MEET OUR ISLAND HOUSING TRUST STAFF

Philippe Jordi has worked for over 20 years on Martha’s Vineyard as a developer and manager of affordable community housing for the Island Housing Trust and the Dukes County Regional Housing Authority, and as a community development planner for the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah).
Philippe lives with his family in West Tisbury.
Philippe Jordi

Breeze Hodson Tonnesen has over 30 years experience in project and business management, marketing and communications. She has lived on the Vineyard since 1999 and has designed and built several houses here on the island.
Breeze lives with her family in Tisbury.
Breeze Tonnesen

Pam Scott has a Masters of Science in Real Estate Development and a Masters in City Planning. Pam also has an extensive background in real estate project management and owner’s representative services to residential, commercial and non-profit entities.
Pam lives in Edgartown with her family.
Pam Scott

Having grown up spending summers, holidays, and everything in between with her family in Edgartown, Weezie always spent as much time as she could on the Vineyard. After 18 years of residing and raising her two children in Bermuda, she found her way back to her beloved Martha’s Vineyard full-time in 2020. Weezie brings over 12 years of experience managing office operations and is thrilled to be part of the IHT team. She lives in West Tisbury with her family.
Louise O'Brien

Inspired daily by the generosity, spirit and warmth of the Martha’s Vineyard community, Joanna McCarthy brings 25+ years of Major Gifts Fundraising and Advancement Management expertise to the island.
Joanna has been an island visitor for the past twenty years, always dreaming of working in a place she and her family love.
Joanna McCarthy

Since 2010, Arielle has been a year-round resident and actively involved in various community organizations, including serving as Co-chair for the Coalition to Create the Martha’s Vineyard Housing Bank. With six years of experience as the Affordable Housing Manager for the Town of Edgartown, Arielle brings valuable expertise to her role with IHT. She resides in the IHT-built Scott’s Grove neighborhood.
Arielle Faria

After spending numerous summers on the Vineyard, Ellen made Chilmark her year-round home in 2003 where she lives with her husband and 3 children. Ellen brings her experience of the past 25 years working in both Governmental and Public Accounting roles.
Ellen Biskis

Paige Leahy brings her professionalism, organziational skill and team building talent to IHT’s mission. She is a lifetime vineyard visitor who is passionate about helping to create more year-round affordable housing on the Island and helping to sustain our vibrant community . She is a graduate of Saint Michael’s College.
Paige lives on the Cape.
Paige Leahy

Keith McGuire

Elissa has worked with island non profits and local government on a variety of projects that include housing equity and food security.
An island resident since 2005, she lives in an IHT-built house with her two young daughters in Vineyard Haven.
Elissa Turnbull

For over 27 years, Teri has held Director positions with Community Development Corporations in the cities of New Bedford, Providence, Taunton, Chelsea and Pittsburgh. She has managed the completion of many small and large housing and mixed-use projects utilizing an array of public and private funding sources. Teri holds a master’s degree in urban planning from George Washington University. She is thrilled to be working with the team at Island Housing Trust.
Teri Bernert

John has spent most of his career building and designing homes on Martha’s Vineyard, including a recent affordable accessory apartment for him and his wife, on the land he grew up on in West Tisbury. He has seen firsthand the importance of creating permanent affordable housing to support the island community he holds dear. John also runs a drafting side-business serving a year-round client base.
John Stanwood
MEET OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Retired Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel of Avaya, and a resident of Edgartown
Pamela Craven

Victoria is the social outreach worker for older adults in the town of Edgartown. She works at the Council on Aging and is involved in numerous civic activities. She is a year-round resident of Edgartown.
Victoria Haeselbarth

Norman has worked in the CFO role for both privately held and public companies in a variety of industries. He has served on the boards of national and local non profits. He resides in Chilmark..
Norman Werthwein

A professional cabinetmaker initially, Doug spent most of his career selling, designing and implementing commercial software systems, streamlining his clients’ business processes. He spent 8 years on the West Tisbury Finance Committee and is a Dukes County Commissioner. He’s a past president of Habitat for Humanity of Martha’s Vineyard and still loves building furniture.
Doug Ruskin

Senior Vice President of Rockland Trust Bank and a resident of Edgartown.
Delos Lander

Robert is a retired bank executive lending to farmers and agricultural cooperatives. He serves on several nonprofit boards and is a resident of Edgartown.
Robert Egerton

James “Moss” Hanrahan lives in Oak Bluffs with his wife Scout Austin. Moss is a retired lawyer who practiced for 44 years and was a partner with Bowditch & Dewey LLP. His practice specialized in land use planning, non-profit corporations and a wide variety of affordable housing projects. In addition to his continued interest in affordable housing initiatives. Moss now devotes his time to photography and writing fiction and poetry. He also spends time wrangling his two dogs and five grandchildren.
Moss Hanrahan

Bob is a tireless advocate for affordable housing and a Co-trustee of the KUEHN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION.
Bob Green

John is the retired President and COO of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. He is a resident of Edgartown with broad not for profit and public company board experience.
John Schaefer

A social policy analyst and philanthropist who organizes women and the men in their lives in support of progressive social change. She is a seasonal resident of Chilmark.
Wendy C. Wolf, Ph.D

Barbara brings decades of leadership experience in both the private and nonprofit sectors to her current work building nonprofit capacity on Martha’s Vineyard. She is a full-time resident of West Tisbury.
Barbara Bellissimo

Jason is a seasoned CPA, successful business owner, and dedicated yoga teacher. He has a decade of expertise working with public and private companies in the financial, technology, and wellness sectors. His diverse background empowers him to balance fiscal precision with holistic well-being, delivering valuable insights to his clients, partners, and community.