Contact
For all General Inquiries, Membership Information, Volunteer Interest, etc.:
[email protected]


Founding Steering Committee
The project developers and co-founders are RPI alumni, Todd Thomas, an architect who specializes in historic preservation and green/sustainable design, and Jessica Thomas, a hydrogeologist experienced in regulatory compliance and project safety. Co-founder Andrea Rounds is a nonprofit management consultant and serves as Interim Executive Director with the guidance of a steering committee of professionals and community leaders:
Todd Thomas
Co-founder, President & Project Developer3T Collaborative; co-owner, Thomas and Thomas Development, Inc., sustainable and green design-build firmTodd Thomas is co-owner of Thomas and Thomas Development, a sustainable and green design-build firm based in Newport, RI., and member of the 3T Collaborative. A graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Architecture and Building Sciences, his design experience includes multi-million dollar bio-tech research facilities, affordable housing, and major historic restoration projects. He serves on the board of Ft. Adams Park. Todd and his team follow green/sustainable design principals and practice the integrative design process.
Andrea Rounds
Co-founder & Interim Executive DirectorNonprofit management consultant; member of Explore Bristol’s Steering Committee; LeadershipRI 2015 Lambda II ClassAs a leadership and management consultant for cultural, educational, and community organizations, Andrea Rounds specializes in building bridges between the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. Prior to her career in advancement at Brown and Columbia universities, she was President of Dodger Touring, a theatrical booking and marketing company, which represented national touring productions of Broadway shows. Andrea holds a MA in Performing Arts Management from American University and an AB in Comparative Literature from Princeton University.
Jane Lavender
Board member of the Bristol Art Museum; artist; member of the Explore Bristol Steering CommitteeGina Macdonald
TreasurerManaging Director, Promontory Growth and Innovation, consultants who help large companies increase profitsGina Macdonald is a Managing Director of Promontory Growth and Innovation, a Washington DC firm where she specializes in helping large companies (>2,500 employees) increase profits. Earlier, she was CEO of two software companies and was President and CEO of Fleet Real Estate Capital. She currently serves as President of the Mt. Hope Trust in Bristol, co-chairman of Preserve Rhode Island and a director of the Bristol County Water Authority and Radius Bank in Boston.
Garry Holmstrom
SecretaryRetired Raytheon executive; Captain U.S.Navy (ret.); URI Master Gardener (Intern); board member of Linden Place.Garry Holmstrom had command of Navy Surface Combatant ships, worked on technology, missile and missile defense programs then joined Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems until retiring in 2014. Serving on several Bristol, RI committees and organizations since moving back to Bristol in 2000, he pursues interests in his family, sailing, Bristol’s vast potential and improving quality of community gardening. He has degrees from US Naval Academy, US Naval War College and Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
Mike Byrnes
Co-founder and co-chair, Explore Bristol; retired China business executive; U.S. Army Brigadier General (ret.)Fran Chaves
3T Collaborative; owner of Chaves Construction, a residential and commercial construction company.Elizabeth Crabtree
AVP for Strategy and Resource Development at Brown University; fundraising and nonprofit management professional.Halsey Herreshoff
Naval architect, Herreshoff Design; Bristol Town Council Member; America’s Cup-winning sailorHalsey C. Herreshoff is a grandson of Captain Nathanael Greene Herreshoff, America's greatest designer and builder of seagoing craft, including six America's Cup winners. A graduate of Webb Institute of Naval Architecture and M.I.T., Halsey himself has made designs from which 10,000 yachts have been built. A veteran of four America's Cup matches and many ocean races, today Halsey skippers his revered Herreshoff yawl RUGOSA. He has served elective office in Bristol for a record 33 years.
Tom Kowalczyk
Principal KMRM, LLC and independent contractor for Homeland Security; retired civilian engineer, USNTim MacDonald
Tim MacDonald is Senior Fellow at Capital Institute, leading research into new pension investment choices.Jessica Thomas
3T Collaborative; co-owner, Thomas and Thomas Development, Inc., sustainable and green design-build firm
Photo Credit: East Bay Phoenix Newspaper
Back Row, from Left to Right – Halsey Herreshoff, Todd Thomas. Front Row, from Left to Right – Andrea Rounds, Francis Chaves, Gina Macdonald, Garry Holmstrom. Not pictured in the photo are Mike Byrnes, Jane Lavender, Tom Kowalczyk, Tim McDonald, and Elizabeth Crabtree.
Bristol, RI 02809