Trustees

Paul T. Fitzgerald – Paul and Cheryl Ann Fitzgerald live in Laconia, N.H. They have two grown sons, Shawn and Travis. Paul received his B.A. from St. Michael's College in 1972 and earned a law degree four years later in 1976. He is currently a director of the law firm of Wescott, Dyer, Fitzgerald & Nichols in Laconia. In addition to his law practice, Paul has been active in a number of community organizations and has served as both the Mayor of Laconia and Chairman of the Laconia Police Commission. Paul first became involved with the Observatory as an extension of being an avid hiker when he walked into the summit facility out of curiosity after climbing the mountain back in 1980. After serving on the Summit Operations Committee for several years he was elected a trustee in 1985 and has been active on the Executive Committee and long-range planning committees. Paul is a past president of the Board of Trustees and currently serves on the Observatory's Governance Committee.

Brad L. J. Griswold – Brad currently resides in Lancaster NH with his wife Valerie and their two children enjoying an unobstructed view of the Presidentials and the Observatory. The family's introduction to the Observatory was during the first Seek the Peak event, which has led to their continued involvement over the years. After attending Messiah College and then attending the College of Financial Planning, in 1994 Brad founded Concannon Wealth Management with offices in Pennsylvania and Florida, where he continues today as the managing partner. In this role, Brad focuses on developing and implementing a cohesive strategy by which their client's assets are managed and their long-term financial goals addressed. Currently Brad serves on a number of boards in various capacities including Moravian Academy in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and Christian Camps and Conferences in Alton, New Hampshire.

Dick Hamilton – Dick Hamilton, of Littleton, N.H. has over 50 years experience in the travel and tourism industry including 35 years as CEO of the White Mountains Attractions Association, from which he recently retired. He was the first executive director of SKI 93 and is the founder of the N.H. Travel Council. He currently serves as the chair of the N.H. Scenic Byways Council, the chair of the Department of Resources and Economic Development Advisory Board, the chair of the DTTD Joint Promotional Committee (otherwise known as "tourism matching grants"), a member of the Old Man of the Mountain Legacy Fund, vice president of the Old Man of the Mountain Museum, a member of N.H. Travel and Tourism Development Advisory Council, a board member of the Flying Yankee Restoration Group and a member of the Littleton Chamber of Commerce. He also served 14 years as a member of the Board of Governors of the N.H. Community Technical College system. As he has been an active promoter of the White Mountains as a tourism destination, he is also an avid collector of vintage White Mountains memorabilia, thus his long love affair with Mount Washington. He has been married for 43 years to his best friend Sandra and has three grown children and six grandchildren aged 2-16. Dick was elected a trustee in 2005.

Hugh Jencks – Hugh is Vice President-Investments and Senior Portfolio Manager with UBS Financial Services, Inc. in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. His three-decade career in the wealth advisory profession has also involved a combined 42 years of service on volunteer boards in the state of New Hampshire.

Hugh has served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Canterbury Shaker Village, President of the Board of Trustees of the Wentworth-Gardner & Tobias Lear Houses Association, Chairman of the Peirce Island Committee of the City of Portsmouth, and President of the Steering Committee of the Friends of the South End Neighborhood Association. He brings to the Observatory expertise in governance, financial management, and fundraising matters, as well as an advocate's understanding of the iconic status that Mount Washington owns among New Hampshire's landmarks, and the historic role of the Observatory on the summit.

He lives with his wife, Dennett Page, a retired non-profit executive and their daughter in the historic Puddle Dock neighborhood of Portsmouth.

Kenneth A. Jones – Recently retired, Ken was the managing partner of Wilson/Reilly Associates, a technical sales firm in Nashua, N.H., following a long career in industrial management. He lives in Amherst, N.H., with his wife Suzanne. They have two grown children, as well as several grandchildren, who visit them often at Lake Winnisquam.

Active in many outdoor activities, Ken has always been keenly interested in weather. His introduction to the Observatory in the early 80s kindled a love of Mount Washington and its unique climate. He serves on other non-profit boards as well. Ken has been a member of the Mount Washington Observatory's Science Committee since 1995, and is a past president of the Board of Trustees. He holds an engineering degree from Penn State and an MBA from Syracuse University.

