Board of Directors

We're seeking new board members!

Our Board of Directors is currently in a period of strategy and renewal. We're seeking new members with the following skillsets--get in touch if you'd like to join the team!

Current Board of Directors Is Seeking:

Nonprofit financial management experience
Urban farming experience

Email david@groundworksomerville.org to learn more!

2025 Board of Directors

John Spangenberger

SECRETARY

READ JOHN'S BIO

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David Stephenson

PRESIDENT

READ DAVID'S BIO

David is the Growth and Operations Manager for Black Earth Compost, a food scrap composting company in the Greater Boston Area, where he works to put compost to use on local farms and community gardens. Growing up in a small town in Upstate New York, David had a love for nature from a young age, spending every moment he could outside. His summers were spent working on a small family farm. David studied at Skidmore College where he received his BS in Biochemistry and moved to Boston after graduating to work in Biotech. During Covid, David decided to find a job with a direct impact on climate change which led him to work in food waste diversion. In January of 2023 he joined Groundwork as a volunteer helping around the farm and joined the board shortly after.

corey aguilar

Corey Aguilar

TREASURER

READ COREY'S BIO

As a researcher, resident of the greater Boston area, and volunteer, it is easy to see that Groundwork Somerville is the best place to make a difference. He is currently a researcher in the neurology department of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. Before COVID, he mentored and assisted the mentorship of students at all education levels in thinking like a scientist and applying skills into practice. Groundwork According to Corey, Somerville has plenty of like-minded individuals who see that mentorship, climate change, and an "it takes a village" mindset are essential components in promoting a healthy environment.

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Patricia (Trish) Cafferky

BOARD MEMBER

READ TRISH'S BIO

Patricia (Trish) Cafferky (she/her) is a registered architect in Massachusetts and is the Deputy Chief of Operations for the City of Boston. She has also been a Lecturer of Urban Design and Planning at MIT since 2022. Trish holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Syracuse University and a Master in City Planning from MIT. As someone focused on the use of urban land and the way it can be deployed to service communities, Trish joined the GWS Board in 2025, thrilled to support the organization’s land stewardship as a means of fresh food production and youth empowerment.

2024 Maggie Lacwasan

Maggie Lacwasan

BOARD MEMBER

READ MAGGIE'S BIO

Maggie Lacwasan (she/they) is a passionate advocate for healthy communities and environments. They originally got involved with Groundwork Somerville as a community partner and organized hiking and camping trips with the Green Team. Since then, Maggie moved on to coordinating programs and volunteers for an urban mediation center but wanted to stay involved in supporting all of the impactful work that GWS does. Maggie also organizes climbing events to celebrate representation and uplift People of the Global Majority in the outdoors through Brown Girls Climb and shares her love for skiing and snowboarding with youth from the Boston area as a volunteer for Youth Enrichment Services. Maggie also enjoys roller skating, reading a good book and cooking with friends.

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Maggie Painter

BOARD MEMBER

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Maggie (she/her) has lived and worked in Somerville for the last six years. She has worked as a middle school science teacher for five years, leads summer backpacking trips for youth groups in the greater Boston area, and is currently a MSW student with aspirations to continue working in education as a social worker. Maggie joined this board eager to support sustainability education and youth engagement in Somerville, and hopes to continue building community as a board member with Groundwork Somerville. In her free time, you can find Maggie trail running in the Fells, buying the bulk gummy bears at Neighborhood Produce, and tending bar at Somerville’s own Winter Hill Brewery.

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Cate Mingoya-LaFortune

BOARD MEMBER

READ CATE'S BIO

Cate Mingoya-LaFortune serves as Groundwork USA's Chief Officer of Climate Resilience and Land Use. Cate is a people-centered climate adaptation planner, community organizer, educator, parent, and cautious optimist. Raised in an environmental justice neighborhood, she is committed to furthering a future where all people live in clean, thriving communities. She is the author of the recently released book Climate Action for Busy People and was named a 2024 Grist Fixer. She received a BA in Biology from Reed College, a Master of Science Education from CUNY Lehman, and a Master of City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.