NH LAKES welcomes five new members to the board of directors

Concord — NH LAKES recently welcomed five new board members to the team working for a New Hampshire where lakes are clean and healthy, and caring for them is a way of life.

Tracey Goyette Cote is a managing partner with Shaheen & Gordon in Concord where she concentrates her practice on divorce and family law. Cote graduated from St. Paul's School, Dartmouth College, and the University of Maryland School of Law.

When she is not working, Cote can be found hiking in the New Hampshire mountains, spending time in Colorado with her college-aged son, or relaxing at her family's camp on Merrymeeting Lake in New Durham.

“My family has owned a camp on Merrymeeting Lake since 1953,” she said. “The continuity of connection to that beautiful place is central to my life, restorative in challenging times and a place where friends and family gather for celebrations. I feel privileged to join NH LAKES Board of Directors and to join the effort to protect and preserve New Hampshire's beautiful lakes for all.”

Jim Dexter is a retired engineering manager. His career was in the semiconductor industry, spending the last 27 years with Teradyne Inc. as an engineering and program manager. He is currently the vice president of the Lake Massasecum Improvement Association in Bradford and an active weed watcher for the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.

He is also a member of the New London Conservation Commission and director emeritus of the Christine B. Foundation, a nonprofit community-based service provider in Bangor, Maine.

Dexter and his wife reside in New London and seasonally on Lake Massasecum in Bradford. When Dexter is not on the lake, he can be found on the trails of New London and the White Mountains.

Dexter enjoys being part of the NH LAKES community, with a particular interest in protecting our lakes for current and future generations.

Don Jutton holds a bachelor of arts degree in planning and an master of science degree in community development. He worked as a town manager in several New Hampshire towns before founding Municipal Resources Inc. in 1990, a specialized boutique consulting group that provides municipal management and community development services throughout New England.

Jutton is a Big Brother volunteer and the human member of a certified therapy dog team with K-9 partner Winni, his 4-year-old Portuguese water dog. Jutton and his wife Terry moved to New Hampshire from upstate New York in 1970 and have lived in their home on Lake Winnipesaukee since 1992.

They raised three sons on the lake. Jutton is passionate about protecting the lakes, the natural environment, and preserving the sense of community in New Hampshire.

“I’m hoping to contribute to broader understanding of and appreciation for the delicate balance between quality of life, responsible community development, and environmental stewardship for all of New Hampshire (and beyond),” he said.

Cindy O’Connell has been a Lakes Region enthusiast since her parents moved to Wolfeboro in the early 1970s. She is trained as a landscape architect and worked for many years in the private sector. Over time, she became a wetland and stormwater professional and worked as the conservation agent (town staff) for two Massachusetts towns, Dedham and Canton.

Her most recent position was as the stormwater manager for the Town of Braintree, Massachusetts, responsible for improving the quality of the local surface waters.

O’Connell is also a member of the Moultonborough Conservation Commission and is a volunteer naturalist for the Appalachian Mountain Club.

She is an avid outdoors person, hiking, kayaking, and skiing, and is happy to have moved back to the Lakes Region.

“I believe that a statewide organization is critical in the effort to protect our lakes,” she said.

John “Duffy” Sheehan began his career as a partner at KPMG, a global professional accounting firm, where he gained extensive international experience with assignments to London, Frankfurt, and Stuttgart, Germany.

Sheehan held leadership positions as CFO for Terex Corporation, Viatris, Inc., and Aptiv LLP. Sheehan earned his degree from St. Bonaventure University and has served on the university’s board of trustees, including as chair of the board from 2019 to 2022. While in Stuttgart, Sheehan also served as president of the board of directors for the International School of Stuttgart.

Sheehan and his family have had a home on Little Lake Sunapee for the past 20 years and have been residents of New London since 2016.

Sheehan and his wife Sharon have three grown children and two grandchildren. The two enjoy experiencing all of New Hampshire's summer and winter outdoor activities and also spend time cruising up and down the Atlantic East Coast on their boat.

“As a young boy growing up on Little Lake Sunapee, my father mentored me on the importance of protecting New Hampshire's lakes,” he said. “I have been seeking to ensure that our children grew up, and grandchildren grow up, with the same opportunities that I had to enjoy the natural beauty of New Hampshire's lakes.”

“We are very fortunate to be adding these five strong individuals with diverse backgrounds, leadership skills, and passion for the health and preservation of the lakes we love in New Hampshire,” commented Bruce Freeman, NH LAKES Board chair. “I look forward to working with and learning from them as we continue to support the excellent team at NH LAKES to achieve our mission.”