Events

Our own Past President will update us on what he is up to these days.  Using over 25 years of experience as an agent of change and a business leader, combined with a proven system to identify and implement sustainable improvements, Al is now helping business leaders to achieve unprecedented levels of success in their operations.

This morning, he will speak on entrepreneurship through franchising…the many hats a small business owner wears, and KBIs to know when you’re on the right track, or heading off the rails.

You and any guest(s) are cordially invited to Bourbon After Five at the home of Joel and Jean Leider on Friday, June 20th.   Please register to help the hosts plan for for the evening.  Feel free to bring any drink(s) of your choice and any snacks you wish to share.  

Andover Baptist Church, in collaboration with the Andover Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Commission, will be hosting a Juneteenth celebration at the Andover Baptist Church on Saturday, June 21st, from 4 - 7 pm.

They’re currently planning the event and have invited our club to lend a hand. Stay tuned for more details, and in the meantime, be sure to mark your calendars and plan to join us!

Tom is a Senior level financial and operations professional with over 37 years of for-profit and non-profit experience. His areas of expertise include financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, financial analysis, non-profit governance, banking compliance, cash management, system implementations, policies and procedures documentation, grant management (federal and private), internal control reviews, board presentations, organization assessments, audit management, organization formation and dissolution, and IRS non-profit application completion and submission. Prior to joining CLA, Tom worked for a professional services firm, for nine years, that specialized in working with Non-Profit organizations. He held positions as CFO, Treasurer and Executive Director for many of the Non-Profit Association clients for a Professional services firm (including Senior Vice President for the firm managing four departments), that managed more than 70 Non-Profits (primarily Associations), around the world. Prior to that Tom held positions as Director of Finance and Administration for a social services non-profit and CFO of a long-standing non-profit preservation society. Tom currently works with a variety of nonprofit industries: Associations, Human Services, Community Development, Religious and Tech groups. 

At Neurowaves Brain Wellness Center, we specialize in advanced neuromodulation treatments for a variety of conditions, including Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), PTSD, depression, anxiety, addiction, and other neurological and sensory disorders. Our approach, Magnetic e-Resonance Therapy (MeRT), is a non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical, and highly personalized treatment designed to address the unique needs of each patient.

A well-planned garden completes the story of your home, it looks beautiful, smells beautiful, and sounds beautiful. It can even taste beautiful. It’s a place you come to at the end of the day to relax, play, eat, and connect with the people in your life. 

Our mission at Samantha’s Gardens is to spread joy and happiness to our clients and throughout our communities. We don’t just want to landscape your home, we want to transform it into an environment you will love.

The kind that has the power to transport you.

Claudia has been part of One Wish Project from the beginning. While Hannah was busy making the most amazing birthday cakes in their Andover home, Claudia assisted Hannah with all the things that a 14-year old girl could not do herself. Claudia opened a bank account to accept donations, drove Hannah to the supermarkets for cake ingredients and the toy stores, and of course, accompanied Hannah to all the shelter deliveries.  As the organization continued to grow and Hannah was beginning the transition process to college in the Fall of 2020, One Wish Project became a volunteer-based organization and Claudia took over the day-to-day responsibilities of the organization. Today, Claudia is One Wish Project's Executive Director focusing on Strategic Development and growth.

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As the founder and senior principal trainer for LeadSMART Training Solutions, Peter took his first lead safe training in 1997 while operating his design/build remodeling firm in the greater Boston area. Trained as a cabinetmaker, his love of residential remodeling became his specialty in the design/build field of residential construction.

Seeing a need in the construction industry in the area of lead remodeling, Peter founded LeadSMART Training Solutions, Inc., in 2011. Teaching both the EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (RRP) and Massachusetts Lead Safe Renovation (LSR) Standards, Peter later expanded the LeadSMART educational offerings to include certification courses in OSHA safety standards and respirator use, as well as Massachusetts Construction Supervisor License (CSL) renewal.

Peter feels strongly about helping smaller firms find the profitable side of jobsite compliance. As a result, he utilizes his 30+ years of business acumen in residential construction and remodeling to offer onsite consultations, built proprietary contractor business builder courses, and enjoys holding private training sessions to address the unique needs of the client’s organization. Using his vast knowledge of regulations, he has written client employee OSHA Safety Plans — and helped keep them on the profitable side of jobsite compliance.

