Board of Directors
Peter J. Barrer
President, Building Committee Chair
Peter is a Professional Engineer; in 1989 he founded Demand Management Institute, Inc. to consult to building owners, architects, and utilities on cost effective ways to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. The company has become a New England leader in engineering-based energy efficiency analysis and implementation of complex energy efficiency programs. Presently, Peter is a consultant to DMI’s management. In Newton, he is a member of the City’s Design Review Committee, and a member of the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Renewable Resources.
Jenny Craddock
Education Committee Co-Chair
Jenny has been a Newton resident for over 30 years with her husband, Ed, where they raised their two children. Interests that drew her to the farm are sustainability of food production and education. Jenny has earned two master’s degrees in education from Lesley University, one in science education. She currently writes curriculum and develops teacher training and support for the Newton Public Schools. In addition, she contributes to research in science education in area educational collaborative groups. The education committee designs courses and workshops, develops curriculum, teaches and models sustainable home food gardening and preserving the harvest at the farm.
Rick Dinjian
Rick is an attorney who has represented poor and middle class clients both as a public defender in New York City and as a general practice attorney here in Massachusetts. Rick has been a member of the Board since 2008 and primarily advises the Board on legal and contract matters. Rick lives with his wife and two young sons in West Newton where he continues his family’s tradition of growing far more tomato plants than he should.
Sam Fogel
Sam has been a Newton resident for 35 years, and an avid gardener for 40 years. He and wife, Margaret, have a special interest in growing fruit trees and berries with no or very limited use of pesticides. Sam has a PhD in microbiology and is also a soil scientist. He and Margaret operate an environmental microbiology laboratory in Watertown specializing in Bioremediation (the use of bacteria to biodegrade hazardous chemicals). Sam is one of the Farm’s gardening teachers, designing courses and teaching gardening through the Newton Community Education program. He also initiated, organized and installed the demonstration dwarf apple orchard.
Jerry Regosin
Fundraising Co-Chair
Jerry has extensive merchandising, marketing and operations experience in corporate retailing, developed over many years as a senior executive with Macy’s and Talbots. For the past 10 years he commuted from his Newton home to Lancaster, OH where he served as President/COO of a therapeutic shoe manufacturer. Jerry looks forward to applying his business expertise to help the farm enhance its impact and expand its support base in the community, particularly among local businesses. Jerry is a graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Anne Ryder
A practicing CPA, Anne has an extensive background in public accounting. Currently she works locally for a multinational, public company. Anne holds a bachelor’s degree from Bryant University and a master’s degree from Boston College. With all of that number crunching, Anne uses cooking as a creative outlet. Over the years, a passion for cooking spurred an interest in the types food we consume, where and how it originates, and the economics surrounding it. As part of Newton Community Farm, Anne is looking forward to feeding both of her passions, food and accounting, while helping to build a more sustainable community.
Dede Vittori
Dede has been a Newton resident for 21 years and has been involved in numerous local organizations and city committees. She is interested in vegetable gardening, sustainable agriculture, locally grown foods, and community service. She is excited to work on the farm’s communications program and community events. Dede has a bachelor’s degree in geography and education and an MBA from the University of Michigan.
Eugene Finkelstein
Eugene represents Ledgebrook Community where he has been serving on the Board of Trustees for the last three years. Dr. Finkelstein has over 40 years of business, technical, and academic experience in communications, networking, and computing that combines strong research, development, system engineering, solutions integration, and consulting activities. He is currently a President of e-Technology Consulting, Inc. a firm that he founded in 2002. Previously he worked as a Director of Internet Solutions Architecture and Director of Consulting for Professional Services at Genuity/GTE Internetworking/BBN and Digital. Prior to that, for seven years Dr. Finkelstein had been with AT&T Bell Laboratories after immigrating to US from Russia in 1980. Back in Leningrad, he was a professor at the Electrical Engineering Institute of Communications. Currently Eugene and his wife Arina reside in Newton, Massachusetts.
Eugene wants to see Newton Community Farm continue to prosper. He would like to bring to the benefit of NCF his systemic approach to problem solving, strong communications skills, proven leadership in building and managing cross-functional teams, and substantial contributions to cost/benefit analysis of business solutions.