Robert C. Kirsch – Rob Kirsch received a diploma from Phillips Academy, Andover, received his B.S. from Middlebury College, cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa in 1979 and a J.D., cum laude, from Cornell Law School in 1983. He is a partner in the law firm of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP in Boston, where he leads the firm's environmental practice. His professional accomplishments have been recognized nationally: he was named a Massachusetts Lawyer of the year in 2008; he is a Board Member of the Environmental Law Institute; and a Fellow of the American College of Environmental Lawyers. Rob learned of the Observatory through hiking and climbing in the White Mountains with his father and brother, beginning in the 1960s. In January 1978 he served as a student intern at the Observatory, and he worked as an observer when not attending college or law school between 1978 and 1981. He has been a trustee since 1985. He is a past president of the Board of Trustees and serves on the Observatory's Executive and Governance Committees.

Maureen Kelliher – Maureen Kelliher is no stranger to the Mount Washington Observatory. She is a five-year member and has participated in numerous events. She is responsible for the investment team of Citizens Bank's investment department in New Hampshire and has over 27 years of investment industry experience and 18 years in investment portfolio management. Previously, Kelliher was Chief Investment Officer for a state-chartered trust company in NH as well as money desk manager for a regional bank. She occasionally conducts economic seminars and writes investment articles for the Boston Business Journal.

Gail Langer – Gail lives in Stoneham, Maine on a mountaintop in clear view of Mount Washington. She recently became the Senior Director of Business Development for St. Teresa Medical Inc. after spending over 20 years with Pfizer and Dupont Pharmaceuticals working in R&D, sales, marketing, manufacturing, quality and business development. She graduated from Merrimack College in 1972 with a B.S. in Chemistry and received an M.S. in Organic Chemistry from Southern Connecticut University. Always a lover of the outdoors, Gail's interests include sea kayaking, skiing, swimming, snorkeling, bicycling and especially hiking. She has hiked in Peru, Alaska, Western Canada, Nepal and Switzerland, but especially loves the White Mountains. In her spare time, Gail volunteers as an EMT for the Stoneham Rescue Service. She has served on the Observatory board since 2005.

Robert Larsen – Bob Larsen graduated from St. Olaf College in 1970, obtained a master's degree in Biological Anthropology based on high altitude research in Peru in 1974, and graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1979 where he was the editor of the Wisconsin Law Review. Bob recently retired from the Sulloway & Hollis law firm where he worked since 1979 and concentrated on the defense of doctors and hospitals in state and federal court and on the representation of health care providers in regulatory matters. He is listed in Best Lawyers in America and has received numerous honors including Merrimack County Lawyer of the Year. Bob is a trustee of The NH Nature Conservancy, on the Advisory Board of the Art Gallery at UNH, President of the Board of the Friends Program, and trustee emeritus of the Mayhew Program. He is the Chair of the United Way Campaign in Merrimack County for 2007. Bob lives with his family in Concord, N.H. He was named a trustee of the Observatory in 2001 and was a co-chair of the Observatory's capital campaign New Horizons.

Sarah Long – Meteorologist Sarah Long has worked at both mountaintop and sea level. After four years as Mount Washington Observatory's chief meteorologist and summit manager, she headed down the mountain to begin her career in broadcasting. From 2002 to 2012, Sarah worked as a morning meteorologist for WGME13 News Channel 13 in Portland, Maine. She has since traded in the 2AM wake up call for running her own business. She and her husband, Tom, a high school science teacher, opened Long's Board Shop in South Portland, Maine in 2012, where they sell skateboards, snowboards, and everything to go with them.

Sarah earned her degree in meteorology from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. She has served as a board member of the American Meteorological Society's Board on Women and Minorities, and as a mentor for DataStreme, where she trained weather education resource teachers. She was elected a trustee in 2005 and serves on the Education and Development Committees.

Peter Middleton – Peter has worked in commercial construction since graduating from UNH in 1981 and is currently the president of Martini Northern General Contractors and Construction Managers in Portsmouth, NH. He is an avid skier and spent over 20 years supporting youth ski racing as a coach and board member of the Attitash Alpine Education Foundation. During summer breaks from college, Peter worked on various construction projects in the Mount Washington Valley area and spent two summers helping with the construction of the Sherman Adams Building at Mount Washington State Park in 1979 and 1980. In addition to sitting on the Observatory's Facilities Committee, Peter also serves on the board of Plan NH as treasurer and as President of Friends of UNH Skiing. He lives in Portsmouth with his wife Meg and their two children, Abby and Ben.

