Town Manager Nominates 29 Residents For Appointments To Boards, Commissions, And Committees

In memos to the Town Clerk, and to the Town Services and Outreach Committee (TSO), dated May 30, 2023, Town Manager Paul Bockelman nominated 20 people for reappointment to 13 boards, commissions, and committees, and 9 people for new appointments to five boards, commissions, and committees.

All nominations were endorsed unanimously (4-0 with Dorothy Pam absent at the time of the vote) by the Town Services and Outreach Committee at its meeting on June 1, 2023, and will now be forwarded to the full Town Council for approval with a likely vote at the council’s next meeting on June 4. 

The individuals nominated were as follows.

Reappointments 
Affordable Housing Trust
Nominated for two-year terms (expiring June 30, 2025)

Robert Crowner
Carol Lewis
Erica Piedade

Board of License Commissioners
Nominated for a three-year term (expiring June 30, 2026)

Hallie Hughes 

CDBG Advisory Committee
Nominated for three-year terms (expiring June 30, 2026)

Nathanael, Larson 
Becky Michaels

Community Safety and Social Justice Committee 
Nominated for a three-year term (expiring June 30, 2026) 

Allegra Clark

Cultural Council
Nominated for three-year terms (expiring June 30, 2026)

Matt Holloway 
Rachel Wang 

Energy and Climate Action Committee: 
Nominated for three-year terms (expiring June 30, 2026) 

Lori Goldner 
Steve Roof 

Historical Commission
Nominated for a three-year term (expiring June 30, 2026) 

Hetty Startup 

Human Rights Commission
Nominated for three-year terms (expiring June 30, 2026) 

Elizabeth Haygood 
LaVerne Kelly

Munson Memorial Building Trustees 
Nominated for a three-year term (expiring June 30, 2026)

Susan Crutch 

Registrar of Voters
Nominated for a three-year term (expiring June 30, 2026)

Jaime Wagner

Residents’ Advisory Committee: 
Nominated for a three-year term (expiring June 30, 2026) 

Meg Gage 

Transportation Advisory Committee 
Nominated for three-year terms (expiring June 30, 2026) 

Stefan Cejic
Christine Lindstrom 

Water Supply Protection Committee
Nominated for a three-year term (expiring June 30, 2026) 

Jack Jemsek

Profiles
The Town Manager provided the following biographical profiles for the nominees for reappointment.

Affordable Housing Trust
Rob Crowner has been a member of the Planning Board, Comprehensive Planning Committee, and Public Works Committee. He has worked on the Master Plan, reviewed projects, and worked with others to develop amendments to the zoning bylaws. His employment is with a nonprofit that works on developing ways for low income and disadvantaged people to access resources including housing that are usually considered necessary for achieving economic empowerment. He has been a member of the Trust since 2019.

Carol Lewis has been a carpenter, nonprofit administrator, member of the collective staff of a Food Coop and of a paper recycling business, and a teacher of college freshman-level English. She has also participated in a prison Alternatives to Violence program, a housing cooperative, and Common Good Finance, an organization working to create a depositor-controlled banking system. She is a trained mediator and has a strong commitment to social justice issues. She has been a member of the Trust since 2019.

Erica Piedade has worked for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and seeks to bring a public health perspective to housing initiatives. She emphasizes the importance of community engagement and involvement and the utilization of fact-based decision-making. She has been a member of the Trust since 2019.

Board of License Commissioners
Hallie Hughes is an original member of the Board of License Commissioners, having been appointed on January 7, 2019 for a one-year term. She is eager to be reappointed to continue the work she has been doing on the Board, including work on short-term rental licenses and retail marijuana establishments. Hughes is trained as an attorney. 

CDBG Advisory Committee

Nathaniel Larson has been a lawyer and investment banker and brings experience in reviewing and analyzing budgets and financial proposals with impartiality and with an open mind. He has been a member of the Committee since 2018.

Becky Michaels brings years of experience to the committee with service as co-president of the Amherst Education Foundation, as a volunteer at Not Bread Alone, as well as serving on the Fort River School Council and as a youth soccer coach. Michaels has delivered meals for the Senior Center, which gave her a new window into the needs of the community. As an assistant district attorney, she participates in the office’s Restorative Justice Committee. Michaels has been a member of the committee since 2020. 

Community Safety and Social Justice Committee
Allegra Clark is a licensed independent clinical social worker who previously worked in a homeless and housing agency in Boston. She is currently a forensic social worker in the court system. She is a member of the Municipal Affordable Housing Trust and self-identifies as white. She has been a member of the committee since its inception in 2022. 

