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Chris is an accomplished and highly respected leader in the field of land conservation. A member of the Greenbelt leadership team since 2015, most recently serving as Vice President of Conservation Operations, he has led efforts to protect more than 6,200 acres in Essex County — accounting for 86 percent of all land conserved in the region during this period. His dedication to farmland conservation and commitment to ensuring the long-term viability of Essex County's agriculture have also been pivotal in developing one of the region's most innovative farm conservation programs.
Chris is well-known for his expertise in guiding landowners through the financial and often emotional journey of conserving their land and planning for the future. He takes great satisfaction in collaborating with communities to honor what they value most, such as local recreation, protecting wildlife habitats and farms, and ensuring clean drinking water.
Among Chris’s most notable projects are the John J. Donovan Reservation & Sagamore Hill Conservation Area—a complex, multi-partner effort that resulted in a 525-acre corridor of permanently protected land in Hamilton and Essex. This achievement was soon followed by the successful creation of the Castle Neck River Reservation in Ipswich, establishing a genuine landscape-scale greenbelt that stretches from the coast to the inland farms and forests.
A longtime resident of Essex County, Chris holds degrees in environmental policy and natural resource planning from Colby College and the University of Vermont. He and his family enjoy cycling, skiing, and exploring the natural beauty of New England. Prior to Greenbelt, Chris spent more than a decade of leading conservation initiatives across Massachusetts with The Trust for Public Land.
Mike manages Greenbelt’s Conservation Restriction Monitoring Program, coordinating with landowners of diverse and varied private landscapes throughout Essex County. The process involves initial baseline documentation when a conservation restriction is first acquired and continues with routine monitoring of a restriction to ensure a landowners’ ongoing compliance with the terms of the agreement.
Carbone also assists in the management of all Greenbelt-owned properties, from trail design and construction to long-term care and maintenance of a property. He manages the Young Farm Community Garden in Gloucester, overseeing a number of gardeners and garden plots, and is active in the Osprey Program.
Mike has also found a role in Greenbelt’s GIS Program, creating maps for both internal and external purposes. He assisted in a total upgrade of our databases, maintaining and updating Greenbelt records.
Carbone has a Bachelor’s Degree in Community and Environmental Studies and got his first taste for the land trust world while in college. Prior to joining Greenbelt in 2012, Mike worked for a non-profit that supported a national wildlife refuge group, and an environmental consulting firm. His passion for land conservation stems from lifelong enjoyment of the outdoor world. Mike believes in Greenbelt’s mission to preserve natural resources and open spaces and is proud to be able to help people enjoy the land that Greenbelt conserves
In his role as Communications Project Manager, Bill provides writing/editing, content creation, public relations, and project management support to staff across the organization. He also assists with fundraising initiatives and serves as liaison to the Board of Directors.
A resident of Salem, Bill enjoys running and cycling when his knees permit and loves exploring the many parks, trails, and beautiful outdoor spaces found throughout the region. He also has a deep appreciation for the area’s many historic mill cities.
Prior to Greenbelt, Bill worked in a variety of nonprofit settings, serving in communications roles at Salem Hospital, Phillips Exeter Academy, and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
Most recently he has been working on a freelance basis for several nonprofit organizations.
Married with two sons and a beagle, Bill is also prone to picking up litter whenever and wherever he might be and always enjoys a good community cleanup event.
As Greenbelt’s full time Director of Finance and Operations, Joanne Flannery brings her many years of accounting and operations experience to Greenbelt.
Previous to Greenbelt, Joanne worked for over 20 years at North Shore 104.9FM/WBOQ radio in the accounting and operations area where she oversaw the day to day operations on Enon Street in
Beverly and the tower location in Topsfield.
Joanne has lived in the Ryal Side area of Beverly for 30 years with her husband and two sons. One married and one single (so if you know of a nice girl…) and expecting her first grandchild in February 2023. She grew up in Reading, attended the local schools and went on to graduate from Northern Essex Community College and Bentley University.
Anna spends her days at the headquarters of Greenbelt making sure that all is running smoothly. She considers herself to be the one who wears many hats in her role as a Donor & Community Engagement Specialist. Her days are often spent doing gift processing and interacting with members, in person, by email, or over the phone, while ensuring that her team has everything they need to continue their mission of protecting the land in Essex County.
Anna was born deaf and grew up orally, and she currently wears a cochlear implant. She is a proud graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst with her undergraduate degree in history and a graduate of Harvard University with her master’s in museum studies.
Before arriving at Greenbelt, she worked in the museum and library field, with her longest stint on the guest experience team at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA. Outside of her professional life, she is an avid hiker, who just completed the New Hampshire 4,000-footers with her husband and dog by her side. Her other interests include reading, baking/cooking, and traveling.
As Director of the Conservation Technology and Planning Division, Abby uses geospatial technology to connect people to nature and embed science into Greenbelt’s conservation work.
