Our History & Mission
The Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative, a nonprofit 501c3, was founded in 2016 by a coalition of business, environmental, public, and nonprofit organizations and citizens committed to addressing the climate crisis in the Cape & Islands region.
As a group, we recognized that climate change, rising sea levels, ocean acidification, and intensified storms were already threatening Cape Cod’s homes, health, habitats, the economy, and entire ways of life. We saw that the Cape and the Islands were likely to experience the effects of climate change sooner and more severely than other parts of Massachusetts and the country.
To address this reality, the Climate Collaborative was formed. Our mission is to reduce ways in which the Cape & Islands region contributes to climate change and to protect our region from its potentially devastating impacts.
Our Selected Accomplishments
Since 2016, the Climate Collaborative has engaged with several thousand stakeholders including environmental leaders, elected officials, municipal planners, energy professionals, business executives, entrepreneurs, members of the faith communities, and youth activists in wide-ranging efforts to accelerate the creation and deployment of climate solutions. These efforts have included:
Formed the Cape Cod Climate Action Network—a chapter of the Massachusetts Climate Action Network—which has resulted in the creation of climate action networks (CANs) in (nearly) all towns on Cape Cod.
Produced 5 annual Net Zero Conferences attended by several hundred people each for in-depth learning, collaboration, and inspiration on climate change, solutions and opportunities for citizen and organizational action.
Produced and delivered the (still active) bi-weekly Climate Action Alerts E-Newsletter to over 2500 individuals sharing global-to-local climate issues, best practices, innovations, and opportunities for action.
Produced and delivered hundred of educational trainings both live and online on the climate crisis, innovative climate solutions, and opportunities for local citizen action.
Worked with citizen activists in the passing of Declarations of Climate Emergency.
Lobbied the Cape Cod Commission to create a regional Climate Action Plan which was completed.
Helped create the Faith Communities Environmental Network, a consortium of 45+ faith institutions to promote climate action, education, and environmental justice.
Co-sponsored Cape Cod’s first electric vehicle car show, attended by hundreds to learn about and test drive EV cars.
Engaged in many forms of advocacy (see more in section What We Do).
“It’s Time for Climate Collaboration” – June 12, 2022: An evening with Bill McKibben, Søren Hermansen and Melissa Hoffer.
Leadership
Officers
Dorothy A. Savarese | President
The President of the Board of the Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative (the Collaborative), Savarese is former CEO and Executive Chair of Cape Cod 5, recognized as a leading bank and top employer. She recently stepped down from her position after leading the community bank for nearly 20 years, during which time it grew to more than $5 billion in assets with 550 employees in 26 locations. Savarese formalized the integration of environmental stewardship into the “5 Ways” the Bank serves the community and expanded it to include mitigation of and adaptation to climate change. Savarese extends her commitment to combating climate change and building resiliency to her volunteer and community activities, in addition to her service to the Climate Collaborative. Just recently, Savarese was appointed by Governor-Elect Maura Healey to the Climate Readiness, Resiliency and Adaptation transition policy committee. Previously, she was appointed by the former governor of Massachusetts to the Clean Heat Commission. She traveled with a Massachusetts group to Denmark in June 2022 to learn more about the country’s clean energy transformation.
Savarese has also been recognized for her efforts in the banking industry, being named to the list of 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking by American Banker Magazine for 11 consecutive years, was the chair of both the American Bankers Association and the Massachusetts Bankers Association and has been named to committees advising the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, and the FDIC. She is the recipient of an honorary doctorate from Suffolk University and recently joined the Board of Trustees. In addition, she has served on a number of local boards serving the region and has received numerous awards and recognitions.
President
Janet Kraus | Vice President
Vice President
Maggie Phelan | Treasurer
Maggie has worked at Cape Cod 5, a community bank with $5.2 billion in assets, since 2015 in a variety of roles in Residential and Consumer Lending, Strategy and Operations, and Executive. Most recently, she has been working with the Digital and Commercial Lending teams implementing new technology. Maggie received her undergraduate degree from the Business School at Wake Forest University and her M.B.A. from the University of Massachusetts Isenberg School of Management. She is also a graduate of the New England School for Financial Studies. Maggie has been passionate about environmental causes since she was a child and is excited to spend time working with brilliant, like-minded individuals making an impact in our Cape Cod community.
