PRESIDENT

Cynthia is a retired Vice President and Air & Climate Practice Leader at CDM Smith, an environmental engineering consulting firm. She has Bachelor’s (Engineering and Applied Physics) and Master’s (Applied Sciences and School of Public Health) degrees from Harvard University. Cynthia is dedicated to climate and environmental justice advocacy. Since retiring, she has been making the pivot from engineering solutions for climate and air quality problems, to supporting a more sustainable environment. In addition to serving on the Green Cambridge Board, Cynthia has participated in the City of Cambridge Envision Climate and Environment Working Group, the Climate Crisis Working Group, and is a member of 350 Mass, Mothers Out Front, and the First Parish UU Environmental Justice Team.

VICE PRESIDENT

Sukia is a social activist and an environmentalist. She has a Bachelors in Sociology from UMass Boston and a Masters in Global Health Policy and Management from the Heller School at Brandeis University. She is Nigerian and currently works with several organizations to improve the quality of life in Nigeria.

TREASURER

Minka is a real estate agent and former City Councillor. A board member since 2011, Minka has been a strong local advocate for the environment and worked on the Plastic Bag ban and Net Zero. Minka also serves on the board of the Mystic River Watershed Association. ​

CLERK

Quinton has been on the board of Green Cambridge since 2011 when he helped restart the organization, and served as board chair from 2011 until the beginning of 2018 when he began the first of three terms of service on the Cambridge City Council. An environmentalist since his undergraduate days, he is passionate about protecting our natural environment and increasing our sustainability through systemic transformation. From installing rain barrels to canvassing for solar to advocating with city officials, he loves all aspects of the work. And at home he tortures his family by making sure the latest and greatest sustainability measures are implemented, as soon as they are commercially available.

BOARD MEMBER

Santos is a lifelong Port neighborhood resident, community organizer / activist and social entrepreneur. He is a co-founder of the non-profit Cambridge FIG, INC (Filling In the Gaps) and co-founding member of The Goree Freedom House, an organization focusing on Economic Development, Mutual Aid, and Social Change. When not working to enrich his community, he is a Technical Engineer for Keurg Dr. Pepper. Santos studied Biotechnology at Bunker Hill Community College, Information Technology at Cambridge College and later community economic development at Suffolk University Sawyer Business School.

BOARD MEMBER

Charles is originally from the DC area and moved to Cambridge to attend MIT in 2010. Graduating with a degree in computer science and electrical engineering, he took his first job at Athenahealth in Watertown and is now a senior developer at Akamai in Kendall Square. From an early age, Charles has been an advocate for the environment and enjoyer of nature. He also serves on the Inman Square Neighborhood Association board and is a founding member of Upgrade Cambridge.

GOVERNANCE CHAIR

Julia is a Land Planner/Urban Design at VHB in Watertown, MA, and former Farm Coordinator with Green Cambridge, where she managed farm-based environmental education programming. She is a passionate environmentalist and certified permaculture designer with a focus on climate adaptation and planning more sustainable and resilient communities. Julia earned her B.A. in Geography and Environmental Studies from SUNY Geneseo and her Master of City Planning and Graduate Certificate in Applied Sustainability from Boston University.

BOARD MEMBER

Louis grew up in Cambridge and works as an accountant at the Environmental Protection Agency. He leads an internal team to do community outreach on environmental justice.

BOARD MEMBER

Reverend Vernon K. Walker is the current Climate Justice Program Director at Clean Water Action. Rev. Walker has over a decade of social justice organizing experience in the Boston area with a focus on the intersections of racial and climate justice. Originally born and raised in Philadelphia, Rev. Walker attended Penn State University for college where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Organizational Leadership and a minor in Psychology. After graduating from Penn State University, Rev. Walker attended Boston University and earned a Master Degree in Theological Studies (M.T.S) with a focus on community engagement. He has served as an associate pastor previously at the Berarch church in Boston for several years. Rev. Walker is a Senior Fellow at the Environmental Leadership Program and Senior Fellow at Tufts University Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life through the Institute for Nonprofit Practice. Rev. Walker is a Senior Fellow at the University of Massachusetts, Boston campus Center for Collaborative Leadership. Rev. Walker currently is a graduate student at Tufts University pursuing a master's in public policy degree with a focus on environmental justice. He is a 2022 Neighborhood Fellow.

BOARD MEMBER

Elena is a landscape architect who specializes in the design and greening of urban spaces. Elena has worked extensively on promoting commercial recycling in Cambridge. Her passions include beekeeping, organic gardening, bicycling, drawing, painting, photography and picking up languages.

HONORARY BOARD MEMBER

Mike is a lawyer and state representative with a deep commitment to environmental sustainability. A board member since 2013, Mike was instrumental in the Net Zero campaign, leading the charge on the Connolly Petition as it became known. He also organized several rallies and events in support of preserving the Silver Maple Forest. ​

HONORARY BOARD MEMBER

Ellen was president of the Friends of Alewife Reservation until 2019, when it became part of Green Cambridge. In her retirement, she continues to be devoted to a protected and sustainable environment.