Douglas Nelson – Doug has worked in financial services in the New Hampshire Seacoast for nearly 30 years and serves as a Vice President and Financial Advisor at Wells Fargo Advisors in Portsmouth, NH. In addition to managing investments for affluent families, Doug provides Art Advisory services regionally. He lives in Rye Beach with his wife Karin and two daughters Lizzie & Ali. Doug was educated at Carnegie Mellon and the University of New Hampshire. The Museum of the White Mountains at Plymouth State University counts Doug among their Founding Board Members, and he Chairs the Collections Committee. He has been a Trustee and Chairman of the Restoration Committee of The Music Hall. Doug is a past President of the Board of Directors of Crossroads House. New Hampshire is represented by Doug on the Board of the Boston Foundation. Doug has been a member of Senator Judd Gregg's Leadership Council for the Arts. As a collector of period paintings of New Hampshire's White Mountains & the Isles of Shoals, Doug has been a lecturer, editor, and art historian on the subject. Doug enjoys skiing, hiking and travel.

Gail Paine – Gail is a retired Program Coordinator for the University System of New Hampshire College for Lifelong Learning, now Granite State College, having worked in the North Country of New Hampshire from 1980 until 2004. She is a University of Michigan graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. Gail formerly served on the NH State Board of Education from 1995 - 2005, was a member and Chairman of the New Hampshire Juvenile Parole Board from 1995-2006; Member of the New Hampshire Distance Learning Commission 1994-2003 ; Former board member of the Northern NH Charitable Foundation, Mt. Washington Valley School-Career, Bartlett School Board, NH Farm Museum Board, Memorial Hospital (past president) 1774-1996, YMCA Camp Nellie Huckins board, 1984-1995. Presently she serves as a board member on the Goldberg Foundation, Walker Foundation, New Hampshire Electric Cooperative Foundation, and Tillotson Foundation, Visiting Nurses of Northern Carroll County, Mt. Washington Valley Economic Council from 1991 - present; Mt. Musictop Music Advisory Committee; and Secretary of the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative. Gail represents New Hampshire on the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association board in Arlington, Virginia and serve on both the Administrative Committee and as chairman of the CEO Evaluation Committee for that organization. She is currently a Credentialed Cooperative Director and taking courses towards the Credentialed Leadership Director degree for the National Rural Electric Association directors. Gail is active in the Town of Bartlett, serving as the Chairman of The Lower Bartlett Water Commission ZBA, and Chairman of the Supervisors of the Bartlett Voter Checklist Her hobbies are fly fishing, ornithology, golf, hiking, skiing and traveling.

Marsha Rich – Marsha Rich lives in Chichester, NH, with her children Claudia and Alex. She received a B.A. from Dartmouth College in 1980 and a Masters of Education from the University of New Hampshire in 1985. She taught middle school earth science and served as the science department chair at the Derryfield School in Manchester, New Hampshire. Currently, Marsha serves as a resource agent for the American Meteorological Society's educational outreach program, facilitating teacher enhancement courses and offering professional development workshops on meteorology and weather for K-12 teachers. She also teaches meteorology courses on-line and in the classroom for Granite State College and the New Hampshire Technical Institute. Marsha also regularly leads Observatory EduTrips. Marsha loves to ski, hike, bike, garden and travel with her family. She is also a retired sea captain, having skippered charter sailboats in the Virgin Islands in the 1980s. Marsha has been an Observatory trustee since 1995, and currently serves as chair of the Observatory's Education Committee.

Phil Ryan – Phil Ryan and his wife Judy, a retired elementary school teacher, live in Bedford, NH and for more than 20 years have enjoyed their Bretton Woods, NH vacation home on the western side of the Presidential Range. He is a civil engineering graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) with an MBA from Harvard Business School. Ryan's operating experience includes co-founder of The Bigelow Company, an owner-manager-focused mergers & acquisitions advisory firm, where as partner he led client engagements for more than 20 years. He served as President & CEO of Elliot Health System, and later as President of Optima Health; these organizations provided a full array of healthcare services in southern NH. He retired in December 2011 after serving more than eight years as CEO of privately-owned Merchants Automotive Group, one of the leading companies providing fleet vehicle leasing and fleet management services throughout the United States. Phil has extensive leadership experience serving as a Board member / Trustee of many private, public and not-for-profit companies including Gar-Doc, Inc., The Cookson Company, PSNH, Elkin Coffee, Amoskeag Bank, The Derryfield School, and Granite United Way. He was elected Moderator Town of Bow, NH and for the past 11 years Phil has served as a Trustee at WPI where he currently chairs the Academic Planning Committee. In 2005 he received the Herbert F. Taylor Award for Distinguished Service to WPI. Phil and his family enjoy the beauty and variety of activities of the White Mountains including golf, downhill and cross-country skiing and hiking.

