;

Board of Directors

Chairperson

Robert Cronin

[email protected]
Bob Cronin is a retired Master Mariner who served in local and regional law enforcement for over 32 years.

After 27 years with Andover (MA) Police Department, Bob was recruited by the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office to form and command their new Marine Unit, retiring as a Deputy Superintendent. He was also lead instructor of the North Shore (MA) Harbormaster Academy and taught various subjects at regional police academies.

He also owned and operated a boat accident investigation consulting firm for twenty years which was located in Newburyport. Northeast Watercraft Accident Reconstruction Specialists served clients throughout the lower 48 and the Caribbean. Bob was a nationally certified instructor in boat accident investigation.

Locally, Bob served on the Harbor Commission for eight years before serving four terms on the Newburyport City Council.

Bob has a passion for history, especially Age of Sail naval history and is a member of the U.K. based “1805 Club”. Bob and family have been active in the Greater Newburyport boating community for over three decades.

Vice Chair

Jack Santos

[email protected]
Jack Santos was a research vice president with Gartner, an information technology advisory service. Before joining Gartner, he held several CIO and technology (including EA) leadership positions in the financial services and healthcare markets.

Jack served at Catholic Medical Center as VP and CIO, where he was responsible for implementing computing infrastructure, clinical applications and architecture, as well as developing wireless infrastructure. He was also an enterprise technology officer for Liberty Mutual Group, and Jack has led IT groups within financial services, software and public-sector advisory organizations (firms such as Aetna, Kaiser Permanente, Uline, and Bowstreet Software). Jack has been honored with Computerworld’s Premier 100 CIO award, has presented at numerous IT and business conferences, and has chaired Portsmouth’s eCoast Technology Roundtable (an economic development effort by the Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce in New Hampshire). Currently he is retired, and has interests in theater and the arts, Newburyport history, and outdoor activities.

Treasurer

Charlie Tontar

[email protected]
Charlie Tontar is a Professor Emeritus at Merrimack College where he taught economics with specialties in the History of Economic Thought, Urban and Regional Economics, Environmental Economics, and Labor Economics. He also worked with the City of Lawrence on affordable housing, environmental justice, and economic strategic planning through competitive grants secured from H.U.D. and the E.P.A.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and a Master’s Degree in economics from the Graduate Faculty of the New School for Social Research where he completed all work toward a Ph.D with the exception of the thesis. From 2014 through 2021, Tontar served as a Newburyport City Councilor and chaired the Committee on Budget & Finance and the Committee on Public Utilities. He has also served as a Corporator for First Essex Bank and as a Board member of the Andover School of Montessori.

Clerk

Jennifer W. Germain

[email protected]
Jennifer Germain, realtor and former owner of Stone Ridge Properties in Newburyport, MA started her career in Boston for Delphi Management, a money management firm with a value investment strategy.

Jennifer’s real estate career began in 1999 and she has been a consistent multi-million dollar producer. She received her BA from the University of New Hampshire and has lived in the area for over 37 years.

Her love of history and the Merrimack River led her to the Custom House Maritime Museum where she hopes to have a positive impact.

Jenn Bogard

Director

Ellie Bailey

Ellie Bailey grew up in North Andover, and graduated from U. Mass, Amherst and Lesley University. She has had a career as both a museum educator and administrator and as a public school teacher, working at the Peabody Essex Museum, Museum of Old Newbury and Nock Middle School. Connecting people of all ages to museums and other environmental resources has been an important part of her work, whatever the setting.

In “retirement” Ellie works as an historic house researcher for the Newburyport Preservation Trust’s Plaque Program and as a teacher and guide for Historic New England. She also serves on the Ring’s Island Neighborhood Preservation District Committee, and the Board of Directors of the Friends of Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. Her home of over thirty years is on Ring’s Island in Salisbury where she enjoys her pets, gardening and her family.

Director

Jonathan Burke

[email protected]

Jon Burke is the Chief Operating Officer at Boston Duck Tours, one of the most iconic brands in Boston. In this role he is responsible for all aspects of the company, employing more than 200 employees, and delighting over 500,000 guests annually. In addition to his day-to-day oversight of Engineering, Operations, Guest Services, Information Technology, and Human Resources, he regularly interacts with a host of government and regulatory agencies, including the United States Coast Guard, Boston Police, State Police, Cambridge Police, Department of Public Utilities, and the cities of Boston and Cambridge.