ALUMNI MEMBER

Rachelle serves on the Board of two Maine-based foundations - the Quimby Family Foundation (as Treasurer) and Elliotsville Foundation. She is also a board member of Cambridge Forum and CitySprouts and a member of the Finance Committee for the Cambridge Women’s Center. Rachelle has a BS in Hotel Administration from Cornell University and an MBA in Finance from San Francisco State University. Her work experience included hotels, finance companies, and Burt’s Bees where she worked in a management role until her sister sold the company in 2003. After four decades of living in San Francisco, Rachelle moved to Cambridge in 2017. Travel has always been an important part of her life. Her most memorable travel experience was two years living in Central and South America from just the contents of a duffel bag. This “living with less” lifestyle resonated with her and upon returning to the US, she continued to live a simple life. 30 years later, her environmental passion is rooted in simplicity. Her favorite pastimes include a Gyrotonic/Pilates practice, bhakti yoga, walks, attending the Boston Ballet and Celebrity Series of Boston, and working out at Healthworks.

EMERITUS MEMBER

John has been active in Cambridge civic life and the Mid-Cambridge neighborhood since 1970 and has initiated many successful grass-roots efforts, both in collaboration and on his own. Besides Green Cambridge, he serves on the board of the Mid-Cambridge Neighborhood Association and recently joined the Executive Committee of the Sierra Club's Greater Boston Group.

EMERITUS BOARD MEMBER

Samuel is a graduate of Oberlin College and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He has worked as the Advocacy Coordinator for the Westside Center for Independent Living and as an attorney and adjunct faculty member at the Western Law Center for Disability Rights at Loyola Law School. He currently maintains a private practice in Cambridge with an emphasis on disability benefits cases. He served as the Green Cambridge treasurer for four years, the finance committee, and several ongoing Green Cambridge projects. He continues to be actively engaged with our urban farming work.

EMERITUS BOARD MEMBER

Keren is a co-founder and former president of Green Cambridge, is an attorney with a focus on clean energy and environmental law. She recently completed a graduate level professional certificate in Sustainability at Harvard University. Keren served on the board from the founding of Green Cambridge until 2016.

ALUMNI MEMBER

Tom has been a devoted education and workforce development professional for 15 years. He currently serves as Assistant Director of Youth Programs and Alumni Success for YouthBuild Just A Start in Cambridge, MA. He is passionate about positive youth development, economic justice, and mission-driven program management. Tom earned his Master of Arts in International Development and Social Change with a concentration in Political Economy and Spanish from Clark University in Worcester, MA.

ALUMNI BOARD MEMBER

A two-term Cambridge City Councillor, Jan served as vice mayor in 2018-19 and as a chair of the Health and Environment Committee from 2016-19. As a councillor she partnered with Quinton Zondervan and Green Cambridge to launch the Urban Forest Master Plan study and to strengthen tree protections. A committed cyclist and transit rider, Jan has lived in Cambridge since 1993 and is the mother of three grown children. She earned a BA in English at Princeton University and an MBA in marketing at Columbia University.

ALUMNI BOARD MEMBER

Susan is the founder and owner of Tech Networks of Boston, a B-Corp specializing in information technology for nonprofits. Susan is a tireless environmental advocate and local business leader. Susan also serves as President of the Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts, and is the founder of the Climate Action Business Association and Southie Trees.

ALUMNI BOARD MEMBER

Suzy served as our board chair as is an attorney with a background in climate and energy law and policy. She worked as Attorney at CMBG3 Law LLC in Boston. She is a graduate of Gettysburg College and the Haub School of Law at Pace University.

ALUMNI BOARD MEMBER

Erik grew up in Portsmouth, NH, the son of two urban planners. Since arriving in Cambridge ten years ago, he has been involved in the Tobin Montessori school and the LivableStreets Alliance. A graduate of Syracuse and Virginia, he works as the COO of a financial planning firm in Newton. Most days you can find him commuting via his bicycle. Erik's family owns a "century farm" in Iowa where they are working to improve farming practices for better long-term biodiversity and sustainability. Erik and his wife, Traci, enjoy being outside with their two children. He was served as President and Board Chair January to June 2018.

ALUMNI BOARD MEMBER

Justin was Green Cambridge’s first Youth Board Member, has lived in Cambridge all of his life. He was a student at Concord Academy and a member of the school’s Youth in Philanthropy organization. In his third year with Green Cambridge, Justin is committed to spreading its message of sustainability and education at home, at school, and throughout the community.

ALUMNI BOARD MEMBER

Cory is a passionate climate and renewable energy advocate. He is a graduate of Boston University and a Cambridge resident.

ALUMNI BOARD MEMBER

Michael is a software developer for electric utilities. A graduate studies at Stanford University in Civil and Environmental Engineering, Michael's passion for sustainability, renewable energy, and energy efficiency served Green Cambridge's board through a critical development period. His service on several committees including the City of Somerville’s Climate Forward Initiative on the Utility and Infrastructure Working Group as well as the City of Cambridge’s Climate Action Protection Committee provided direct connection to cross-municipal work.

ALUMNI BOARD MEMBER

Sam is a city planner and former City Councillor. A long time board member, Sam chaired the board Finance Committee and supplied us with great photographs of Cambridge. Sam also serves on the board of the Margaret Fuller House in Cambridge.

ALUMNI BOARD MEMBER

Susan grew up in Chicago, holds degrees from Harvard and Stanford and wrote technical manuals for software companies in the Stanford/Silicon Valley area of California for many years before recently moving to Cambridge. She enjoys artistic and practical re-use of discarded objects, from mosaic birdbaths and tables made with broken dishes, to a colorful cloth shopping bags. She can be found making cardboard furniture on "PARK(ing) Day," mending shopping bags at the Winter Farmers market, and helping install rain barrels. If you speak French to her she will respond volubly and consider you her friend! "Observe keenly, reason soundly, imagine vividly," Charles W. Eliot, 1908.