In addition to her work with the Climate Collaborative, Maggie is active on several community boards, including as the Vice President of Independence House, the Treasurer of the MA Housing and Climate Innovation Center, and the Secretary of the Board at her children’s elementary school. She also coaches her children’s sports teams.
Maggie lives in Eastham with her husband, three children, and yellow laborador. She is an avid runner, skier, and traveler.
Treasurer
Janet Williams | Clerk
Coordinator, Chatham Climate Action Network
Chatham
With a background in environmental law, education, and consulting, Janet Williams brings a unique set of experiences and skills to the Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative. She spent a dozen years as an environmental enforcement attorney with the EPA, five years providing legal counsel to commercial real estate developers and lenders, and several years building and teaching social science education programs at the secondary level. She discovered a passion for and commitment to fighting climate change while volunteering as a pro bono legal researcher with the Climate Justice Programme in London in 2005. She’s been in the fight ever since. And she’s not giving up.
Other: Chair, Chatham Conservation Commission; Coordinator, Chatham Climate Action Network; Secretary, Pleasant Bay Community Boating; Member: Conservation Law Foundation
Janet has a BA from Boston College, Teaching Certification from Northeastern University and JD from Villanova University School of Law and is a LEED Accredited Green Associate.
Clerk
Directors
Dan Wolf | Government Affairs Committee Chair
Dan Wolf founded Cape Air in 1989 and served as the company’s Chief Executive Officer from its founding through 2021. Dan continues to serve the company as the Chairman of the Board of Directors and stays current with his Air Transport Pilot license. Dan was elected in November 2010, 2012, and 2014, respectively, to represent Cape Cod and the Islands in the Massachusetts State Senate, where he served from 2011 through 2016. Each term, Dan was appointed as the Senate Chair of the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development, focusing on legislation around labor, workplace safety, and workplace development. As a business and community leader, Dan continues to serve on many of the region’s most important non-profit and civic organizations, including on the Board of the Collaborative, as Chair of the Governance Affairs Committee.
Government Affairs Committee Chair/Director
Paul Niedzwiecki | Nominating Committee Chair
Paul Niedzwiecki assumed the role of chief executive officer of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce on July 1, 2021.
Niedzwiecki, of West Barnstable, is a public policy professional and attorney with more than two decades of experience in public administration and crafting environmental and economic policy on Cape Cod.
As former executive director of the Cape Cod Commission, Niedzwiecki worked to reorganize the region’s planning and regulatory agency to reduce red tape and assist communities to balance protection of the natural environment and fuel economic growth, while increasing transparency and community engagement.
Niedzwiecki has also held senior positions with Southfield Redevelopment Authority and Cape Cod Healthcare. In addition, he served as the assistant town manager in Barnstable, the Cape’s largest town, where he established the Cape’s first Growth Incentive Zone to bolster downtown Hyannis small business and was the first chairman of the Cape Cod Water Protection Collaborative.
Niedzwiecki holds a bachelor of science degree in public administration from Suffolk University and a juris doctor from Suffolk University Law School.
Nominating Committee Chair/Director
Rob Brennan
Counsel, Smolak & Vaughan
Director
Rich Delaney
Richard F. Delaney is the President and CEO of the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, MA. Previously, Mr. Delaney was the founding Director of the Urban Harbors Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston; served as Assistant Secretary of Environmental Affairs in Massachusetts for Governor Dukakis; was the National Chair of the Coastal States Organization in Washington DC representing the views of the 35 coastal states, Great Lake states and US territories and their Governors on legislative and budgetary matters before Congress.
Mr. Delaney has provided consultations to governments in over 20 countries, regarding coastal and ocean management, capacity building, institutional strengthening, and public education outreach campaigns; and as President of the Board of Directors for the Global Ocean Forum, he has helped organize Ocean Action Days at many United Nations climate conference including the Paris Climate Accord meeting in 2015.
He serves as chair for the Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission; founding member of the Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative; Board member of the Transatlantic Climate Alliance and past chair of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce’s Wastewater Task Force.
