Board & Staff

MEET OUR ISLAND HOUSING TRUST STAFF

Philippe Jordi

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

CEO
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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

Chief Administrative Officer
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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

Real Estate Project Associate
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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

Office Manager
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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

Chief Advancement Advisor
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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

Project and Program Development Manager
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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

Controller
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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

Director of Annual Giving
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After starting an ecological cabinetry business in Manhattan during the 90’s, Keith obtained a degree in Architecture. He and his wife, Hara, moved to Tisbury in 2000, where he established his residential design and project management  company. 

Keith McGuire

Real Estate Project Director
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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

Communications, IT and Stewardship Manager
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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

Director of Real Estate
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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

Project Manager
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Jennifer grew up spending summers and holidays on the Vineyard and moved full-time to the island in 2023. She has over 15 years of experience in business operations, project management and systems administration. In her free time you will find Jennifer walking the Vineyard trails with her Australian cattle dog, Jazz.

Jennifer Lincoln

Operations Manager

MEET OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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

Pamela Craven

Chair
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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

Vice Chair
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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

Treasurer
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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

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

Delos Lander

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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

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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 Green

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

Bob Green

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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

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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

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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

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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.

Jason Mazar-Kelly

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Karen founded, and was the Executive Director of Harbor Homes of MV, a nonprofit providing housing and shelter to residents who face homelessness. Previously she served as the Associate Commissioner for the MA Department of Early Education and Care and administered programs for at-risk children.

Karen Tewhey

COMMITTEES

AUDIT COMMITTEE

Moss Hanrahan, Chair

Delos Lander

John Schaefer

Wendy Wolf

ADVANCEMENT & COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE

Barbara Bellissimo, Chair

Bob Egerton

Doug Ruskin

Karen Tewhey

Claire O’Hare

Elaine Miller

Lisa Berkower

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Pamela Craven, Chair

Victoria Haeselbarth, Vice Chair

Norman Werthwein, Treasurer

Doug Ruskin, Clerk

Advisory Council

Co-Chairs, Diana Barrett/Bob Vila

John Abrams

Steve Bernier

Polly Brown

Phillip Clay

J Durst

Sam Feldman

Bob Green

Marni E. J. Grossman

Jeremy Henderson

Brook Katzen

Pamela Kohlberg

Drew Marcus

Deborah Rappaport

Wendy Wolf

GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE

Bob Egerton, Chair

John Schaefer

Norman Werthwein

Pamela Craven

REAL ESTATE COMMITTEE

Moss Hanrahan, Chair

Pam Craven

Bob Green

Mark Baumhofer

Matt Coffey

Peter Freeman

Steven Warner

STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE

Victoria Haeselbarth, Chair

Jonathan Holter

Kim Laird

Tim Brown

FINANCE COMMITTEE

Norman Werthwein, Chair

Delos Lander

Jason Mazar-Kelly

Howard Goldstein

Mary Bihrle