Coastal Neighbors Network Board of Directors & Staff
Andy was born in Dartmouth and is the owner of Silverbrook Farm on Chase Road. Andy has an MBA from University of Maine and operated a medical billing business until he decided to farm his family land in 2000. He is also a gay rights activist who helped found and then co-chaired the Marriage Equality Coalition in 2003. Andy retired from farming in 2015 and is currently working for Home Instead, a Home Health Care Agency, and pursuing certification in this field. Andy’s experience in running a small business, farming and community organizing bring a wide range of valuable skills to Coastal Neighbors Network.
Terry has worked with nonprofit organizations for most of her career, beginning in public relations and fundraising for Boston area hospitals. Her later work was as an association executive, first in partnership with her husband, Peter, managing their own company and later with the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences. She also taught marketing at Lesley University’s graduate program in management of nonprofit organizations. Terry is active in her church, sings in several choirs, and is grateful to have settled in such a beautiful and welcoming community.
Chris Strasser: Treasurer
Chris moved to the beautiful SouthCoast from Philadelphia in 2017 after he retired from a career in hospital administration. With a Masters in Public Administration, Chris led supply chain operations in a number of southeast Pennsylvania hospitals and health systems for nearly 40 years. In addition to his volunteer work with Coastal Neighbors, he enjoys being a member of DNRT, the YMCA, the Allendale Country Club and the New Bedford Yacht Club. Along with his wife, Mary, Chris especially enjoys hosting their three adult children and their families.
Margot most recently worked as a freelance copy editor for General Reinsurance Corp., where she delighted in untangling sentences in articles translated from German and Korean. With Coastal Neighbors, her other experiences in marketing/communications (primarily in the finance industry), as an MS in Educational Psychology and paralegal work in Litigation, come in handy. Margot served for a decade on the board of trustees at the Darien Library and the Darien Land Trust in Connecticut and has been on the Coastal Neighbors Board since it first started in 2017. You may catch her walking her dog on one of the wonderful conservation trails in our area.
Lee Carroll
A South Shore MA native with a lifelong love affair with the Southcoast, Lee moved to Westport in 2022. His hobbies include travel, local history, genealogy, writing, cooking, live performances, and vintage audio equipment. As the "Old School DJ," he plays recorded media from the last 100 years. Lee applies skills acquired during his work experience as an Operations and Project Manager to benefit the Dartmouth/Westport community through Coastal Neighbors Network. He greatly appreciates this opportunity as a volunteer and Board Member for our village.
Patricia Cashmore
Pat is a 3rd generation Californian, 2nd generation San Franciscan who brought her pioneer roots to Boston for graduate school in 1956. Pat is married, has 4 children and 10 grandchildren. She retired after 54 years as a licensed psychotherapist at age 80 (MSW, LICSW, Certificate Family Therapy) having spent her last 15 years in private practice, Clearview Counseling. Pat enjoys family, friends, classical music, ballet, opera, book club, piano playing, genealogy, and national interests. She and her husband raised their children on a family farm. Pat moved to Dartmouth 1990 and still thinks like a pioneer.
Joan DeCollibus, a Dartmouth resident, is a seasoned digital marketing leader with extensive experience guiding businesses through the evolving digital landscape. She looks forward to applying her strategic thinking to strengthen Coastal Neighbors. Joan volunteers at Our Sister’s School in New Bedford, teaching the Cartoon Club, and is a longtime supporter and rider in the Pan Mass Challenge. A South Coast Artists member, she focuses on textile design and quilting. Joan and her architect-husband, Doug, renovated the old fire station in Russells Mills, and their garden was featured in Coastal Neighbors’ 2023 Garden tour.
Gay Gillespie
Gay grew up in Colorado, and spent every summer visiting relatives in Westport and Toronto. Moving permanently to Westport in 1973, Gay involved herself with numerous organizations. The Westport River Watershed Alliance was her “home” for over 30 years where she was the Executive Director. After retirement, she led the Capital Campaign for the new River Center. Gay is a graduate of UMass Dartmouth and Leadership South Coast. She presently serves on the boards of the Friends of Westport Council on Aging and Coastal Neighbors Network, and actively volunteers with the Westport Food Pantry.
Margaret has worked in Local Government, Banking, Financial Planning and for an Elder Law Attorney both in the UK and New England. She was office manager for Mass Audubon’s Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary for nine years and together with her husband she owned & operated the Henley House B & B in Padanaram for 14 years. Amongst many other hobbies & interests she is a very active volunteer for the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra and sings in the South Dartmouth Congregation Church Choir & the Greater New Bedford Choral Society. Margaret lives in Padanaram Acres with her husband & is owned by her West Highland Terrier Wally! Margaret is a co-chair of the Events Committee.
Steve Kiechel
Steve moved to Dartmouth in 2010 from Toledo, Ohio where he practiced orthopedic surgery for 40 years. He specialized in the challenges of geriatric orthopedics and was also involved in setting up a foundation to provide affordable medical/hospital care for the Amish/Mennonite community. His experience in the changing landscape of healthcare is valuable and we are thrilled to have him chairing the Health Connections Committee.
Mia is an attorney in the Trust & Estate department of Fletcher Tilton, PC. She formerly worked as a Legal Aid Attorney in New Bedford, and then represented parents in special education and guardianship matters while living in Chicago. Mia has lived in Dartmouth for 30 years, and is a member of Dartmouth’s Sister City Delegation Committee. She is a graduate of Vassar College and Suffolk University Law School. Mia is a member of the Membership Committee.
Connie has been a Westport resident since her graduation from Bridgewater State University and her marriage to her husband John in 1976. Connie is retired after a 40 year career as a systems engineer. Currently, she spends her time assisting with a variety of volunteer activities; at Sharing the Harvest Farm in Dartmouth, as part of the tech program at the Westport Council on Aging, and with Coastal Neighbors Network. She enjoys reading, gardening, skiing, biking, golfing, and anything in and on the water.
Dock Murdock
Dock Murdock, President of Murdock Associates, has served nonprofit organizations for 35 years developing fund raising and direct marketing programs. Dock has been a frequent speaker for the Direct Marketing Association Nonprofit Federation and Women in Development. He taught direct marketing at the Fletcher School of International Business at Tufts University. He is a graduate of Colgate University, and a member of several bluegrass bands. Dock is on the marketing committee.
Tony Melli
Tony is a long time Westport resident. Tony was a teacher in the Westport School System and was very active in town sports. He is co-owner of Olio de Melli, LLC, a company that produces oil oils. He has been an active member of Coastal Neighbors Network serving on the Events and Membership committees and now on the Board of Directors. He loves cooking and attending meetings and activities with his colleagues at Coastal Neighbors.
Coastal Neighbors Network, P.O. Box 80073, Dartmouth, MA 02748
508.556.4004 - [email protected]