BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Benjamin Auger - President
Jeffrey D. Furber - Vice President
David J. Mallen - Treasurer
Lynne A. Dougherty - Secretary
Michael Buensuceso
Denise Coll
Bernie Griffin
Maura Harrington
Christian G. Magnuson
Philip R. Morgan
James Moses
Ann Ramsay-Jenkins
Barbara Bates Sedoric
Charles Young
Larry A. Smith, Emeritus
-
Ben, owner of Auger Building Company, is an award-winning builder and remodeling contractor in Coastal New Hampshire and Maine. He began his career working days as a carpenter in building and construction, while attending Boston Architectural College at night. And now, over 30 years later, Ben and his team have been featured in several national trade publications, including Remodeling Magazine, where Ben was selected as one of the country’s Top 50 Remodeling Contractors. Most recently, Ben has been nominated by the NH Business Committee for the Arts for their 38th Annual NHBCA Business in the Arts Award.
Ben is dedicated to supporting our community and committed to donating 15% of his time, treasure, and talents towards local Boards and Non-Profits, including: Gather, Nurturing Minds, Crossroads House, Big Brother Big Sister, Portsmouth Historical Society, Forest Kids, and Portsmouth Pro Musica. Ben serves on the NH Charitable Foundation Advisory Board, the Facilities Committee at The Music Hall (after serving the maximum time as one of its Board members), and is a Charter Board Member at Museum of New Art Portsmouth.
In his free time, you’ll find Ben on the soccer field, ski slopes, or in the yoga studio. He has a passion for race car driving and has participated in a competitive driving school.
Ben looks forward to bringing his knowledge and passion for the arts to Ogunquit Playhouse.
-
Jeff serves as Global Chief Executive Officer of AEW, one of the world’s leading real estate investment advisors. AEW currently manages approximately $85 billion of real estate assets and securities on behalf of a global client base of public and corporate pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, endowments, foundations and high net worth investors. Mr. Furber has oversight responsibility for all of AEW’s operating business units in the United States, Europe and Asia.
Mr. Furber is a member of the Board of Directors for Stag Industrial (NYSE: STAG), Boston Children’s Hospital Trust, and the Cape Neddick Country Club, as well as a former Board director for The Howard Hughes Corporation (NYSE: HHC). He is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Harvard Business School.
Jeff and his wife Mary have had a home in Cape Neddick since 2010.
-
David J Mallen is Principal and Co-Founder of The Wilder Companies, Ltd, overseeing all financial, administrative, and strategic initiatives for Wilder and its property portfolio. Wilder is a Boston-based real estate development, management and leasing firm specializing in retail properties. Wilder has developed, managed, and leased over 20 million square feet of retail properties throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. The company currently manages a diverse portfolio of properties throughout the East Coast.
Prior to the formation of Wilder in 1990, Mr. Mallen was the CFO of its predecessor firm, Wilder-Manley Associates. Wilder-Manley was a pioneer in mall development on a national scale. Prior to Wilder-Manley, he practiced as a CPA with a national public accounting firm where he provided auditing and accounting services to clients in the real estate industry.
Mr. Mallen is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and holds a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) designation. He is also a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and the Massachusetts Society of CPA’S.
Mr. Mallen’s past non-profit work includes service as board member and advisor to organizations providing mental health and family support services to underserved inner-city populations. In Maine, his work includes service as Board President of the Ogunquit Museum of American Art and as Trustee and Treasurer of Saint Peters by the Sea Episcopal Church in Cape Neddick, ME.
-
Lynne launched LRD Ventures, LLC, a portfolio career dedicated to contributing her skills and expertise to non-profits and Board of Directors; consult in the hospitality and service industry; and volunteer time and talent to mentor college students as they embark on their careers and young professional women as they excel in their current organizations.
Lynne retired from Starwood Hotels and Resorts after a 37 year career spanning across North America in both Hotel Operations and the Corporate Office. Most recently Lynne was Senior Vice President, Owner Services and Administration North America. She was responsible for managing and coordinating owner and management company relationships and engagement, which included communication and strategic alignment with more than 550 hotels across North America and 1,200 owner and management company executives representing all ten Starwood Brands (Aloft, Element, Four Points by Sheraton, Le Meridian , Luxury Collection, Sheraton, St Regis, Tribute, W Hotels, and Westin).
