Board of Directors

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Dana Etra

Chairperson

Dana is a climber, skier, and outdoor enthusiast. She is a managing partner in a national consultancy, leading the firm's Boston office, where she advises boards of directors on governance, human capital, and executive compensation. Beyond her professional affiliations, she volunteers and serves on boards of nonprofits focused on civil rights, social justice, and equality, as well as a start-up focused on sustainable agriculture. Dana is a life-long New England native; she currently resides in the Boston area but spends as much of her free time as possible in the mountains.

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Donna McCluskey

Treasurer

Donna lives in North Conway, NH and has been involved with Kismet since the very beginning! As a life-long outdoors person, she was fortunate to have the opportunity to learn to climb later in life and has since traveled to places near and far to both rock and ice climb. She now feels privileged to share her experiences and love of climbing with the students of Kismet.

Some of her previous work experiences include Headstart family liaison, accounting manager of a 25 person department, municipal auditor, house builder, and more recently accounting and teaching at the Charlestown Nursery School in Boston. Her daughter and son also live in New Hampshire so she gets plenty of time to play outdoors with her children and three grandsons.

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Marty Markenson

Board Member

Marty was introduced to Kismet after donating to a scholarship in honor of his late climbing mentor, Michael Lathem. Being impressed by the program’s impact, he joined the board in 2021. He brings experience developing software products, a passion for the outdoors, and mentorship skills from his days as a camp counselor.

Marty recently left Boston, MA and moved to Burlington, VT to get out of the city and spend more time exploring the mountains of the Northeast. His favorite outdoor activities include climbing, hiking New Hampshire’s 48 4000-footers, and backpacking. 

 
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Pete Masterson

Board Member

Pete has been a supporter and fan of Kismet since volunteering as a guide with Mike Jewell when the program was in its infancy. He has watched as Mike challenged himself and the program to become the amazing organization it is today.

Pete works in the world of entertainment, is a cinematographer by craft, and a co-founder of a production company with his sister. He has volunteered with several nonprofit groups that worked to help the homeless in New York City. Pete can be described as a great climber and person.    “I am honored and proud to be a member of the solid team that is Kismet.”

Ara Morton

Ara Morton

Board Member

Ara has been a dedicated climber since 2008 and is excited to share his love of climbing with the students of Kismet. After years of pursuing a theater career in New York City, Ara turned his attention towards climbing gym management and youth programming. Since then he has coached at and managed gyms in New York, Connecticut, and Maine.

As a Board Member, Ara is excited to bring his knowledge of technical rock climbing, group leadership, and youth mentorship to Kismet. Above all, he is excited to connect with and learn from the Kismet family. When not climbing, Ara is likely hiking, cooking, or spending time with his wife and young daughter.

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Carter Owens

Board Member

Hailing from western Georgia, Carter recently moved to North Conway, NH to be closer to the northeastern Appalachian Mountains that he loves. After having the opportunity to volunteer at the cliff during the 2022 Kismet program, where he experienced first-hand the “Family-like Atmosphere” that the curriculum emphasizes, he joined the board - bringing skillsets in financial analysis, program design, and risk management.

Carter works as a full-time guide for the Appalachian Mountain Club and is a founding member of the Individual Membership Program at One Percent for the Planet. His professional experience includes internal consulting and trade spend management in the Retail Pharmacy industry. When not working, he spends his time rock climbing, skiing, and noodling on his guitar.

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David Packard

Board Member

David Packard is an attorney and real estate developer for PK Realty Management in Portland, ME. He has board experience, recently serving on the board of Portland’s downtown improvement district, Portland Downtown, and South Portland’s local Chamber of Commerce Board. As an avid outdoorsman and having a long history of participating in outdoor camps in his youth, he is eager to support the Kismet program and help create opportunities for young students.

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Beth Phelps

Board Member

Beth, a native of Massachusetts but resident of Maine for the past 19 years, has been involved in the nonprofit sector the majority of her career. Throughout her time serving various nonprofits, Beth has been involved in both program management and development. Prior to beginning her “grown up” employment path, Beth worked in Wilderness Experiential Education with at-risk youth all over New England for over four years. This connection with seeing the benefits and impact outdoor recreation can have on youth, drew her to want to be involved with the Kismet Rock Foundation.

Beth is an avid outdoor recreationist enjoying both land and water sports. As a lover of the chillier temps, you can find her skiing with her son in the winter months. In the “dreaded” warmer months, Beth will be found surfing, cycling, hiking or chilling (in the shade) on her deck to fill the time until the snow flies. Beth resides in the foothills of Western Maine with her teenage son Rohn and retired sled dog Kikkik.

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Reed Van Rossum

Board Member

Reed has been living in the Mount Washington Valley for the past 18 years, but has been frequenting the area for almost 40. He’s been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, a pawn and a king… Wait! No. That’s Sinatra. He is a retired teacher from the Conway School District, having taught Middle School English there for 17 years, with 33 years teaching experience in NH. Now with some free time on his hands, he is excited to spend more time hiking locally, spending time with his grandchildren, and making music for others.

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James Torpey

Board Member

Jim brings a combination of managerial and board experience in both the profit and nonprofit sectors to the Kismet community. Jim has worked in the energy sector for decades, most recently as a Policy and Strategy Director for Sunpower Corp, a leading solar manufacturer and developer. He founded Madison Energy Consultants, was President of GPU Solar and served on the Board of Ballard Fuel Cell Generation Co. in Canada and Diamond Energy in Australia.

Jim has been a teacher and professor at schools in New Jersey and Colorado. He is a former rock climber and avid outdoorsman. He also serves on the Board of Trailblazers, an organization that provides camping and after school experiences to children living in economically challenged neighborhoods in Brooklyn, New York. Jim splits his time between Brooklyn and Madison, NH.

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Lisa Woodbury

Board Member

Lisa previously worked for Kismet as an Administrative Assistant and later became our Executive Director. She is very excited to be involved with the Kismet program again, now as a member of our Board of Directors.

She is currently a Senior Sales Manager for the Grand Summit Hotel at Attitash and is the owner and operator of Blooming Vineyards Floral Design Studio. Prior to moving to the Mount Washington Valley, Lisa worked as a print production manager for Fidelity Investments in Boston, MA and Smithfield, RI. Lisa lives in Conway, New Hampshire with her husband, they have a son who is currently playing junior hockey in Massachusetts.

Our sincere gratitude and appreciation to:

Steve Bamsey • Tom Boydston • Danielle Connolly† • Eileen Conway • Susan Crowley • Cheryl Cullion • Anna Demarco • Steward Dunlop • Laurie Farrell • Betsy Fowler • Brian Fowler, Past Chairperson • Lindsey Garland • Sarah Garlick, Past Chairperson • Danielle Gelinas • Chris Graham • Michelle Jenkins • Richard Katzman • Janina Lamb • Adam Lane-Olsen • Ken Lydecker • Rand McNally† • Ara Morton • Ari Moulton • Gashim Nyapir • Brian Post, Past Chairperson • Cheryl Rocheleau • Claudine Safar • Jessica Soroka • Maureen Soraghan • Jack Tracy • Sasha Tracy • Holly Weber • Clint Willis • Brian Irwin • Patricia Irwin • Matt Stearns • Janet Wilkinson, Past Chairperson • Will White • Ted Wroblewski, Past Chairperson • Alyssa Riley

† In Memoriam