Mary Stampone – Mary Stampone is an Assistant Professor of Geography at the University of New Hampshire and has been the New Hampshire State Climatologist since August 2008.

Originally from Michigan, Mary received a B.A. degree in Geological Sciences from Albion College and received a M.S. degree in Geography and a Ph.D. in Climatology from the University of Delaware. After a year teaching in the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences at Shippensburg University in central Pennsylvania, she accepted a faculty position in the Department of Geography at the University of New Hampshire. As a UNH faculty member, she teaches courses on weather, climate, natural hazards and land surface processes and her research interests include climate system science with a focus on climate modeling and cryospheric processes. She also serves as the New Hampshire State Climatologist, providing the public with information on weather and climate though research, education and outreach activities. She is the point of contact for the two NOAA Climate Reference Network (CRN) stations located in southern New Hampshire, co-coordinator of the NH Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow (CoCoRaHS) network and NWS cooperative observer for Durham, NH.

Mary and her husband Dan live in Dover, NH and enjoy a variety of outdoor activities with their two dogs.

Brian C. Underwood – Brian C. Underwood, CRE is the principal of a real estate counseling and appraisal firm that performs assignments throughout the northeastern United States. The firm specializes in complex property types and provides real estate counseling services to developers, attorneys, and lending institutions. He has been admitted as an expert witness in Superior and Federal Courts.

Mr. Underwood has been awarded the CRE designation from the Counselors of Real Estate and is one of only four CREs in New Hampshire. Membership in the organization is awarded by invitation only through peer, employer and client review. In 2008, Governor Lynch appointed Brian to the New Hampshire Real Estate Appraiser Board, where he currently serves as Chairman.

Brian became involved with the Observatory as a summit volunteer during the winter of 1993. His interest came from his fascination of weather as a pilot. Since then he has assisted the Observatory in a number of ways and was elected to the Board of Trustees in 1994. Brian was instrumental in the success of the Observatory's volunteer program which resulted in significant benefits to the Observatory over the years. He has served as Treasurer of the Board of Trustees, Vice President, and Chairman of the Finance Committee. Brian currently serves as Chairman of the Technology Committee. He is a resident of Rye, New Hampshire.

Howie Wemyss – Howie Wemyss (pronounced "weemz") was born in Cambridge, Mass. and raised in Biddeford, Maine where he graduated from Biddeford High School. After several years at Colorado State University, he spent two years in the Army, mostly in Germany, before returning to New England and settling in the Mt. Washington Valley in 1971. Howie was employed by the Mt. Washington Auto Road in the late 70s as a stage driver while working on the ski patrol at Wildcat Mountain in the winter. He later worked for the Merrimack Valley YMCA at their Bear Island facilities on Lake Winnipesaukee. In 1987 he took over as general manager of the Auto Road upon the retirement of Doug Philbrook and in 1995 began managing the Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center as well. He and his wife Sue spend the summer in Green's Grant, and move north for the winter to Randolph, N.H. Howie has a daughter Cory, who is a licensed Massage Therapist in the Conway area. Howie and Sue enjoy cross country skiing, trail running and mountain biking. Howie was elected a trustee in 2005.

Albert W. Wheeler – Al retired from the National Weather Service in 2010, after a 33 year career. He served as the Meteorologist in Charge of the Portland/Gray Forecast Office for 20 years, where he led the National Weather Service modernization efforts in Maine and New Hampshire. During his tenure at Portland/Gray he worked closely with the Observatory to ensure that weather observations from the summit were collected and distributed to a wide variety of customers.

Prior to his assignment at Portland/Gray, Al served as the Deputy Meteorologist in Charge of the Cleveland, OH Forecast Office, and as a lead forecaster at the Philadelphia, PA and Bismarck, ND forecast offices. Before joining the National Weather Service, Al worked as a forecaster for a private meteorological practice serving offshore oil clients in New Orleans, LA. Al received his Bachelor's degree in Meteorology from the State University of New York, Oswego, in 1975.

Al and Patricia Wheeler live in Cumberland Center, ME, and spend their summers at David Pond in Fayette, ME. They have three grown children; their son Ryan, and twin daughters, Emily and Claire.