Lynne joined the Brittain Resorts and Hotels Board of Directors in 2016. Lynne serves on the Board of Directors of the AH&LA and is a Vinegar Hill’s Youth Theatre Board Member. She has held past board positions with the Ronald McDonald House, Border Babies of DC, and The Dallas Opera.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Administration from the University of New Hampshire. In 1994, Lynne joined with three other UNH alumni to launch the International UNH Hospitality Advisory Board, which has since raised over $1M to support the hospitality school program and student financial assistance. Since 2006, she has served on the Board of the UNH Foundation, which provides private support for the University. In 2009, she was Chair of the Foundation’s Committee on Directors, and in 2010 was appointed Foundation Chair for a 3-year term. In 2016, Lynne was appointed to UNH’s Paul College Dean’s Advisory Board.
Lynne and her husband, Michael, are the founders of Puppy Pipeline, an Atlanta-based dog rescue transport operation. In 15 years, they have rescued more than 40,000 dogs from kill shelters and ferried them to no-kill shelters or forever homes across North America.
-
Michael Buensuceso, MSW, is the Assistant Head of School for Community and Equity at Berwick Academy in South Berwick, ME, responsible for implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion programming for all students, faculty, and staff, overseeing environmental sustainability and the residential life program.
Before joining Berwick Academy in 2015, Michael served as Director of Diversity at the Trinity School in New York City. An experienced facilitator and trainer, he is one of the founding faculty of the Educators’ Institute, a joint effort between the American Conference on Diversity and the Peter Sammartino School of Education at Fairleigh Dickinson University. He served as Vice President of Programs for the American Conference on Diversity, responsible for the development of strategic program initiatives, the development and implementation of adult and youth programs, and research statewide.
Throughout his career, Michael has consulted with businesses, community groups, local governments, and educational institutions to offer training, professional development, and strategic planning on diversity and multicultural related issues. He has also consulted with the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities and the University of Richmond, designing and implementing programs focusing on multicultural awareness and bias reduction for their students, faculty, and staff.
Currently, Michael serves on the board at the Glen Urquhart School as chair of the DEI Committee and Vice President and member of the Executive Committee. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Rhode Island and an MSW from Columbia University. He and his spouse Kathy live on the Seacoast with their two children
-
A resident of Boston and Kennebunk, Denise was in the Hospitality Industry for more than 40 years, working for the Sheraton Corporation; Fidelity — ran all their hospitality operations, including opening the Seaport Hotel in Boston; and Starwood Hotels as SVP Northeast and President North America. Denise is currently on two Boards related to Healthcare and Tourism, and volunteers as a Board Member for Simmons University, UMass, and Big Sisters.
-
Bernie’s career in service to the arts and cultural sector spans nearly 40 years. In July 2023, she retired from a 21-year career at The 5th Avenue in Seattle. Bernie first joined The 5th in 2002 as Director of Theater Advancement and Development. In 2010, she was appointed Managing Director and oversaw the administrative, marketing, fundraising, information services, and facility departments, as well as external affairs and Board-related activities. During her tenure, The 5th Avenue grew from a $10 million to a $30 million organization.
Before The 5th Avenue, she served as Director of Development for the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles, as well as for The Laguna Playhouse in Laguna Beach, CA. Before moving to California, she served at the Seattle Symphony where she was proud to have been part of the team that built Benaroya Hall. In addition to the Symphony, Griffin worked for the Tony Award-winning Seattle Repertory Theatre and Tony Randall’s National Actors Theatre in New York.
Bernie began her career at the University of Denver. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Martin’s University in Lacey, WA and was born and raised in Walla Walla, WA.
She is a member of Theater Communications Group (TCG) and the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, an executive committee board member of the Downtown Seattle Association, and serves on the Washington State Cultural Alliance. Bernie has also served as a grants panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts. She was named one of the Puget Sound Business Journal’s 2013 Women of Influence and was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters in May of 2023 from Cornish College of the Arts. In July 2023 she was recognized with a King County Proclamation by King County Executive Dow Constantine. She is married to award-winning actor Seán G. Griffin.
In addition to serving as Managing Director Emeritus and Senior Advisor of The 5th Avenue Theatre, she also leads Bernie Griffin Consulting and acts as an Advisor to The 4th Act.
-
Maura is a resident of Boston and Ogunquit, dividing her time to serve both communities as a volunteer and philanthropist.
