Staff and Board Members

Melissa Nelson stepped into the role of Interim Executive Director in October 2023 after joining The Friends of the Blue Hills as the Manager of Stewardship and Special Events in February 2023. This was a coming home of sorts, as Melissa already had a history of volunteering with the organization. She has deep professional experience in project management and consumer engagement that marries well with the Friends’ mission and vision. She grew up in Downeast Maine, spending many hours exploring the local woods, fields and shoreline just beyond her back door. Since 1999, she has lived just minutes from Ponkapoag, where she often takes her dog Bella on the seldom-used side trails, discovering something new with every outing.

Julia Milot joined The Friends of the Blue Hills as the Volunteer Coordinator in spring of 2022. Before taking on this role, she was the Social Media Intern for the Friends from December to May during her senior year at Emmanuel College in Boston. There, she majored in Communications and Media Studies, and minored in Marketing and Writing. Julia was born and raised in Bellingham, MA and spent many summers hiking and camping, galvanizing her love and appreciation for the outdoors and environmental advocacy. In her free time, Julia enjoys skiing, reading, writing, and spending time with her friends and family. 

Mary Timilty joined The Friends of the Blue Hills in the summer of 2022 as the Membership Coordinator.  Mary grew up in the Ponkapoag section of Canton and spent her childhood enjoying all areas of the Blue Hills with her friends and family. Mary currently resides in Walpole with her husband Jim and two teenage daughters MaryJane and Kaitlin.  In her free time, Mary enjoys gardening, listening to all types of music, vacationing with her family and walking her dog Presley.

Mike Dezube is the CEO of Charles River Data, a data science consulting firm in Boston focused on machine learning, GIS, optimization, and big data. After 7.5 years at Google he left to found his own firm putting his two degrees in engineering from Cornell University to use at their fullest extent.

In his free time Mike’s also a senior data scientist at Mass General Hospital doing academic research – ML for cancer research and large scale analysis for opioid reduction. When he’s not diving into data, Mike spends his time woodworking, and of course hiking.

linkedin.com/in/mikedezube

Matt Panucci is CEO of the Belgian based DOLIUM, which specializes in packaging for beverage companies. Matt has spent most of his professional career in beverage sale and marketing with a focus on international business development and M&A. Matt and his family recently moved to Milton from Belgium, where they lived for 8 years. As an outdoor enthusiast Matt has a keen interest in FBH, its evolution, and advancement.

David Dobrindt moved to Milton in 2002 and immediately discovered the Blue Hills, hiking, running, swimming, fishing and enjoying all the Blue Hills has to offer. In addition to being a member of L Street Running Club and TARC, David is president of the Milton Running Club and trains for races, ranging in distance from 5k to 100 miles, almost exclusively on the trails in the Blue Hills. David is an account director for a large professional services firm and when not traveling for work or training for his running adventures, can be found spending time with his wife and four children, two cats and one dog. David joined the board in January of 2015 and is originally from Long Island, NY.

Mike grew up in Milton, MA and the Blue Hills was a resource throughout his childhood, whether he was enjoying the view from Eliot Tower or skiing for the first time at the Blue Hills Ski Area. Now living in Canton, MA, he and his family have been supporters of Friends of the Blue Hills since first learning of the organization. Mike has worked for 24 years at Fidelity Investments in a variety of roles, from financial planning services to relationship management and sales. He is currently a VP of Sales, presenting Fidelity’s Workplace Giving solution and helping companies manage broad-based employee philanthropy programs. He is enthusiastic about promoting the Blue Hills as an incredible resource open to all, and building support for its protection. Mike holds an MBA from Suffolk University and a BS in Education from Boston University.

Carina has been involved with the Friends of Blue Hills for several years as a National Trails Day project coordinator and trail maintenance volunteer. In her leadership capacity she has received multiple Partner of the Year awards on behalf of the ongoing relationship with REI. Most recently Carina serves as chair of our Clean Parks Committee, and is excited to help the Friends launch its Advocacy Committee in 2022. Carina is an avid outdoor enthusiast and frequents BH trails as a trail runner, cyclist, amateur photographer and steward. She obtained her Master’s of Science in Conservation Biology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Dan Barcan is a partner at Schoolhouse Partners, an investment and advisory firm focused on the education industry. He has spent his career in public education, working as a teacher, principal, and school developer before joining Schoolhouse. He enjoys hiking and running throughout the Blue Hills, especially Buck Hill, the White Triangle loop, and the lost section of Route 95. He and his wife, Leah, live with their two sons in Roslindale.

Jean Beebe’s introduction to the Blue Hills began when she moved to the Boston area after college and found the preserve on a paper map when looking for outdoor spaces. Since that time, she has continued to explore the park in all seasons whether alone, with friends, her scout troop, or, more recently, with her dog.  Jean also brings a background in non-profit administration and grant writing to her work with the organization. Jean taught public school for over 20 years and continues to work with youth and adults in a variety of educational and outdoor contexts. She is also a graduate of the Kripalu Schools of Mindful Outdoor Leadership and Yoga, and frequently works there as a faculty program assistant. Jean is grateful for the Blue Hills as a place of recreation, solace, and pure enjoyment. She lives in Quincy MA with her wife.

Winston Daley was born in Jamaica and emigrated to Boston at 10 years old. He received his bachelor’s degree in Business and Entrepreneurial Studies from Suffolk University and his master’s degree from Northeastern University. Winston began his career in financial services, spending more than a dozen years working on the long-term investment portfolios of some the country’s biggest institutional clients. Feeling the call to give back, Winston decided to leave his career in finance to work with youth. Sports was his first connection point to the US and so that is where he pivoted: beginning a journey in sports for youth development, coaching, creating leagues for kids, working in schools, and becoming a Lead Facilitator at the Center for Sport in Society, leading workshops on relationship violence, racism, and social justice. Winston also became a nonprofit leader, concentrating on the issues of youth employment, environmental justice, and community empowerment. He is most recently a technology startup founder and an elected Parks and Recreation commissioner for the Town of Milton.

Bob is a retired attorney who worked in the real estate field, including affordable housing, zoning and conveyancing.

Bob’s connection to the Blue Hills dates back to his high school years when he took skiing lessons. More recently, he has been involved in trail maintenance activities including the adoption of 2 miles of trails in the southwest corner of the Chickatawbut Section. He can be found in the Blue Hills hiking, trail running, and biking.

Bob and his family have resided in Quincy for 45 years. Throughout these years, he has been active in the community having held the position of Assistant City Solicitor. As a volunteer he was a member of the Planning Board, and the Quincy Affordable Housing Development Corporation and he was a coach for his daughters’ soccer teams. He is currently a docent at the Church of the Presidents where he gives tours of the Church, the final resting place of John and Abigail Adams and John Quincy and Louisa Catherine Adams.

Bob is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and Boston College School of Law