Peter has spoken to many contractor groups in both educational and motivational formats. His honest, forthright speaking style as well as his knowledge of the industry and regulations, has garnered high praise from the audience. 

In September 2022 the members of Ballard Vale United Church (BVUC) in Andover, MA, launched the town’s first 24-hour self-serve community pantry. After two years, the pantry has evolved into a hub of food rescue and a vital resource for over 1,000 members of the community.  After learning that about 20% of children are food insecure in Andover, Glen McLeod, former church moderator before focusing on the ministry, had the idea to run a food pantry out of the church. He envisioned a place where anyone in the community could take, or donate, food at any time.

The pantry is open 24/7 and is available to anyone in the community. Donors and recipients alike visit daily. The group follows USDA guidelines to ensure the food offered at the pantry is safe for eating.

Like many people, I watched with a mix of sadness and anger as Russia’s totally unjustified invasion of Ukraine unfolded in February 2022.  The indiscriminate shelling of remote farming villages, the deliberate bombing of civilian targets, the blatant aggression, the heartbreaking scenes of elderly people fleeing their homes – for me it felt like I was watching something akin to Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939 at the start of World War 2, only this time it was in real time.

​My initial instinct was to donate to a charity in Ukraine, which I did.  But for some reason, writing a check and stopping there just didn’t seem to be enough.  This time, I felt a call to action like never before.  I didn’t know how to help out, but I knew one thing: doing nothing was NOT an option.  I had to go there and help out in some way, but how?

I have just returned from a 1 year stay in Ukraine, my 7th trip there since the beginning of the war. While there, we sourced and delivered essential humanitarian aid to the hardest-hit areas of the country, often not far from the front lines, where other NGO’s won’t go because of the risk.  I have done numerous talks for Rotary Clubs in NH and MA, including Manchester North, Bedford, Exeter, Dover, Portsmouth, Salem, Goffstown, Hollis, Hopkinton and others.

Meet one of our newest members and learn about Alliance Car Service. 

For anyone remotely connected to responsible investing or corporate responsibility Tim Smith requires little to no introduction. He is one of ICCR’s founding staff members and has been a leader in our field for over five decades.

Tim currently serves as ICCR’s Senior Policy Advisor, where he supports ICCR’s work around responsible political engagement, deepening engagements with asset managers, and responding to the pushback on ESG, as well as serving as a mentor for ICCR members and staff.

Tim served as ICCR staff for 30 years including 24 years as its Executive Director. In 2000, Tim joined Boston Trust Walden where he led the organization’s shareholder engagement efforts for 22 years. In 2007, 2012, and 2013, Tim was named one of the “Top 100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics” by Ethisphere Institute. In 2010, he received the Bavaria Award for Impact at the third annual Joan Bavaria Awards for Building Sustainability into the Capital Markets. In 2011 and 2012, he was named one of the most influential people in corporate governance by the National Association of Corporate Directors, and in 2016 Tim received ICCR’s Legacy Award for his enduring record of demonstrated influence on corporate policies.

Tim has served on multiple boards and chaired advisory councils for several different institutions. He currently serves as chair for Shared Interest, which mobilizes economic resources for communities in Southern Africa.

Tim earned a BA from the University of Toronto and Masters of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary.

For over a year, Andover photographer David Whitney embedded himself in the daily routines of Town employees—quietly observing, listening, and capturing candid moments as they went about their essential work. The result is Andover at Work, a powerful new photo exhibit on display at the Robb Center, 30 Whittier Court, from June 2 through June 30. 
 
The exhibit offered a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the more than 350 frontline employees who keep the Town running—from public safety and public works to library staff, administrative offices, and more. Whitney’s photographs highlight the breadth and depth of services performed by Town staff, often unnoticed, but vital to the wellbeing of the community.

Melissa went to the University of NH for her bachelor’s degree and Roger Williams University for her master’s degree.  Melissa has been working in child welfare serving roles since 2008 and has spent more than fifteen years in the nonprofit sector.  Over her tenure in these settings, Melissa has advanced in leadership roles that supported children and families healing from circumstances of abuse, neglect and trauma primarily in residential care. Melissa also worked in the state of NH’s child welfare system early in her career and collectively gained an appreciation for the resiliency of families and what is needed to support families succeed. Melissa began as the Executive Director of Salem Family Resources in January 2025 and is excited to be on the side of prevention focused work and family strengthening. Melissa now lives in Auburn NH with her husband and two children and remains passionate as a parent to help support other parents and children thrive through her work.