalable commercial and marketing strategies to maximize value for founders and shareholders.
He has both private and public company board experience and is currently (or formerly) a Board Director or Observer in a broad spectrum of companies. Additionally, he serves on ACT’s Board and Development Committee.
Early in his career, Caleb was an award-winning sales and marketing executive at medical equipment and diagnostics companies, Midmark Corporation and MGC Diagnostics. He graduated magna cum laude with an MBA from Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College, where he was a Fellow in the Center for Technology Enterprise. He earned a BA in Biology and a minor in Economics from Colby College.
He grew up in Boston, spending much of his free time in the Lakes Region and White Mountains of New Hampshire, where he started to develop a deep love and appreciation of the wildlands of Northern New England. He currently lives in Franconia, where he can often be found skiing, hiking, fly fishing, or upland game hunting with his dog, Jack.
Anwiti Bahuguna, landaff
Anwiti is Chief Investment Officer of Multi-asset Strategies at Northern Trust Asset Management. As CIO she overseas various functions and business units covering Tactical Asset Allocation (TAA), Portfolio Construction Group (PCD), and the Multi-Manager.
With more than 25 years of investment industry experience, her broad executive responsibilities include building and strengthening investment teams both domestic and international, developing multi-asset investment strategies, utilizing a broad array of proprietary and non-proprietary investment capabilities, quantitative equities, fixed income, alternatives and private markets.
She serves as a key member of the Investment Policy Committee (“IPC”) and as principal spokesperson for the multi-asset business, both externally and internally.
Anwiti joins Northern Trust with over two decades of success in managing multi-asset products as Head of Multi-asset Strategies and Senior Portfolio Manager for Columbia Threadneedle Investments.
Previously, Dr. Bahuguna worked at Fleet in its Corporate Strategy and Development group, where she provided investment banking analysis on transactions such as mergers and acquisitions in all types of financial services companies. Prior roles have also involved strategic planning for restructuring and positioning the corporation and its components for growth and expansion. She has been a member of the investment community since 1998.
Anwiti earned a PhD in economics from Northeastern University in Boston and a B.S. in economics and mathematics from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University.
She grew up in New Delhi, India and comes from a family of avid mountaineers from the Himalayan State of Uttarakhand. She resides in Chicago and spends her free time hiking and skiing in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Conservation of wilderness of Northern New England is a cause near and dear to her heart. She splits her time between Chicago, Illinois and Landaff, New Hampshire.
E.H. Roy, Stewartstown
Vice President
E. H. grew up in northern NH on the lake where he now resides again. In the interim he lived in Washington State, Texas, Louisiana, and Vermont pursuing education and careers, first in Petroleum Geology and later in Solar Electricity. Seeing the marked changes in the landscape over the years, prompted him to get involved with others seeking a means of conserving as much of the remaining open space as possible to preserve the character of the North Country.
He is pleased that ACT has chosen to expand into Coös County and has served on ACT’s Lands Committee since January 2023, joined the Board of Trustees in July 2024, and actively pursues potential conservation projects for the organization.
He is still involved in the Solar Industry in a reduced role, serves on the Colebrook Fire Department, is a Deputy Forest Fire Warden, does his own sustainable timber harvests on his woodlands, and maintains two rental properties.
He lives off-grid in a lakeside cabin, drives an electric car, and enjoys snowshoeing, X-C skiing, jogging, and bicycling, but currently his primary outdoor passion is kayak racing.
Stephen Schwartz, Franconia
Stephen grew up in Washington, DC and developed an early connection with New England on family vacations to the coast of Maine in summer and the White Mountains in winter. He fulfilled a childhood dream in January 2022 by becoming a homeowner and full-time resident of Franconia, after nearly two decades working overseas in Asia. He was drawn to the area by its scenic beauty and distinct seasons, being especially fond of snowy winters.
From 1992 to 2008 Stephen served as an Economist with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), covering countries in Latin America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. After intensive work during the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997-2001, he became the IMF’s Resident Representative in Indonesia (2004-2008). He then held senior banking and research roles in Hong Kong with Merrill Lynch, BBVA, Moody’s, and most recently Fitch Ratings, where he served as Head of Asia-Pacific Sovereigns (2016-22). Stephen studied Economics at Wesleyan University (B.A.) and Princeton University (Ph.D. program).
Since settling in the North Country Stephen has been active in the community, serving on the Franconia Planning Board, the Conservation Commission, and as a Supervisor of the Checklist, as well as participating in official Town committees. His interest in land conservation deepened in 2023 through the NH Coverts Project, a UNH Extension Training in Wildlife and Habitat Management. He now volunteers regularly in wildlife and nature activities, and serves on ACT’s Outreach Committee.