He has a B.S. degree in Political Science from Harvard, completed graduate studies in environmental planning and landscape architecture at the State University of New York College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry and completed a Certificate Program for Senior Executives at J.F.K. School of Government at Harvard.
Director
Margaret Downey
Ms. Downey is the Administrator for the Cape Light Compact. Prior to serving as the full-time Cape Light Compact Administrator, Maggie served as both the Assistant County Administrator and Compact Administrator for 17 years. The Cape Light Compact service territory consists of Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard, approximately 205,000 year-round residents. The Cape Light Compact is the first municipal aggregator in Massachusetts. Ms. Downey is responsible for management and direction of the Cape Light Compact’s electric power supply aggregation program and energy efficiency programs. Ms. Downey has been working on energy-related issues for over 20 years.
Maggie earned her Master of Public Administration from the University of Washington at Seattle and holds a Graduate Certificate in Management from Harvard University Extension School.
Director
Don Keeran
Don Keeran is assistant director of the Association to Preserve Cape Cod. He focuses extensively on environmental policy and advocacy for the organization, and acts as APCC’s liaison for most state and federal environmental legislative and policy issues. Don works on the state, regional and local levels on growth management initiatives, promoting the adoption of land use and planning policies that advance smart growth, natural resource protection and climate change. He is responsible for developing many of APCC’s positions on topical environmental issues, including proposals for regional development projects and other projects that could impact the Cape’s natural resources and quality of life. Don serves on a variety of boards and committees focused on issues such as climate change, land use planning, water quality and open space preservation. He has been a resident of Brewster since 1997.
Director
Robin Lord | Director
Editor, Cape Cod Health News
Director
Beth Wade | Director
Director of Land Acquisition & Project Development, Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod
Director
Dana Rebeiro | Director
Massachusetts Community Liaison, Vineyard Wind
Director
Ella Sampou | Director
Raised on the Cape, Ella has returned home as an adult and has dedicated herself to being the change she wants to see on the peninsula. She graduated from Skidmore College in 2017 with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and has since held a variety of roles that fall at the intersection of healthy communities and healthy ecosystems. She has experience in agriculture and aquaculture, land conservation, community and youth climate organizing, political campaigns, and recently worked as a Civics and History educator at the high school level.
At Community Development Partnership, Ella works closely with the Director of Housing Advocacy to conduct outreach, base building, training, education, and leadership development among our Lower Cape community. She volunteers with Mass Audubon’s Youth Climate Leadership Program, the Cape Cod chapter of Sierra Club, Cape Cod DSA, and in her spare time enjoys making art. She is passionate about the Climate Change Collaborative’s mission to build climate resilience on Cape Cod because she believes there must be a better future than the one that’s currently predicted.
Director
Kristy Senatori | Director
Kristy Senatori leads the Cape Cod Commission in designing innovative land use policies, environmental and community resilience strategies, and comprehensive economic development initiatives through a multi-disciplinary approach. After law school, Ms. Senatori worked in the private sector for several years before joining the Commission in 2008 and serving as the Commission’s Chief Regulatory Officer and Deputy Director. Under Ms. Senatori’s leadership, the Commission developed the region’s first-ever Climate Action Plan with meaningful adaptation and mitigation strategies. Our partnership with the Climate Collaborative is critical to the successful implementation of this plan and our ability to address our region’s climate and coastal vulnerabilities. Ms. Senatori serves on many local boards and committees with the goal of balancing environmental protection with economic progress ensuring the Cape remains a special place.
Director
Lewis Stern | Director
Stern Consulting as a Consultant and Coach on Cape Cod Eco-Justice and Climate Innovation and Leadership
Stern has spent fifty years as psychologist and consultant to leaders on six continents on organization and leadership development, strategic planning, communication, and innovation.
He is also a pro bono leadership consultant to Cape Cod non-profit leaders.
Stern writes: “The Cape is my home. I have treasured it my whole life. Our children depend on us to address the urgent climate crisis with justice. All of the Cape’s diverse people and organizations must work together to effect transformational change and innovation and implement intersectional solutions. We serve a critical and exciting role to convene and facilitate this collaboration to save the Cape with justice.”