After a career in health insurance underwriting and then raising her two children, Maura has turned her attention to serving the needs of the elderly, homeless, and marginalized. Supporting the arts, particularly dance, theatre, and music, is an important focus for her.
Currently, Maura is on the Spiritual Care Team at Mass. General Hospital, the CARES and Rainbow Ministries at St. Cecilia Parish in Boston, Friends of the South End Library, Interfaith organization - A Faith that Does Justice, and the Board of Directors of the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra.
Maura lends her support to The Boston Center for the Arts, Women’s Lunch Place, MFA Boston, Marginal Way Preservation Fund, Ogunquit Museum of American Art, National Ballet of Canada, Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, Good Shepard Food Bank, and the Ogunquit Playhouse.
-
Chris was born in Queens, NY and grew up in Northport, Long Island, NY. Chris is President and Chairman of WASCO Skylights, a leading national manufacturer of Commercial, Architectural and Residential Skylights, headquartered in Wells, Maine. Chris moved to Maine in 1978 following his father Gus into the business. At WASCO Chris has moved up the ladder of responsibility and authority holding positions in all operational areas of the company which includes a 6 year stint in Texas. WASCO is a customer/market oriented, premium overhead daylighting solutions provider which values its employees, sales reps and vendors and believes in giving back to it’s community. Chris holds an MBA in General Management from Long Island University’s Post Campus, School of Management. Chris lives in Kennebunk and Georgetown Maine with his wife Rosalind.
Industry Participation (Current) - American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) Skylight/Sloped Glazing Council First Vice Chair and Ex-officio Board member.
Community Participation (Past)- Maine State Chamber Board; Sanford/Springvale Chamber of Commerce Board and Chair; UWYC Board Member & Annual Campaign Chair; Junior Achievement of Maine, Sanford-Springvale (now Southern York County) Area Board Founding Chair; Maine Development Foundation, Leadership Maine - MU Class; Junior Achievement of Maine State Board; Jobs for Maine Graduates (JMG) Volunteer - (Current) - York County Community College Foundation Board; Ogunquit Playhouse Foundation Board.
-
Mr. Morgan, more commonly known as Flip, is the retired fifth-generation former President and CEO of Morgan Construction Company in Worcester, MA, designers and manufacturers of rolling mill equipment for the worldwide metals industries with subsidiaries in Brazil, India, China and England. Morgan Construction was founded by Flip’s great-great grandfather in 1888. Flip ran the company from 1986 until it was sold to Siemens Metals in 2008 where he stayed on to usher in the new leadership until his retirement in 2010.
He has extensive not-for-profit Board experience formerly serving multiple organizations, including 21 years as a Board Trustee at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in MA. He served as a member of the Governing Board of Trustees at The Fay School in Southborough, MA, and locally, has served as a Trustee for York Historical Society and York Hospital.
Currently, he serves on the Board of the Worcester Art Museum, the Massachusetts Bio Medical Initiative in Worcester and is a member of OMAA (Ogunquit Museum of American Art) Finance Committee, and serves on the Advisory Board of the Hazelett Strip-Casting Corporation in Vermont.
Mr. Morgan is a graduate of Harvard and Harvard Business School. He and his wife, Gale, summer on the southern coast of Maine and their winters are spent in Florida.
Mr. Morgan is looking forward to expanding his knowledge of producing world-class performances, including new works for the stage and to help preserve the historic Ogunquit Playhouse.
-
James Moses is President and CEO of Road Scholar, the not-for-profit educational organization inspiring adults to learn, discover and travel. Road Scholar, founded as Elderhostel in 1975, changed society’s perceptions of aging, and continues to foster the importance of intellectual engagement and social camaraderie as essential elements of a healthy older age. Mr. Moses joined the organization in 1979 and has dedicated his career to its mission, serving as the organization’s Registrar, Vice President of Programs Worldwide, Chief Operating Officer, and President and CEO. Mr. Moses currently serves on the Board of Advisors for the American Repertory Theatre (A.R.T.), Cambridge, MA, and has served as a Fellow of the World Demographic Association, St. Gallen, Switzerland, and as a former Board member for: the National Independence Museum in Exeter, NH; the National Board of GLAAD (the Gay/Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation); the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts; the Board of Visitors, Boston Center for the Arts; the Board of Advisors, Educational Travel Conference; and was a founding member of the Board of Trustees for the Sarapiqui Conservation Learning Center in Costa Rica.