Stephen is an avid exerciser, enjoys hiking and cross-country skiing, and has a passion for jazz music.
Gary porter, Sugar Hill
From a very young age, Gary was inspired by three factors;
The out of doors
Giving back to community
Having the means to give back to the outdoor community
Born and raised far from his current family home in Sugar Hill, NH, Gary spent his early years on the coast of Boston’s North Shore where he learned about fishing and ocean conservation. His family introduced him to New Hampshires White Mountains through hiking and climbing, eventually focusing his efforts on the AMC 4000 footer club, which he attained at age 12. That mountain spirit continues its hold on Gary today, as he spends summers hiking and climbing in New England and beyond, while Mountaineering in the winter takes him all over. He is a full time Ski Patroller at Franconia’s Cannon Mountain while at home in Sugar Hill.
His earliest days of activated community spirit began at age 24 when he served on the board of the American Red Cross, North Shore Chapter. He held all officer roles and was inspired to serve the community from that point forward, since having served on at least one board continuously since 1990.
Professionally, Gary had been involved in the wealth management industry since 1988. He founded Safe Port Financial in 1990, receiving numerous industry nominations and Awards prior to the sale of his practice in 2016. With a focus on family practice, the art and science of charitable giving was perennially a focus fulfilling him most. His most meaningful memory from his time helping his clients were the hundreds of notes and letters received upon retiring.
Today, Gary lives with his wife Mary in their Sugar Hill home located at the trailhead of ACT’s Cooley-Jericho Community Forest. He spends countless hours caring for the trails of CJCF and has been inspired to give back to ACT on a larger scale through the Lands Committee and the Board of Trustees. Through his involvement in ACT, he hopes to continue its most amazing work of the past 25 years and help guide continued conservation through active fundraising and endowment principals.
Linda Hansen, easton
Linda and her husband Mark bought land in Easton in 2001, built their house in 2006, and moved up to the North Country from the Boston area permanently in 2018. She graduated from the University of Virginia, completed a master’s degree at Lesley University, and did post-graduate work at Harvard University. A former English and history teacher, she switched her passion to conservation work after she retired. She is chair of the Easton Conservation Commission, serves on the board of the New Hampshire Association of Conservation Commissions (NHACC), is a UNH Coverts graduate as of 2023, a UNH Master Gardner as of 2024, and a graduate of the UNH Master Gardner’s Speakers Bureau in 2024 (she has a passion for speaking about pollinator gardens). She is a steward of the Cooley-Jericho Community Forest, an active member of ACT’s Outreach Committee, and a monitor of the Overlook Trail and the Red Trail at Bronson Hill. In her free time, she loves to make quilts, work in her garden, kayak, bike, hike, Nordic and alpine ski, travel, and play pickleball.
phil roshak, sugar hill
Phil is a certified public accountant and retired partner with Ernst and Young LLP, where he spent more than 25 years serving clients in a variety of industries. Phil earned his master’s degree in taxation at Bentley University and his bachelor’s degree in accounting at Drexel University.
In addition to his client service experience, Phil is an Adjunct Lecturer at the Boston University School of Law, where he teaches courses in the Graduate Tax Program. Seasonally, he is a PSIA certified ski instructor at Cannon Mountain in Franconia New Hampshire.
Phil lives in Sugar Hill, New Hampshire with his wife Jennifer, where they enjoy much of what the outdoors has to offer!
ACT ADVISORS
Rebecca Brown
As ACT’s founding Executive Director, Rebecca helped build a legacy of land protection, stewardship, and community connection in the region over 20 years of service to the organization. She lives in Sugar Hill, working as the director of New Hampshire Alliance for End of Life Options.
Julie Renaud Evans
Julie lives in Milan, NH and is a forester. She is on the staff of the Northern Forest Center and is focused on community forests and other working landscapes.
Doug Evelyn
Doug is a former ACT trustee and represented ACT in its intervenor role in opposition to Northern Pass. Doug lives in Sugar Hill, where he and his wife, Martha, donated forest land to ACT for permanent conservation and public enjoyment.
Dave Govatski
A former ACT trustee, Dave is retired from the U.S. Forest Service, and is an avid birder. He lives in Jefferson, where is very involved with NH Audubon and the Pondicherry National Wildlife Refuge.
Ken Kinder
Ken, a non-voting member of the Finance Committee, is with Stifel Nicolas in St. Johnsbury, VT. He advises ACT on its investment portfolio. Ken lives in Haverhill and enjoys managing his several hundred acres of forest land.
Brendan Whittaker
Brendan is a retired forester and Episcopal priest who was one of the church’s earlies activists on conservation issues. He is the former secretary of the agency of natural resources in Vermont. He lives in Brunswick, VT and serves on ACT’s Lands Committee.