Stern has also co-chaired the Faith Communities Environmental Network and the Collaborative’s Special Committee on Climate Justice. He founded the Foundation for International Leadership Coaching and served as Senior Advisor to Harvard’s Institute of Coaching.
He is a Life Member of The American Psychological Association and Member of the Society of Environmental, Population, and Conservation Psychology and the Society of Consulting Psychology.
Director
Katy Acheson
Katy Acheson is the Economic Development Director at the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce and the Cape Cod Blue Economy Foundation, Inc. She began working at the Chamber in early 2022 after almost ten years working for the Mashpee Chamber of Commerce. Having grown up on Cape Cod and worked for Cape-owned businesses since she was 14 years old, Katy believes there is no better way to understand the needs of Cape Cod’s businesses. Her unique understanding of the Cape economy is integral to all the work she does.
When asked why she is passionate about the work the Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative is doing, Katy answered: “Cape Cod is acutely vulnerable to climate change impacts like sea-level rise, ocean acidification, and increased severity of storms. The Climate Collaborative’s work to educate and insight positive, impactful change is necessary to protect the land and sea we call home. The Collaborative’s work aligns beautifully with the Cape Cod Blue Economy Foundation too, so I’m grateful for the support and shared knowledge and resources.”
Katy earned her master’s degree in Professional Writing from UMass Dartmouth. She is a 2022 graduate of the Cape Leadership Institute and became a Business Leads Fellow for the US Chamber Foundation in 2023. In addition to her work with the Climate Collaborative, she is a member of the CARE for the Cape & Islands/Take Care Cape Cod steering committee and volunteers for EforAll Cape Cod.
Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce
Matt Burke
Matt leads Cape Cod 5, a community bank with $5.5 billion in assets, as Chair and Chief Executive Officer. He has been part of the leadership team at Cape Cod 5 since joining the Bank in 2012, having held the roles of Co-President and Chief Financial Officer. A United States Army Veteran with an undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and a graduate degree from the University of Massachusetts Boston, Matt began his career in public accounting.
Cape Cod 5 prides itself as an environmental steward in the community, and Matt is honored to represent the Bank alongside other key Cape Cod leaders in undertaking this critical climate work.
In addition to his work with the Climate Collaborative, Matt is an active community member, serving on the Boards of the Massachusetts Bankers Association, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Charlton School of Business, and the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Wharton. He also serves on the Board of Kingston Youth Lacrosse as Treasurer.
Matt resides in Kingston with his wife and three sons.
Cape Cod 5
John Cox
Cape Cod Community College
Eugene Curry
Eugene Curry is an attorney based in Barnstable, Massachusetts, whose practice is devoted to providing corporate, intellectual property, and regulatory advice to entrepreneurs, artists, business owners and non-profit leaders, with particular emphasis on issues related to the intersection of law and technology.
Gene believes that climate change is the existential crisis of our time and that the work of the Collaborative is essential to addressing this crisis. He serves as Chair of the Cape Cod Blue Economy Foundation and as General Counsel and Chair of the Infrastructure Committee of the Cape Cod Technology Council. Gene is a frequent speaker on legal, business, and intellectual property issues.
A published poet and award-winning chili cook, Gene lives in Gray Gables, Massachusetts with his wife, Lynda, and rescue dog, Amy, who operates as a document retriever when she visits Gene’s office.
Law Offices of Eugene Curry
Rosemary Dreger-Carey
Rosemary is a grassroots climate activist who mobilizes local action to address the climate crisis. She has spent most of her professional career as a freelance marketing writer at Copyrose.com helping companies and organizations get their sustainability message out.
In 2015 Rosemary trained with former Vice President Al Gore and leading climate scientists to become a Climate Reality Project Leader and later, a Mentor conducting community education on climate. She was an original 350 Cape Cod Steering Committee member and led the group from 2020 to 2023. As a Falmouth Town Meeting member, she advocated for a climate emergency declaration in her town, adoption of the stretch building code, the creation of Cape Cod’s first town-wide sustainability coordinator position, responsible offshore wind and solar development, protection of Cape Cod’s sole source aquifer from military gun range pollution, as well as robust climate mitigation policies in our region. She is a Director at Cape & Vineyard Electric Cooperative, a member of the Falmouth Climate Action Network (FalCan), and serves as the Vice Chair of the Falmouth Democratic Town Committee. She lives with her husband in North Falmouth and spends time in California where she volunteers with Third Act South Bay.