-
Ann Ramsay-Jenkins is Co-Founder and Vice President of the Board of the College Success Foundation which provides mentoring and college scholarships to low income students in the state of Washington and Washington, DC. Since its inception in 2000, the Foundation has awarded over 10,000 scholarships totaling more than $352,000,000.
Ann has served on the Board of the 5th Avenue Theatre since 2012 and is a member of its Executive Committee. She lead the Board’s capital campaign in 2015, designed to renovate the Theatre’s interior, which is a replica of the Summer Palace in the Forbidden City in China.
Ann served on the Seattle Repertory Theatre’s Board of Trustees for several years, co-chairing its capital campaign for the Leo K Theatre in 1993, and serving as the Rep’s board chairman in 1995. In 1996, she served as Founding Chair of the Seattle Repertory Theatre Foundation and helped lead a $10 million endowment campaign. She also served on the Rep’s Strategic Planning Committee which was charged with formulating a plan for a sustainable future.
Ann was a member of the board of the National Corporate Theatre Fund from 1993-1995, the Theatre Communication Group National Advisory Board from 2012 to 2016, and the PATH Research Campaign Committee in Seattle from 2013 to 2016.
Among other boards and activities, Ann has been a member of President Carter’s Advisory Committee for Women and the President’s Commission on White House Fellows, as well as Director of the Office of Budgets at Harvard University, Washington State’s Higher Education Coordinating Board, The University of Washington Academic Medical Center Board, and the Board of Selectors for the American institute of Public Service, which administers the National Jefferson Awards and the United Way of King County.
-
Barbara is president and founder of LastingMatters, a comprehensive book and online guide designed to capture essential personal information and directives should one die or become incapacitated.
In 2014, New Hampshire Public Radio listed The LastingMatters Organizer as a “must read book.” Barbara’s story was featured on The Conversation Project and she is an “Architect of Change” on Maria Shriver’s website.
Barbara gained her comprehensive and sensitive understanding of the importance of life directives during her career working with estates and trusts at Foley, Hoag & Eliot where she helped grieving family members assemble this information. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Connecticut College, Barb comes from three generations of wealth managers. Her husband, Thomas, is Partner and Managing Director of The Sedoric Group of Steward Partners. She lives with her family in Rye, New Hampshire.
-
After 23 years, Charles recently retired from Fidelity Investments where he was a Vice President in software technology and branch development, having previously worked in various small software companies. Prior to pursuing a software career, Charles worked at the Santa Fe Opera (technical apprentice program), and Dartmouth College as production management for touring shows fueling a lifelong love of theater both as an audience member and working backstage.
In his free time, Charles is an avid DIY homeowner on an island on Lake Winnipesauke, manager of rental properties, Certified Financial Planner™, and volunteer at The Music Hall in Portsmouth.
Previous Board experience includes The Putney School, North Country Community Theater (NCCT), and Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth (CHaD).
-
Larry grew up in Pennsylvania and moved to Massachusetts after serving in the Coast Guard. He graduated from Northeastern University in 1971, with a degree in biochemistry. He began his career at Millipore Corporation where he served in many capacities including market manager for medical devices.
Larry and his wife Marcy retired from corporate life and moved to Maine in 1986. Larry and Marcy acquired the Ogunquit Camera Shop the year they moved to Maine. He taught photography for 18 years at York Adult Education. He has been active in the Ogunquit Community, serving on the Planning Board and the Traffic and Parking Management Committee. He also served as a Selectman for three terms. Larry founded the Capriccio Festival of Kites in 1998 and the festival continues today.
He was one of the early Directors of the Ogunquit Playhouse Foundation and served as President for five years and as an active Director from 1998 to 2010. He also served on the Board of the Heartwood College of Art and is currently a Trustee of the Ogunquit Memorial Library. Larry is an active member of the Ogunquit Baptist Church where he currently serves as a Deacon.
Larry still leads an active outdoor life. He has spent a week backpacking in the backcountry of the Grand Canyon, and bicycled from Washington, DC to Pittsburgh, PA. Most recently he spent a week hiking in Death Valley with his son and granddaughter. Larry and Marcy have retired from the retail business and their daughter Tracy runs the Ogunquit Shop and their son Chris runs the Kennebunk Photographic Studio.