Do you want to help grow the local food economy in the Seacoast region?
Seacoast Eat Local is seeking new members for our Board of Directors to diversify and strengthen our ability to serve a wide range of constituents across Rockingham, Strafford, and York counties. Previous board experience is not required and people with various backgrounds will be considered.
With a 3-year strategic plan firmly in place, we have a major opportunity to grow our organization and impact. In order to do that we need to have a variety of different voices at the table. Board members guide the strategic direction of Seacoast Eat Local and ensure staff and programs are accomplishing goals in our strategic plan.
Learn more and apply to join our board here.
Current Board Members
Dawn Barker
Old Brown Dog Veterinary Partners (she/her)
SEL Board Vice Chair
A favorite food or farm memory is… my Mom grew up on a farm in Minnesota and I loved going to visit and canning with my grandmother and enjoying the amazing goodness. Today I love gardening with my husband and enjoying the fruits of our labor.
A recipe I’m famous for is… my needhams and caramel brownies.
When I’m not working you can find me… exploring outside in the woods, hiking, on my paddle board or on my yoga mat. So many hobbies, so little time.
In my professional life… I help support and encourage people to be their best self so that we can have high employee retention and engagement.
Contact me if you want to know more about… I am on the governance committee which is involved with board recruitment and also with the JEDI committee.
Dawn Barker joined SEL’s Board in 2019
Anton Bekkerman
New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station – UNH (he/him)
A favorite food or farming memory is… I love being in professional roles that support the food and agricultural industries, but ag isn’t something with which I grew up. This was made particularly evident during an experience when I lived in Montana and was invited to visit barley harvest at my colleague’s family farm. During the day, I tried running the combine, only to realize how much practice and expertise it takes to run farm machinery. While my combined rows looked just about as squiggly as a seismograph read-out during an earthquake, the experience definitely solidified my appreciation for the skillset of food producers.
A dish I’m famous for is… Boston cream pie pie (the well-known dessert, but in pie form).
When I’m not working you can find me… hanging out with our 6 and 1 year olds, walking or hiking with our two spaniels, and at the rink playing what (at least in my mind) passes for hockey.
In my professional life… I’m the director of the NH Agricultural Experiment Station, which is the state’s oldest public research and development organization focusing on improving New Hampshire’s agricultural, food, environmental, and natural resource fields through science and innovation.
Contact me if you want to know more about… SEL’s finance committee or governance committee.
Anton Bekkerman joined SEL’s Board in 2019
Kristen Deshaies
KLD Strategy (she/her)
A favorite food or farm memory is… in the early 80s, my dad’s employer allocated a small plot next to the office for an employee garden. I have such fond memories of family picnics there on summer evenings while we tended our veggies. I have particularly vivid memories of the feel and smell of digging in the soil for potatoes.
A recipe I like is… I love to cook, mostly simple everyday food loaded with veggies.
When I’m not working you can find me… cooking, listening to audiobooks, spending time with my family, volunteering, and trying to keep my Duolingo streak going.
In my professional life… I am a marketing and strategy consultant, focused on helping purpose-driven brands (and the teams behind them) grow and thrive.
Contact me if you want to know more about… I am on the strategic planning committee, JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) committee, and finance committee.
Kristen Deshaies joined SEL’s Board in 2020
Eleanor Kane
Brasen Hill Farm (she/her)
SEL Board Chair
A favorite food or farm memory is… waiting for the first lamb to arrive each spring.
A recipe I’m famous for is… homemade smoked bacon from our own pork belly.
When I’m not working you can find me… hiking or playing ice hockey.
In my professional life… I hold a PhD in Education from UNH. I own Brasen Hill Farm in Barrington, where we offer a CSA through our online store.
Contact me if you want to know more about… I’m on the governance committee and the strategic planning committee.
Eleanor Kane joined SEL’s Board in 2018
Abby Lamothe
Leone, McDonnell, Roberts (she/her)
SEL Board Treasurer
A favorite food or farm memory is…baking with my cat, Scamper.
A recipe I like is… any recipe with minimal ingredients and maximum flavor.
When I’m not working you can find me… knitting.
In my professional life… I’m a CPA! I love to help individuals and organizations navigate their financial data with confidence.
Contact me if you want to know more about… nonprofit auditing, accounting, fiscal responsibility, budgeting.
Abby Lamothe joined SEL’s Board in 2021
Annette Lee
Throwback Brewery (she/her)
SEL Board Secretary
Annette Lee is co-owner of Throwback Brewery – a small, inspired brew pub at Hobbs Farm in North Hampton, NH, dedicated to crafting delicious farm-fresh food and beer with ingredients sourced in the New England area. Annette spent close to 20 years working as an environmental engineer before making the jump to a small brewery owner in 2011. An avid gardener with a passion for full circle sustainability, Annette always finds time in her busy schedule to help the farmers at Hobbs Farm. In fact, Annette considers one of her most meaningful achievements to be the restoration and rehabilitation of Hobbs Farm – returning it to a working farm that provides ingredients for Throwback’s food and beer.
Board member since April 2017
Email: [email protected]
Jeff Pillet-Shore
Allagash Brewing Company (he/him)
A favorite food or farm memory is… walking through a field of sheep on our way to pick raspberries during a childhood vacation in England.
A recipe I like is… Maggie Zhu’s Kung Pao Cauliflower.
When I’m not working you can find me… thinking about what I’m going to eat or thinking about what I just ate, or thinking about what I’m going to make to eat. Possibly also thinking about what my wife will bake next.
In my professional life… I have the honor of leading the best marketing team in the world at Allagash Brewing Company in Portland, Maine.
Contact me if you want to know more about… I am on the Strategic Committee and I work with a group of folks in establishing the long term JEDI strategy for the organization.
Jeff Pillet-Shore joined SEL’s Board in 2020
Leslie Stevens
Owner of Sturgeon Creek Farm (she/hers)
A favorite food or farm memory is… my favorite fresh farm foods are sugar snap peas and fresh picked strawberries warmed by the sun.
A recipe I like is… I make several recipes from my grandmother during the holidays but my favorite is date nut bread.
When I’m not working you can find me… sitting with my sheep in the pen.
In my professional life… I used to be a social worker in another life and now I grow food and run a farm.
Contact me if you want to know more about… the finance committee, board governance committee, and board recruitment. I also like to volunteer and have helped with projects and attending markets.
Leslie Stevens joined SEL’s Board in 2019