Rosemary is happiest when she is working on a team to solve local climate problems, or raising ‘beautiful trouble’ when a wakeup call is needed. She relishes working with fellow Cape Cod climate activists (the best in the world!) and accomplished Collaborative Board and Advisory Board members, whom she now calls dear friends, mentors and climate heroes.
Website: www.copyrose.com; Email: rosemary@copyrose.com
Chair, Cape 360
Tom Cahir
Mr. Thomas S. Cahir commenced his political career by winning election to the MA House of Representatives in 1985, representing the 3rd Barnstable District. His tenure spanned 14 years until January 1999. During his legislative service, Cahir was deeply engaged in transportation matters, notably as Chairman of the Joint Committee on Transportation. He played pivotal roles in initiatives such as commuter rail expansion across the Commonwealth and infrastructure projects like the Sagamore Rotary grade separation. In addition, he spearheaded significant legislative efforts, including the 1996 Seaport Bond Bill and multiple Transportation Bond Bills.
Transitioning to the Executive Branch in 1999, Mr. Cahir assumed the position of Deputy Secretary for Transportation Programs at the Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works (EOTPW). There, he managed a substantial budget of $140 million, offering oversight and support to the Commonwealth’s fifteen Regional Transit Authorities.
Since 2009, Cahir has held the position of Administrator at the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority, overseeing transit operations across all 15 Cape Cod communities. He is credited with conceptualizing the successful seasonal CapeFLYER train service, aimed at improving transportation connectivity to Boston.
Additionally, Cahir actively contributes to various organizations, serving as Corporator for the Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod and Cape Cod Healthcare, and as an Advisory Board Member of the Cape Cod Baseball League.
Cahir’s commitment to combating climate change is evident through his leadership in implementing sustainable practices at CCRTA. Initiatives such as wind turbine installation, solar panel integration, and the deployment of EV charging stations underscore his dedication to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. He champions a transition to zero-emission and low-emission vehicles, emphasizing the importance of public transportation in mitigating environmental impacts.
Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority
Maria Marasco
Cape & Vineyard Electric Cooperative
Erin Perry
Erin Perry joined the Cape Cod Commission in 2011 and has served as Deputy Director since 2019. Erin manages regional planning efforts and engages stakeholders during the planning process to build consensus. She has led development of plans and decision-support platforms on the topics of water quality, coastal resilience and hazard mitigation, climate change, housing, and economic development. The Commission’s partnership with the Climate Collaborative supports a coordinated and collaborative approach to implementing the Cape Cod Climate Action Plan and ensuring climate considerations are integrated into implementation of other regional plans.
Erin received a Bachelor of Science in Biological Oceanography from Rutgers University and a Master of Arts in Marine Affairs from the University of Rhode Island.
Cape Cod Commission
Morgan Peck
Morgan Peck serves as the Youth & Family Program Coordinator/Climate Change Education Coordinator for Mass Audubon Cape Cod. She has a degree in Environmental Sciences/Marine Science, and has been a wildlife and science educator with Mass Audubon since 2013, based at Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary since 2016. Morgan helps to develop and deliver outdoor nature-based curricula to K-12 students (as well as out of school time programs, like Day Camp!) across Cape Cod which focuses on human-impacts and the importance of habitat conservation. Morgan also coordinates the Cape Cod Youth Climate Leadership Program working to engage HS students in youth-led Climate Change education and community action over the course of the school year.
Morgan writes: “I love the way the Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative brings like-minded organizations together to impact meaningful change within the communities, as opposed to working on our own in silos. Often, environmental organizations get so hyper-focused on their own action agendas that we forget others might also be working towards similar goals, and we can work together to harness momentum!”
Morgan is also a member of the Sierra Club Cape Cod Executive Committee.