Prior to joining Boston Duck Tours, he served in several leadership roles at the Museum of Science over the previous 24 years. Upon his departure he was the Chief Operating Officer and responsible for all aspects of the Museum’s operations, including more than 250 employees and a 24/7/365, one million square foot facility with up to 1.5 million visitors each year and a robust on-site live animal collection.

He serves as Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Charles River Cleanup Boat, a 501c3 dedicated to keeping the Charles River clean.

Jonathan lives in Beverly, MA and is an avid outdoorsman, spending much of his free time on the waters of the North Shore with his wife and teenage son boating, sailing, paddling, fishing, collecting sea glass, and scuba diving.

Jenn Bogard

Director

Susan Finneran

[email protected]

Susan grew up in Massachusetts and lived subsequently in Indiana, New York, London and Bucharest. She has lived in Newburyport and Newbury for the last thirty years. Susan has worked as a lawyer in New York City, London, Boston and now Newburyport. She was a law professor at a Boston law school, teaching commercial law. Susan graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and received her law degree from Norte Dame Law School. She is admitted to practice law in New York and Massachusetts and admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court.

Prior to embarking on her law career, Susan traveled around the world and has taught high school history and social studies at Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School where she developed a local history course centered around Newburyport. She is an avid reader with a focus on history and political science.

Director

Thom Gould

Thom Gould, a native of Newburyport, attended Newburyport Public Schools and subsequently received a bachelor’s degree from Tufts University (Mathematics) and a Master’s degree from Northeastern University (Engineering). Having successfully migrated 38 miles from Newburyport to attend college, Thom migrated another 38 miles to Attleboro, Massachusetts for employment at Texas Instruments, Inc.’s Materials & Controls Group headquartered in Attleboro. A Texas Instruments (TI) employee for 36 years he held management responsibilities in Reliability Engineering, Quality Assurance, Manufacturing, Materials Management, Financial Planning and International Operations. Fully one-half of his TI career was directly involved with its international operations and provided the opportunity to have enhanced exposure to the diverse cultures of Europe, Japan, Asia, Australia and the Americas. This exposure to diverse cultures helped to prepare him for the migration from the North End of Newburyport, home in his early years, to the South End of Newburyport, where he now lives. Thom has been a Director and Vice-President of two not-for-profit organizations: The Providence Chapter of APICS (American Production and Inventory Control Society) and the Sons and Daughters of the First Settlers of Newbury.

While always interested in the Custom House building and its contents, the Newburyport CHMM is of particular interest to Thom due to a familial connection. His uncle, Herbert E. Bean was involved early in the CHMM and was Treasurer, Director and Director Emeritus spanning the period from 1973 to 1999. A former CHMM Board member from 2014 to 2020, Thom served as Chair from 2014-2016 and Clerk from 2018-2020.

Jenn Bogard

Director

Nita Lamborghini

[email protected]
Nita Lamborghini is a graduate of Springfield College (BS), The Harvard Extension School (ALM) and the University of New Hampshire (Ph.D.). She began her career as a college field hockey and lacrosse coach at Connecticut College, Tufts University, and Harvard University. Nita left coaching to earn her PhD in sociology, majoring in social inequality and American social history.

After teaching sociology for several years, she moved into college administration. Nita ended her career in higher education at Northern Essex Community College where she served as the dean of students. Nita grew up sailing on the south shore and loves all things nautical. She is hoping to use both her professional and personal experiences to support and protect the CHMM mission and purpose.