Cultural Council

Matt Holloway has a strong background in public policy and seeks to serve in a capacity that spurs cultural and economic growth for the town while protecting historical and environmental resources. He is a professional educator. He has been a member of the council since 2020.

Rachel Wang has worked extensively in intercultural communications and education with a career that has spanned visual arts management, museum education, journalism, advertising, public relations business consulting, and community volunteering. As a first-generation immigrant, she wants to bring the experience of being a foreigner who did not speak English and as a mother with children in the school district. She intends to promote diversity both in terms of contributors and participants. She has been a member of the council since 2020. 

Energy and Climate Action CommitteeLori Goldner is a physics professor at the university and a self-described activist for climate and social justice. She has experience in statistical measurements— working at the National Institute of Standards and Technology — which will aid as the town seeks to measure its progress in addressing its carbon output. She is an experienced and successful grant writer who can contribute to seeking funds for climate work in the town. Her key interest is how to develop “ground-up buy-in” for any social change. Goldner has been a member of the committee since 2022.

Steve Roof is a paleo-climatologist and a professor at Hampshire College, where he focuses on local solutions and adaptations to global climate change. He helped write the college’s climate action plan and helped create the Sustainable Revolving Fund at the college. He has been involved in the installation and monitoring of the college’s solar array. He has been a member of the committee since 2019. 

Historical Commission
Hetty Startup is an architectural historian who has experience in both historic house museum management and college-level art and architectural history course delivery, most recently at the Boston Architectural College (BAC). She works as a house director at one of the sororities associated with the university and sings with the Pioneer Valley Symphony Chorus. She has been a member of the commission since 2019. 

Human Rights Commission
Elizabeth Haygood is a long-time teacher at the Amherst-Pelham Regional High School and brings a lengthy list of accomplishments and experiences to the commission. She is the co-advisor for People of Color United (POCU), is a district trainer in Safety Care, takes a nonviolent approach to diffusing challenging behaviors, and serves as a member of the newly formed Educators for Black Lives Matter initiative. She also participated in the Police Citizens Academy and utilized police officers in various trainings and activities as an educator at the high school. Haygood self describes as “Single, Black, Mother, Teacher, Mentor, Coach” She has been a member of the commission since 2020.

LaVerne Kelly grew up in Amherst and has worked as a psychotherapist and attorney, as well as serving as a legislative aide in two other states. She serves on the executive board of an organization called Women of Color Health Equity Collective, which is based in Springfield. She is committed to addressing areas of injustice in the community and feels her service on the commission is aligned with her goal of ensuring the rights of all are protected. She has been a member of the commission since 2022.

Munson Memorial Building Committee
Susan Crutch’s appreciation for the Munson Memorial Building began when she attended kindergarten there. She grew up in South Amherst and has been a regular visitor to the building and the library. She has been involved in schools and youth sports and has served as president of the Amherst Hockey Association. She seeks to ensure the building is maintained and preserved as an historical treasure.  Crutch has been a member of the Committee since 2020.

Registrar of Voters
Jaime Wagner is the Republican designee on the Registrar of Voters and has been a member of the Board since 2017. 

Residents’ Advisory Committee
Meg Gage was an elected member of the Amherst Charter Commission and was very supportive of the inclusion of this committee in the Town Charter. She is interested in bringing support and strategies for engaging a wider range of residents in our town committees, especially Town BIPOC residents. Gage has extensive experience in town government and brings 35 years of experience leading national philanthropic organizations. She has been a member of the committee since 2022. 

Transportation Advisory Committee

Stefan Cejic grew up in Amherst and has direct experience driving, walking, biking, and using the PVTA bus system in Amherst and surrounding communities. He attended the university and is currently obtaining his master’s degree in public policy there. While at the university, Cejic has worked as a driver for the PVTA bus system, including four years as a driver supervisor. He has worked at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in Boston as part of its technology modernization project. He speaks multiple languages including English, Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, and Spanish. He has been a member of the committee since 2022.

Christine Lindstrom is an advocate for alternative modes of transportation such as bus riding, ride sharing, biking, and walking. She is a former environmental activist working to curb global warming pollution. As the mother of a child attending the elementary schools, Lindstrom is keenly aware of the challenges of walking and seeks to create better pedestrian access to the downtown and village centers. She has been a member of the committee since 2022.