Notable projects she has managed include the GreenbeltGo app, the Conservation Prioritization Initiative, and Greenbelt’s Guidebook maps. Conservation planning is a particular interest of hers; she leads Greenbelt’s efforts to partner with municipalities and non-profits on open space mapping as well as Greenbelt’s climate resilience planning work.
Abby has a Master’s Degree in Environmental Policy & Planning from Tufts University and a Bachelor's in Communication from Emerson College. She has been a visiting instructor of GIS at Salem State University (SSU) and founded Greenbelt's collobarative internship program with SSU in 2013.
Prior to joining Greenbelt in 2011, she worked for a municipality on wetland and open space permitting and management. As a lifelong lover of animals and nature Abby is happiest when horseback riding or hiking with her dog Teddy.
Elizabeth works with landowners in the belief that we all have a role to play in protecting the lands and waters of Essex County. She works to familiarize them with the beneficial options available to meet their conservation and financial goals.
Before joining the Conservation team, Elizabeth first worked at Greenbelt as a member of Development & Community Engagement, bringing a strong background in non-profit development work.
Elizabeth has a lifelong passion for animals and the natural world. She thoroughly enjoys being outdoors—on horseback, on bike, on a romp with her two Collies, or on a hike with her kids.
A longtime nature enthusiast, Kelly joined Greenbelt after serving as a volunteer in the office, on the trails, and at Greenbelt's signature events. As Events & Administration Coordinator, she is thrilled to contribute to Greenbelt's mission through office support and community engagement.
Prior to joining Greenbelt, Kelly spent 35+ years supporting teams in residential architecture and construction, advertising, education, and hospitality on the east and west coasts.
In recent years, Kelly assisted the team at Carpenter & MacNeille and led admissions outreach and events at the Waldorf School at Moraine Farm, a Frederick Law Olmsted property.
Kelly lives on Chebacco Lake with her husband and rescue hound and loves to experience the natural beauty on Cape Ann and throughout Essex County on long walks, often using the GreenbeltGo app to discover new trails. Through Greenbelt, she has a certificate in Wilderness First Aid. She is also a member of the Gloucester Gig Rowers and Sorellanza, an a cappella chorus group on Cape Ann.
Working at Greenbelt since 2017, Rachel has enjoyed strengthening Greenbelt's supporter and community partnerships through her work in the Development and Community Engagement department. Before accepting the position of Director, Rachel supported the department through strategic marketing initiatives, data analysis, and fundraising work.
Rachel looks forward to further engaging Greenbelt's base of support, expanding relationships and deepening ties in the community. She loves the culture that Greenbelt fosters with its donors, community partners, and amongst its staff, and strongly believes in Greenbelt's mission. Being a part of such a well-respected organization makes the work all the more enjoyable.
Prior to Greenbelt, Rachel worked in sales and marketing at a safari company. A Texas transplant, Rachel moved to New England to complete a Master's degree at Boston University, and happily put down roots in beautiful New England. When she's not hiking the local trails with her family, Rachel can be found tending her beehives and enjoying open water swimming.
Vanessa brings over 20 years of experience in land conservation and a passion for working with people to preserve land to her position as Director of Land Conservation Division at Greenbelt.
After participating in efforts to save Coho salmon in Oregon and grizzly bears in Montana, Vanessa began her land trust career in Napa, California. Following a break to teach English in Ecuador, Vanessa settled back in her home state of Massachusetts in 2007.
Vanessa enjoys visiting and eating from local farm stands, kayaking, trail running, XC skiing, bicycling, and hiking mountains near and far.
Greenbelt volunteers are a key part of our collaborative culture that is inclusive, respectful, and resourceful. Their help enables Greenbelt to extend its reach to communities across the county for universal access to open space.
Volunteerism has always been a core belief of our Volunteer Program Manager, Mary Ellen Kelly. She welcomes the opportunity to help Greenbelt volunteers find work within the organization that is meaningful, engaging – and fun – for them!
Mary Ellen brings more than 30 years of volunteer management to Greenbelt, working in communications for a variety of non-profits, as well leading Sheldrake Environmental Center in Larchmont, NY, as Executive Director. She is a self-described “serial volunteer,” having served on boards locally for BTA/BOLT, the Boxford Elementary Schools Trust, and the St. John’s Prep Parent Council. While in New York, she was a volunteer teacher for Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture.
An avid outdoorswoman, Mary Ellen was a Field Teacher/Naturalist for Mass Audubon and currently teaches nature pre-school one morning a week for North Shore Nature Programs. She enjoys hiking, mountain biking, snow sports, and time on the water in kayaks and canoes.
Dave’s mission at Greenbelt is to help protect the natural lands he grew up admiring. His goal is to improve public accessibility while preserving the wildlife values of Greenbelt’s protected lands.
While not working at Greenbelt, Dave’s conservation work continues as Vice Chair of the Rockport Conservation Commission, Vice President of the Cape Ann Trail Stewards, and as the Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management Storm Team representative for Rockport.