Director

Mary Leen

[email protected]
Mary Leen was associate director of the MIT Museum from 1994 until her retirement in 2021. She has long experience in museums and historical societies, including at the New England Historic Genealogical Society and The Bostonian Society. She also spent nine years in university development at Boston College and MIT with a focus on individual and foundation fundraising. She is a member of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Art Commission for the State House, and has served on the boards of the Association of Academic Museums and Galleries, Ellis Neighborhood Association, Gibson House Museum, New England Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians, South End Historical Society, and Victorian Society in America/New England Chapter, and as chair of the New England Museum Association’s College – University Museums Professional Affinity Group.
Jenn Bogard

Director

Ted Olsson

[email protected]
Ted Olsson is an active supporter, director and officer in nonprofit organizations, helping to manage, raise much needed funding, and promote organizations that are dedicated to the protection of the environment and wildlife, helping the homeless and those in need, and preserving history.
He is also currently President of Friends of Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Inc., a member of the Friends of the Plum Island Lighthouse, the Museum of Old Newbury, the Friends of the Newburyport Public Library, Mass Audubon, Trustees of Reservations, and the First Parish Church of Newbury. In addition, he serves as a volunteer Docent for the Custom House Maritime Museum.

Now semi-retired, he enjoyed a long career as a life science management and business development professional, including serving as vice president for companies in pharmaceutical development and clinical research.

An amateur historian, poet and longtime resident of West Newbury and Newburyport, he also has family connections to its history as a relative of his was married to the last Keeper at the Plum Island Light. Ted is committed to the conservation of our local wildlife and environment resources, the preservation of our local history, education and the special character and quality of life in our corner of Massachusetts.

Director

Tim Regan

Tim Regan was raised in Newburyport where he currently resides. He’s the third generation of his family to grow up here in town. After graduating from Newburyport High School in 2011, Tim went on to graduate from the University of Alabama earning a BS in Accounting.

Tim currently works at Newburyport Bank as a Portfolio Manager in their Commercial Loan department. Prior to joining the bank, he worked at East Boston Savings Bank in addition to the public accounting firms, BDO and EY, where he served as a Senior Associate in their respective financial auditing groups. He has also volunteered since 2020 for the Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce’s finance committee where he assists with preparing the annual operating budget.

You can always find Tim around town trying local coffee shops and restaurants. During football season, you’ll find him cheering on his beloved Alabama Crimson Tide football team (Roll Tide). He is proud to call Newburyport his hometown and enjoys the deep history of the city, as well as the people that make up our great community.

Jenn Bogard

Director

Sharon Spieldenner

[email protected]
Sharon Spieldenner lives in Newburyport and works as an archivist at the Museum of Old Newbury. Sharon has spent over twenty years working in public and academic libraries and museums. She also had a ten year career as a graphic/multimedia designer and illustrator in Boston and New York City. She holds a BA in Art and French from UMASS Boston and a Masters in Library Science and Archival Management from Simmons University. In her spare time, she enjoys urban exploration, old graveyards, kayaking and painting. Her love of history keeps her out of trouble.

Director

Mark Werner

[email protected]
Mark was born in Wisconsin and yes, he is a Cheesehead! He moved to Massachusetts with his wife in the early 1980’s and have lived in Newburyport for over 34 years. With a degree in Business Administration and Public Management, Mark has worked in the consumer products industry for over 42 years with the last 38 years at Gorton’s Seafood as their Director of Sales. Mark has been involved with coaching within the Newburyport youth sport programs as well as serving on various local club committees, supporting efforts on finance, membership, and social events. Involved with his church as past President, Vice-President and currently Elder, Mark also served on a mission trip to the Republic of Congo teaching sessions on church finances and stewardship. If you don’t see Mark around town during the summer, you may want to check the local golf courses! Mark looks forward to working with and supporting the Custom House Maritime Museum.
Jenn Bogard
Jenn Bogard

Director Emeritus

Susan Bernhard

[email protected]

Susan Bernhard, a lifelong learner and enthusiastic world traveler, enjoys history, art, gardening and outdoor sports. Owner of Northeast Tactical Sales Inc. she has thirty years of experience developing and promoting domestic and international companies specializing in mechanical and electromechanical manufacturing. Her love of the Merrimack River began while at Lowell Technological Institute (aka UMASS Lowell) as a biology and environmental engineering student.

Susan was a member of the first Merrimack River Watershed Commission, as well a researcher on the Aswan Dam Project Egypt when acquiring her master’s degree. Susan’s volunteering background includes Custom House Maritime Museum past Chair; past Vice Chair; Wakefield Food Pantry BOD; Girl Scouts; St Joseph’s School Finance Board; School Board and PTO, Tewksbury Conservation Commission. Susan and her husband Jeff reside in Newburyport.

Staff