Water Supply Protection Committee
Jack Jemsek is a twenty-year resident of Amherst and has raised three daughters, all of whom attended Amherst public schools. Jemsek brings the unique skills of being a hydro-geologist to the committee. His work as an environmental consultant for soil and ground water investigations helps inform his volunteer work for the town. He has a PhD in marine geophysics. He has been a member of the committee since 2018.

New Appointments
Community Preservation Act Committee
Nominated for at-large appointments for a three-year term (expiring June 30, 2026)

Rebekah Demling of Atwater Circle
Bob Saul of East Hadley Road

Council on Aging
Nominated for three-year terms (expiring June 30, 2023)

Marc Barrette of Chestnut Court
Sara McComb of Pokeberry Ridge 
Don Ripley of Wildflower Drive

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
Nominated for a three-year term (expiring June 30, 2026)

Deborah Kolodny of Summer Street

Nominated for a two-year term (expiring June 30, 2025)
Jacinta Smith of Barrett Hill

Munson Memorial Library Building Trustees
Nominated for a two-year term (expiring June 30, 2025)

Jenny Arch of Dennis Drive

Water Supply Protection Committee
Nominated for a three-year term (expiring June 30, 2023)
Christian Guzman of Woodside Avenue

Profiles

The Town Manager provided the following biographical profiles of the nominees.

Community Preservation Act Committee
Rebekah Demlin has been involved in the town for many years, having served two terms on the Recreation (previously LSSE) Commission. She has also been a volunteer in the Amherst Public Schools for 13 years. While she brings a deep commitment to meeting the recreation needs of the town’s residents, especially the youth, she is also concerned about maintaining open space already owned by the town and meeting the ongoing demands of our new parks at Groff Park and Kendrick Park.

Bob Saul has served the town in many capacities over the years including on the Finance Committee, Audit Committee, Agricultural Commission, and Facilities Committee. In his professional life, Saul has dedicated over 25 years of his career to private equity specializing in forestry. He also owns a 44-acre farm in town. He stated that he would not be a single-issue member and would bring an open mind with an eye toward meeting the Town’s overall needs.

Council On Aging

Marc Barrette is a resident of the Amherst Housing Authority building and recently was appointed to fill the tenant position on the Housing Authority Board. Before moving to Amherst, he was a commissioner at the Belchertown Housing Authority, where he initiated a Rainbow Coffee Hour. In Amherst, Barrette has been very active in volunteering time with the Amherst Senior Center working outreach events and organizing an LGBTQIA+ group. 

Sara McComb has been a professor in schools of Business, Industrial Engineering, and Nursing and has taught courses in operations management and human factors, quality management, and project management. Her primary research has been on communications and collaboration. She is eager to work on the council with a mission to keep older adults engaged and support the Council’s efforts. 

Don Ripley has served on the Board of Trustees of an assisted living and skilled nursing facility for over 300 residents, and currently serves as its president. He would like to focus his efforts on the council by engaging with and providing services to those in marginalized communities, including lower income residents, members of the LGBTQI+ communities, those from other countries, and those who are facing life alone and/or with little support. 

Human Rights Commission

Debra Kolodny is a lawyer, rabbi, and an activist who brings extensive knowledge and experience in the areas of civil and human rights, specifically anti-racism, antisemitism, pro-immigrant, refugee, and LGBTQI+ rights. Debra has experience in managing difficult conversations and cites the ability to help groups achieve clarity, harmony, and outcomes. Debra has been a professional facilitator for 38 years and, as a labor negotiator, has engaged with municipal workers and unions effectively. 

Jacinta Smith has been volunteering in the Amherst Public Schools for the past 18 months through the educational programs of the Mead Art Museum. She is a member of the Amherst College Black Student Union and the African and Caribbean Students Union. She was active in human rights work in high school and was the founding member of the Mamaroneck High School Multicultural Student Union. She just completed her second year at Amherst College and says she is passionate about social justice and art. 

Munson Memorial Library Building Trustees
Jenny Arch is a librarian and has worked in public libraries for the past ten years. She is currently an elementary school librarian and is the co-director of the Western Massachusetts Area for the Massachusetts School Library Association. A graduate of Hampshire College, Arch returned to the town in 2020 and immediately became a regular at the Munson Memorial library and an admirer of its architecture and grounds. 

Water Supply Protection Committee
Christian Guzman is an Assistant Professor in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering at the university. He has studied surface and ground water sources at the Wachusett Reservoir and Lake Warner in Hadley. His research focuses on the soil and water resources at various scales within watersheds that contribute food, energy, water, and societal needs. He brings a concentration on the socio-hydrological perspective that benefits the local community, nation, and the world, including marginalized and underserved communities.