His conservation career began as the Assistant Land Manager in Amherst, Massachusetts, where for 10 years he oversaw the management of 2,000 acres of conservation lands, was responsible for the delineation of its watershed boundaries, and maintained the town’s 80-mile trail network including the Robert Frost Trail. After leaving Amherst he spent the next five years as the Conservation Land Manager for the Town of Lincoln, Massachusetts, where he was responsible for the stewardship of the town’s trail network, biodiversity fields and helped manage its farm license agreements.
Jeannette brings a wealth of experience and passion for conservation, having previously served as a Greenbelt GIS Intern.
In her role as Conservation Fellow, Jeannette spearheadd critical projects at the intersection of technology and conservation. Her responsibilities include drafting trail and kiosk maps, digitizing survey plans, and conducting GIS analysis to support our conservation initiatives.
With her expertise in database management and project reporting, Jeannette plays a pivotal role in advancing our land conservation efforts.
As Greenbelt’s Volunteer Program Assistant, Joan O’Connor supports our volunteers. She onboards new volunteers, spearheads our new Gentle Trails program, works on the database, and helps with events.
"I want to make sure our volunteers' experiences are enriching and rewarding. It's important that volunteering at Greenbelt is easy and fun," said Joan.
Previously, Joan worked as Greenbelt's Accounting Assistant to support many of our financial processes. Prior to that, she had been volunteering with Greenbelt as a member of our mail crew, assisting in that role remotely during the pandemic.
Joan lives in Magnolia and is an avid gardener and cook. She also spends much of her free time walking Greenbelt properties.
As a member of Greenbelt’s Development and Engagement team, Sharon assists in meeting Greenbelt’s strategic marketing objectives by creating and managing ongoing graphic design across all departments.
She works closely with colleagues, constituents, and vendors to create newsletters, land campaigns, guidebooks, event promotions, kiosks and signage to enhance awareness of and constituency for Greenbelt’s land conservation.
In 2012, working as a consultant, she spearheaded Greenbelt’s rebranding effort and was subsequently invited to join the staff as Design Manager.
Prior to joining Greenbelt, Sharon worked for the design firm Fitch/Richardson Smith in Ohio, Boston and London, settling with her husband and children in the North Shore to be near Boston, open countryside and the ocean.
Dave’s goal is to ensure that Greenbelt land is managed with a balanced approach that allows public access while protecting natural resources.
Since 2001, Dave has guided the organization through a period of significant growth of protected land and infrastructure. He is currently responsible for overseeing the management of approximately 6,500 acres owned by Greenbelt and 7,200 acres under conservation restrictions held by Greenbelt.
Rimmer has overseen the construction of the stewardship barn, the expansion, and renovation of Greenbelt headquarters and many other improvements at the Cox Reservation in Essex. He has managed the opening of all new Greenbelt reservations, including the 270-acre Donovan Reservation in Hamilton in 2017. He developed and implemented a new conservation restriction monitoring program, as well as working on Greenbelt mapping and database projects.
Dave’s education in wildlife biology and particular interest in ornithology has resulted in Greenbelt’s involvement in raptor and shorebird conservation efforts, most notably with breeding Piping Plovers and Osprey, where Greenbelt has become the leader in Osprey conservation and management in Essex County.
An avid outdoorsman, Dave is a licensed US Coast Guard captain who guides fishermen on the coastal waters of Essex County in his personal time. He is also a member of numerous local, state and national conservation groups.
As Development Manager, Ann works to ensure a solid revenue base for Greenbelt's operations through connecting our community and beyond to the importance of Greenbelt's land conservation work.
Ann is an outdoor enthusiast and has spent most of her life near the coast. She grew up in Hingham, spent time living in Portsmouth, and has resided in Essex County for the past 20+ years, where she has enjoyed the access to the many stunning Greenbelt properties.
Her business background includes roles in marketing, analytics, and sales.
Jane advances Greenbelt’s land conservation goals by organizing and facilitating events that engage the public not only with Greenbelt, but with the benefits of open space throughout Essex County.
She works to create a wide variety of programs throughout all corners of Essex County, as well as meeting the needs of all age groups and lifestyles of participants. Jane is also part of our efforts to make our reservations and properties accessible to all.
Jane is a former public-school teacher and brings that background to her work educating and reaching out to a new generation of Greenbelt supporters interested in conservation. On the occasional free weekend, she can be found backpacking or trailrunning in the mountains, or sailing along the coast.
Becca brings her geographic, analytical, and technical skills to support all of Greenbelt’s departments and core mission.
She creates maps and web map applications, helps maintain and update Greenbelt’s database, and takes part in a number of projects such as Greenbelt’s Prioritization Project and the GreenbeltGo Trails app.
Becca received her Bachelor’s Degree in Cartography and Master’s Degree in Geo-Information Science at Salem State University.
She is passionate about the environment and is a long term resident in Essex County which is why she is thrilled to be applying her GIS skills for an organization dedicated to conserving land in her home county. When she isn’t making maps or performing geospatial analyses, you can find Becca fishing on her Old Town kayak, traveling, or taking pictures of wildlife and natural landscapes with her camera and drone.