Mass Audubon
Mark Robinson
Mark H. Robinson has served as Executive Director of The Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts, Inc. since its founding in 1986. The Compact provides technical assistance to 31 local and regional land trusts and watershed groups operating on Cape Cod, including landowner negotiations, fundraising, land management and state/municipal coordination on open space projects. A graduate of Williams College and the University of Rhode Island, Robinson previously worked on coastal management and water quality issues for the Cape Cod Planning and Economic Development Commission. He has served as Chairman of the Barnstable Conservation Commission, Co-Chair of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy Conservation Study Group, Vice-Chair and Treasurer of the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition, and Vice-President of the Association to Preserve Cape Cod. He is currently the Governor’s representative to the Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission. He has completed over 800 land acquisition projects in Massachusetts and lectures regularly in regional and national conservation forums.
Robinson writes: “I am proud to be associated with the Collaborative and represent the land conservation community. The Collaborative has attracted tremendous talent to its board from all walks of life on the Cape and its ability to bring so many people together through its conferences and workshops is inspirational. We all can and must work together to get to where we need to be: with the Cape as a shining example of the grass-roots acting to save our small part of the planet.”
Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts
Bob Ryley
Habitat for Humanity Cape Cod
Paul Speer
Paul Speer is recently retired as the Chief Operating Officer of the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole. He is continuing his affiliation with MBL as a part-time senior advisor. Before arriving at the MBL in 2014, Paul was President of the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA) in Arlington, VA. CNA is a non-profit research and development organization that provides applied research and analytic support to the Department of the Navy.
Paul received a BA in Geosciences from Williams College and a PhD in Oceanography from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program in Oceanography.
Marine Biological Laboratory
Stephanie Spadoni
Steph Spadoni first joined the Collaborative in her prior role working at the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority, where she led the organization’s transition from fossil-fueled vehicles to an electric fleet. After her time at the Authority, Steph was delighted to remain a part of the Collaborative. Moving to Cape Cod in 2020 and discovering the joy of being a year-round resident, Steph developed her passion for the Cape. Witnessing the impacts of climate change on this special place, she embraces the Collaborative’s mission to mitigate contributions to climate change. Steph also serves on the Leadership and Advancement committee within Cape Cod Young Professionals.
AECOM
Susan Starkey
Susan Starkey, Advisory Board Member is the co-founder and co-chair of the all-volunteer Faith Communities Environmental Network (FCEN), formed in 2017 as the first Network affiliated with the Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative. The network has grown from two to forty-two Faith Community members and has close to eighty “representatives” involved. Susan is a retired Organizational Development and Leadership Coach whose work spanned many industries, like medical device manufacturing, state government, high-tech engineering, and higher education. Over nine years of living in Yarmouth Port (after 35 in the Boulder/Denver area of Colorado and her schooling and early life in Michigan), she has served on Yarmouth’s Energy Committee, been a member of 350 Cape Cod, Sierra Club, and now the League of Women Voters/Cape Cod and Third Act/Faith. She believes that the strength of the Climate Collaborative’s voice is in boldly advocating for regional climate solutions that address environmental justice and eco-justice concerns. Susan writes: “We bring grassroots advocates together with business leaders, energy experts, educators, and faith communities and we hope to become a more diverse and inclusive voice as we continue to evolve.”
Faith Communities Environmental Network
Heather Goldstone
Heather Goldstone is an experienced climate communicator who works to blend data and narrative in ways that inspire and motivate. She currently serves as Chief Communications Officer at Woodwell Climate Research Center, a non-profit research organization working with partners around the globe, conducting science for solutions at the nexus of climate, people, and nature. Prior to joining Woodwell, she worked at WCAI and WGBH, where she wrote a blog about climate change, reported on science and environmental issues, and eventually founded and hosted a weekly science-focused radio show, Living Lab Radio. She is passionate about Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative’s focus on convening and collaboration as pathways to climate solutions.
Woodwell Climate Research Center
Michele White
As a Special Projects Coordinator with the Cape Cod Commission, Michele focuses on climate-related initiatives identified in the Cape Cod Regional Policy Plan and the Cape Cod Climate Action Plan. She also supports planning and technical staff in priority regional initiatives and projects. Michele previously worked reviewing Developments of Regional Impact at the Commission and has experience in regulatory review and permitting. Michele believes the Climate Collaborative is an important convener of regional organizations and entities working together to tackle the climate crisis and reduce the effects of climate change on Cape Cod and the Islands.
