{"id":8907,"date":"2025-05-08T14:53:44","date_gmt":"2025-05-08T14:53:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orleansconservationtrust.org\/?page_id=8907"},"modified":"2026-06-15T12:58:59","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T12:58:59","slug":"staff-trustees","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sandieboxx.com\/grapes\/staff-trustees\/","title":{"rendered":"Staff & Trustees"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t

Stephen O’Grady<\/h3>\n

Executive Director<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Steve returned to OCT in 2018 to assume the post of\u00a0director, after interning at\u00a0the\u00a0Trust\u00a0in 2013 and 2015. As\u00a0director, he has\u00a0worked to prioritize\u00a0land management and restoration needs\u00a0on OCT properties,\u00a0and helped determine where to direct the organization’s\u00a0limited\u00a0resources\u00a0most efficiently\u00a0toward these needs.\u00a0As we seek to acquire new lands,\u00a0Steve has\u00a0worked to identify\u00a0opportunities where land acquisition\u00a0warrants\u00a0the efforts\u00a0and expense\u00a0that these projects now demand.\u00a0Another focus is continuing\u00a0to grow the\u00a0Trust’s\u00a0membership as its scope of work expands. After graduating from Colby College, where he majored in Environmental Science with a concentration in conservation biology, Steve spent two years in the sustainable seafood industry-as a commercial salmon fisherman in Southeast Alaska, head fishmonger at a Boston seafood market, and an oyster farmer in Barnstable. He has also worked for Mass Audubon in Wellfleet as a coastal waterbird technician. He grew up north of Boston, spent childhood summers in Orleans, and feels very fortunate to live\u00a0and work\u00a0on Cape Cod.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\"Stephen\n\t<\/figure>\n\t

Tom Keras<\/h3>\n

Director of Land Management<\/strong><\/h4>\n

After venturing outside of New England for the last six years, Tom is excited to bring his conservation experience back to his home state of Massachusetts! In his first conservation job for Montana State Parks, Tom learned the value of building relationships in nature, through education and stewardship, for the sake of land preservation. Spending time in the Maryland Park Service and various conservation roles in Colorado only confirmed this idea. Having four generational links to the Outer Cape and being married on Cooks Brook Beach in Eastham, the Cape is a special place for Tom’s family. It feels natural that Tom is serving as your Director of Land Stewardship for OCT. When he is not on the clock, you will find him spending time with family, enjoying the Cape’s natural beauty, surf casting, fly fishing, hiking, or watching a Boston sports game. He is honored to work and serve the Orleans community.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\"Tom\n\t<\/figure>\n\t

Sam O’Neill<\/h3>\n

Land Stewardship Technician<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Sam joined OCT in August 2024 after completing a year of service with AmeriCorps Cape Cod.\u00a0During his term of service with AmeriCorps, Sam helped to manage and protect conservation land\u00a0across the Upper Cape and is excited to bring the skills he developed there to further OCT’s mission. Born in Providence, Rhode Island and raised in Massachusetts, Sam has a deep respect and love for New England’s natural beauty, and you can often find him on hiking trails along the Cape, riding his bike on the Cape Cod Rail Trail, or\u00a0seeking out a new spot for rock climbing. He received his BA in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts Boston and has worked across New England in carpentry, manufacturing, and in political organizing. Sam is thrilled to bring his experience and skills to\u00a0OCT’s land stewardship efforts,\u00a0preserving the\u00a0nature\u00a0of Orleans, for everyone to learn from and enjoy!<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\"Sam\n\t<\/figure>\n\t

Ashley Martin<\/h3>\n

Communications & Programs Coordinator<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Ashley joined the OCT team in October 2025 as our Communications & Programs Coordinator. Ashley brings a unique blend of experience in education programs, resource management, ocean science, and community engagement. Her background includes a Master of Science in Marine Resource Management from Oregon State University and a two-year service in Tanzania as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer. Outside of work, Ashley enjoys running local trails, walking the beach year-round, attending book club, and spending quality time with her cat, Bunny. She is grateful to work alongside the Orleans community to preserve local natural lands for future generations.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\"AshleyMartinHeadshot1\"\n\t<\/figure>\n\t

Emily Williams<\/h3>\n

Summer 2026 Land Stewardship Intern<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Emily is a rising senior at Boston College, majoring in environmental studies with a concentration in climate change and societal adaptations. Her academic work has explored topics including the ecological and societal impacts of aquaculture in Norway, cyanobacteria blooms in Nantucket Harbor, and coastal erosion across New England, focusing on Cape Cod’s changing shoreline.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\"84fe5c94-0f90-4c17-b330-19c045f3a6b5\"\n\t<\/figure>\n\t

Phoebe LaManna<\/h3>\n

Summer 2026 Land Stewardship Intern<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Phoebe is an undergraduate at the University at Buffalo, currently majoring in environmental studies with a minor in media studies. Her love for conservation led her to join the campus’ sustainability office as the green space student assistant and to pursue interning with OCT this summer.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\"Phoebe\n\t<\/figure>\n\t

As part of our long tradition of collaborating with AmeriCorps Cape Cod<\/a>, the Trust’s staff receives invaluable support from an AmeriCorps Cape Cod volunteer. These hard-working and enthusiastic young people typically serve with OCT on one-two days a week for a year.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\t

Miranda Johnston<\/h3>\n

AmeriCorps Member<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Miranda Johnston recently graduated from Drexel University with a major in Environmental Science and a minor in Law. She grew up in Arlington, MA and is excited to be returning to her home state for a year of service. During her time at Drexel, she completed two internships with the Philadelphia Water Department in their water treatment and stream restoration units. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering at community gardens and reading in hammocks.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\"Miranda-Headshot-Edit\"\n\t<\/figure>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\"OCT\n\t\t
OCT team walk, summer of 2026. From left to right: Sam O'Neill, Stephen O'Grady, Ashley Martin, Miranda Johnston, Tom Keras, Phoebe LaManna, Emily Williams.<\/figcaption>\n\t<\/figure>\n\t

Board of Trustees and Officers<\/h2>\n

The Board of Trustees provides oversight and guidance to OCT. With expertise in various fields-environmental science nonprofit management, business, governance, law, marketing, and education-trustees help OCT advance its mission. Trustees act as fiduciaries for the organization and ensure that the Trust always has adequate resources, appropriately allocated, for a sustainable future.<\/p>\n

A Nominating Committee, composed of trustees and non-trustees, interviews candidates for trustee positions and presents a slate of nominees to the membership for a vote at OCT’s Annual Meeting.\u00a0 Trustees are typically elected to serve terms of three years, and may stand for reelection three times.<\/p>\n

A detailed description of trustees’ roles and responsibilities, and the process by which trustees are elected to serve, appears in the Declaration of Trust, found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If you have interest in serving as a trustee, you’re encouraged to contact OCT<\/a>. You can also complete a Nomination Form<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\"OCT\n\t\t
OCT staff and trustees decorate our headquarters for the holidays.<\/figcaption>\n\t<\/figure>\n\t

Current Trustees<\/h2>\n

Date in parentheses indicates when a trustee’s term expires.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\tMary Griffin (2028)<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t