Lou DeMaio, Interim President since 2018
Linda DeMaio, since 2010
We have lived in Sandwich for 17 years and have been involved with the BCPA since that time. Our appreciation of the pond however, began many years before that. In the 80's we were regular visitors to the Sandwich/Tamworth Town Beach. We enjoyed swimming and explored every nook and cranny of the pond in canoes and kayaks. We fell in love then and are proud to now be involved in the preservation of this beautiful resource.
Linda currently serves on the Lakes Region advisory board of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.
Lou has served on the Barnstormers Theatre Board of Directors since 2004 and is currently the Vice Chair. Also, for several years, both Linda and Lou have been volunteers at the St Andrews Food Pantry and served as tutors in the Oasis Intergenerational Tutoring Program at the K.A. Brett School in Tamworth.
Lou and Linda have 2 grown and 7 grandchildren; all of whom enjoy the pond.
Mary W. Hillsgrove,
I’ve been a year-round resident on the pond with Hayden for 6 years. I have been so blessed to overlook the Bearcamp River and the pond every day and night and to be able to observe ice-in and ice-out dates, the arrival of the loons and other spring migrants, as well as, any disruptive events on the pond. I enjoy watching the beaver, otter, ducks, birds, bear, deer, coyotes, moose, bald eagles and of course, the loons. The pond is a most beautiful spot and so we want to preserve this serene environment. I work part time at Keepsake Quilting in Center Harbor and Comfort Keepers in Plymouth. I attend the Community Church of Sandwich and sit on the Outreach Committee. I am the Corresponding Secretary for the Bearcamp Valley Garden Club. I love to ski, play tennis, garden, kayak and sail.
Sam Bensley, appointed November, 2018
Sam first came to Sandwich as a one month old and has been a summer/weekend resident ever since, with a few full time resident stints here and there. In summer he can be found canoeing the Pond and River, hiking the Sandwich Range, and biking the Sandwich Notch. In the winter he is exploring the woods on snowshoes and skiing the White Mountains. When he isn't getting lost in the Sandwich area he practices social work in Maine and helps his partner manage a regenerative vegetable farm.
Andrea Everett-Wilson, Appointed June 2018
Bearcamp Pond feels like it has always been a part of home. It has always been a friendly place to connect with people from near and far. My family bought our house in Sandwich in 1970 when I was 7. For this NYC kid, this summer haven was quickly heaven on earth. I loved playing on the beach with endless tunnels and drip castles, jumping off the rock and doing handstands on the underwater rock. Canoe and kayaks opened up the expanse of the pond and endless exploration. As an early graduate of Sandwich Aquatic School, I loved to swim to the island, while others brought boats and fished. I collected mussels, played with the fish, learned to deal with leaches, and came to appreciated the 5 o'clock snake. The loons were always a big deal - occupying many hours of conversation and speculation about them. But it wasn't until this early summer of 2018, that I saw a bear at Bearcamp - a cub making his way around the shore! The fact that my children have been able to experience the pond in much the same way I did as a child has also been a wonderful experience! I moved to Mass after college to be closer to Sandwich and the pond. I still live in the Boston area with my husband and two teenagers. I travel back and forth all summer to Bearcamp and swim almost every day to truly relax and revive my soul! Family picnic suppers on the beach are especially enjoyable. I’m so pleased to be a Board Member and help to support the mission of BCPA.
Meredith Heard Gisness, appointed November, 2018
Meredith has been a life long summer resident of Sandwich and the pond holds a very special place in my heart. She lives in Boston with her husband and enjoys painting, photography, yoga, tennis and kayaking. She has 2 grown children who love to spend as much time as they can in Sandwich. Sitting on the dock, looking out over the Pond and the White Mountains is where she is truly happiest.
Karen McCall, appointed July, 2018
Karen McCall was an Environmental Educator for 30 years before becoming a fundraiser for wildlife conservation with a focus on great apes, whales and elephants. She has also served several years on the Board of Directors for the Great Whale Conservancy and Lola ya Bonobo. She has an economics degree from the University of Virginia and a Masters in Graduate Liberal Arts from Duke University.
Karen and her husband Steve Page currently live in Chapel Hill North Carolina and own land in Sandwich, New Hampshire. She has enjoyed Bearcamp Pond over a 33 year period as a place to kayak, watch wildlife, meet wonderful people and cultivate deep peace.
Jerry Butters, appointed July, 2018
My wife Ettie and I have visited Sandwich and Bearcamp Pond in particular nearly every summer since 1971. Whether watching our children and grandchildren make sand castles, meeting new people, or swimming out to the island, the beach has been the place to be and the highlight of every day. In 1991 we heard that Margaret Weiner’s house down the road from the town beach was for sale. We made a special trip from Maryland to check it out. When we were peering in from the outside, we could hear the haunting cry of the loons all the way from the pond. That’s when we decided we really had to buy the house and spend more time in Sandwich.
I used to be an economist at the Federal Trade Commission, but now I think of myself primarily as a pianist and piano teacher. For ten years Jim Henle, his son Fred, and I have performed as a trio for the concert series originally set up by Don Sutton at the Surroundings Gallery. My wife and I also enjoy practicing and performing Taiji.
When Linda DeMaio asked me if I would be willing to join the Board and head up the Water Quality Committee, I thought it was high time that I gave something back for all the years of enjoyment we have had at the pond.
Stewart Haviland, appointed November, 2020, Treasurer
I’ve always loved Sandwich. When I was a kid, and my parents had a house nearby, we used to play tennis at the public courts with my uncle who lived on Mt Israel Road. We’d go to Beede Falls, get a grape soda at Burrows store, and get our laundry done at what is now the downstairs restaurant at the Corner House Inn. And the Sandwich Fair of course. My first introduction to the pond, was in the 60’s when another uncle bought land on it. He ended up never building on the pond, but I remember standing on the shore, and thinking how beautiful, and peaceful it was. We bought a house on Partridge Hill Rd two years ago, and fell in love with the pond and our wonderful neighbors. Nancy and I, and our kids, Emily, and Peter have now been able to experience all the seasons here. From paddling up the river and picking blueberries in the summer, the amazing colors in the fall, and cross country skiing across to the town beach in the winter. Each season holds a special place for us. I’m glad to be able to give something back to the pond, and its community.
Last winter my husband and I bought a place on Partridge Hill with an eye towards eventually retiring here. The plan was to split our time between Sandwich and our house near Newburyport MA, where my mom lives. However almost as soon as we unpacked, we knew we wanted to find a way to spend most of our time in Sandwich. We’re overwhelmed by the beauty and tranquility of this area, and of course, Bearcamp Pond in particular, and excited about this fun and friendly community. Fortunately, we’ve both been able to work remotely, even without the anxiously awaited high-speed internet.
I’ve been involved with non-profits for many years in a variety of capacities and am currently the bookkeeper for Partners in Development, a non-profit that provides assistance to areas of extreme poverty in Haiti, Guatemala, Peru and the Mississippi Delta.
Dwight and I have 2 grown daughters; the older lives in Deering NH and the younger is in Groveland MA. We both love being outdoors – running, hiking, snowshoeing, boating (any sort of vessel, any body of water). Dwight’s hidden talent is building stone walls and stairs. I enjoy gardening and novice-level quilting.