Board and Staff

Linda Mack, Chair

Linda is a private non-profit consultant drawing on her decades of experience leading non-profit work at the staff and board level. After recently leaving her position as the Vice President for Philanthropy at the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts after almost a decade, she brings a wealth of leadership and fundraising skills as well as deep networking connections throughout the region. Linda has a foundational love for the environment beginning with her career as a Conservation Commissioner and Agent. She was the ED for the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissioners and one of the founders of the Townsend Conservation Land Trust.  She has always had a passion for the environment and is excited to serve as a NCLT Board member where her practical experience, technical knowledge, organization, and a high level of interpersonal skills will be used to grow NCLT.

Laura Barooshian, Treasurer

Laura is a Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy.  She is a Partner at PKF O’Connor Davies LLC.  At work she counsels clients on giving; accommodating not only their tax planning, but also their philanthropic goals. She received a bachelor’s degree from Bentley University, and a Master’s in Taxation from Northeastern University.  Laura resides in Lunenburg with her husband Mark and children Tyler and Emma, and appreciates the green space and preserved land she and her family are able to enjoy. Together they support local organizations, schools, and the environment by giving time, monetary support and advocacy.

Angela Kearney, Secretary

Angela is the owner/proprietor of Minglewood, LLC an ecological design/build company. With a M.S. in Ecological Planning & Design from the Conway School, and BS and BA in Biology and Art from Lewis & Clark College, Angela brings passion and knowledge to the board. She has 20 years of experience in Conservation Planning and Design overseeing the successful development and execution of two Open Space Plans and countless other land protection projects. Her commitment to the environment is also demonstrated in her many accreditations and certifications including LEED Accredited Professional, Accredited Organic Land Care Professional, Ecological Landscaping Association, and SOMWBA.

Jassy Bratko, Director

Jassy lives in Hubbardston with her husband, Tom, on the farm where they raised their three children. The children are now grown, so they share their farm with their dogs, horses, chickens, cows, and pigs. Jassy’s interest in land conservation and management goes back many years. She served on the Hubbardston Open Space Committee, which she chaired for almost 20 years. During this time, she organized the campaign to pass the Community Preservation Act in Hubbardston and, after the town adopted CPA, she served as Chair of the Community Preservation Committee for several years. On both committees, she worked to conserve land in her town and the subsequent management of that land. She served on the NCLT board for several years and resigned from the Board when the land trust hired her as the Director of Land Conservation. She held that position until her retirement several years ago, but is happy to serve as a Board Member again!

Lucy Crocker Abisalih, Director

Lucy is a native of Lunenburg who spent many weekends of her youth hiking and picnicking in the very woods we are working to protect. For the past 30 years her work has included board service to public and independent schools in Massachusetts – as a school committee member to the Pentucket Regional School System, a trustee to Applewild School in Fitchburg, Lawrence Academy in Groton and Trustee Emerita at Pike School in Andover. Other board leadership positions include The Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts, The Georges River Land Trust (Maine) and the Community Advisory Board of the Fitchburg Art Museum. She also serves as a personal fiduciary.

Mary E. Cringan, Director

Mary Cringan, retired after 38 years as a classroom teacher and elementary/middle school principal in Fitchburg, Lunenburg, and Princeton, MA. She serves as Chairperson of the Project 351 Educators Advisory Group and Secretary for the Friends of Coggshall Park. She loves running, hiking, volunteering for non-profit organizations and traveling. Mary enjoys helping with maintaining the trails for North County Land Trust.

Ben Howard, Director

Ben is a passionate outdoor enthusiast who grew up in Luneburg, MA. After spending the better part of the last decade living and working across parts of Asia, he has recently moved back to his hometown. His outdoor passions stretch from hiking, biking and backcountry snowboarding to bird watching and backyard gardening.  Ben has worked in wide range of Sales, Business Development and General Management roles and is excited to use this experience to support NCLT and further the mission of preserving, protecting and promoting the landscapes of North Central Mass.

Brian Goldberg, Director

Brian lives along the Squannacook River in Shirley with his wife, daughter and several pets, where his family enjoys the area’s extensive natural resources, strong sense of community and historic character. Brian has worked at MIT’s Office of Sustainability since 2016, helping the campus become a model of climate mitigation and resilience. A planner with a Master of Environmental Management, Brian brings a global perspective from 25 years of work across Africa, Asia, and the US. He is deeply invested in Shirley’s future as a Greenway Committee volunteer, where he has led the development of Shirley’s 10-year Open Space and Recreation Plan and helped secure the adoption of the Community Preservation Act.

Carrie Novak, Director

Carrie lives with her husband and daughter on a small farm in Templeton. Carrie worked as a Senior Loan Officer for the USDA Farm Service Agency, for over 35 years before retiring. She is active in Town government, chairing Templeton’s Open Space Committee and serving on its Agricultural Commission. Carrie is also an active member of Bethany Baptist Church in Gardner.  Carrie has a long-standing interest in natural resource conservation, especially the conservation of open space and agricultural land. In her leisure time, Carrie enjoys gardening, working on her small farm and visits with her grandchildren.

Laura Proietti, Director

Bio Coming Soon!

Alan N. Rousseau, Director

Alan has been a NCLT director since 2005 and has served as Board President from 2006 till the beginning of 2018. He has had a lifelong interest in conservation that began with spending a lot of time on his families’ woodland in Gardner MA. Alan served as a volunteer Boy Scout Leader from 1990 to 2006, and co-established the Gardner Alliance for Responsible Development in 2002. He retired from working in the Computer Industry (Digital, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard) over the past 40 years in a number of professional and management positions. Alan resides in Gardner with his wife, Susan, and is the father of three grown children, James, Jennifer, and Thomas.

Ana Sánchez, Communications Intern

info@northcountylandtrust.org

Ana Sánchez (she/her) joined NCLT in September 2025. Ana is from Ayer, MA, and is double majoring in English and Global Environmental Studies at Clark University, located in Worcester, MA. Ana is interested in an interdisciplinary approach to English and environmental studies, known as the Environmental Humanities. She is particularly interested in how literature intersects with environmental concepts, ranging from geographical theoretical work to Georgics (agricultural poems). Ana hopes to pursue a career that is oriented toward both of her degrees, and is especially interested in exploring fundraising and grant writing. At Clark University, Ana participates in Dance Society in the tech/secretary position and as a group choreographer, and additionally works for Orientation as a Peer Mentor. She enjoys exploring the city of Worcester, as well as hiking, reading, and writing.