Cape Cod Commission
Nathaniel Mayo
Nathaniel (Nate) Mayo is the Director of Public Affairs for Vineyard Offshore. He oversees local policy issues for Vineyard Wind, heading outreach and coordination efforts with various stakeholders and works on permitting efforts at the state, regional and local level. Nate is a life-long Cape Codder with over a decade in public policy and community engagement, having worked on environmental, energy and fisheries issues. He worked for U.S. Congressman William Delahunt and served as legislative director to former Cape and Islands State Sen. Robert O’Leary. He joined Vineyard Offshore because of the opportunity it would provide him to have an impact locally and globally.
Nate believes that global and national policy is a critical driver of our society’s response to climate change, but that much of the actual physical solutions to combating climate change will happen at the individual, household, neighborhood, and local levels. He is proud to be a part of the Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative, harnessing the mission of the organization to effect those changes and serve as a model to other regions. Nate writes: “We’re motivated by the risks to our local environment (and thus our economy) on Cape Cod – not only the well-known risks of chaotic weather, erosion, flooding, etc, but also degradation of our local water bodies, impacts to fisheries and other wildlife are part of our identity on the Cape. We’ve created a multifaceted coalition, raised awareness, and become the regional focal point for climate action.”
Nate holds a MA in Environmental Policy from Tufts University. He serves as vice-chair of the Conservation Commission in Provincetown and is a Provincetown member of Cape Light Compact’s Board of Directors.
Vineyard Wind 1
Jim Wolf
As Director for Sustainability at Cape Air for the past 14 years, Jim’s focus has been to answer the question: What does it mean when an airline goes green? From building the then largest solar system in southern Massachusetts atop corporate HQ in 2010, to the company’s active pursuit of a fully electric fleet replacement aircraft, Jim has led the company’s award-winning sustainability agenda through initiatives involving operations, employee benefits, and community engagement. Early adoption of new technology has been a key strategy for keeping these initiatives in the color black on the bottom line. Jim is recently retired from Cape Air as of April of 2024.
Former Cape Air Employee
Teresa Martin
Teresa Martin currently serves as CEO of Lower Cape TV, managing two cable stations and a non-profit newsroom that delivers local news, creative economy, coast + climate, and business reporting distributed via traditional cable, e-newsletter, mobile app, web, and other digital formats. She previously held CEO, COO, and senior management roles in media, information, and technology companies.
Throughout her career she has used technology to make positive changes to the world, helping develop ways to communicate and connect, while at the same time writing articles, books, and columns and producing video stories to share and explain our changing world. Past accomplishments include helping develop the first tablet newspaper model for publisher Knight-Ridder at its Information Design Lab; growing early web start up Project Cool from launch through acquisition; serving as COO of digital asset management firm MerlinOne; building public digital access through the Unwired Village project while serving as CEO of the Cape Cod Technology Council; and bringing fiber communications/fiber/broadband infrastructure to the Cape and Southeastern Massachusetts as a founder of OpenCape.
She holds degrees from Boston University’s College of Communications and Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education — and loves nothing better than creating engagement between people, their communities, and the world around them.
Lower Cape TV
Rachel Moberg
Rachel Moberg earned her bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College, where she graduated magna cum laude with majors in Environmental Studies and Economics. At Wellesley, she was awarded the Natalie Bolton Faculty Prize in Economics for her research in International Trade and also earned a Student Library Research Award for her extensive research on International Environmental Law.
Prior to her work with the Climate Collaborative, she spent summers working for Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) as a Summer Student Fellow in the Marine Policy Center, helping to develop an economic valuation study on Cape Cod recreational shellfishing. She also worked in the Coastal Groundwater Geochemistry lab processing data for the GEOTRACES project and WHOI’s Nutrient Cost Center.
Rachel believes in an intersectional approach to addressing climate change. As a lifelong resident of Cape Cod, she is excited to be working with the Climate Collaborative as they embody the importance of collaboration and emphasizing adaptation and resilience as key tools to address climate change on Cape Cod. She also works for Cotuit Center for the Arts as the organization’s Member Relations Associate.
Climate Associate