At the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests’ 120th Annual Meeting held in September, the organization elected three new members to the Board of Trustees. New board members include George Epstein of Silver Lake, Elizabeth Salas Evans of Weare, and Patricia Losik of Rye. In addition, officers were selected, including Chairman of the Board of Trustees William (Tuck) Tucker of Goffstown, Vice Chair Drew Kellner of Brookline, Treasurer Andrew Smith of Twin Mountain, and Secretary Karen Moran of Webster.

“Each of these new members bring a unique outlook and perspective to help make our board even stronger,” said Bill “Tuck” Tucker, the chair of the Board of Trustees. “Their specific areas of expertise, their passion for our environment, and their past experience on other boards and committees will clearly benefit the Forest Society.”

George Epstein is chairman and co-founder of The Echo Group in Conway, a 70-person healthcare software firm providing electronic medical record systems for behavioral health organizations. He obtained his bachelor’s degree with honors from Dartmouth College, his MBA from the University of Maine, and completed graduate work in counseling and computer science. Epstein brings numerous years of non-profit experience to the Forest Society Board of Trustees, having served for 12 years on the University of New Hampshire Board of Trustees under Governors Shaheen, Benson and Lynch. He has served as town and school district moderator in Madison for more than 30 years. Other boards include the Memorial Hospital in North Conway serving as the Chair, Northern Community Investment Corporation, Mount Washington Valley Economic Council, the Millen Foundation, and several corporate boards for startup software companies. George and his family are longtime residents of Silver Lake.

Elizabeth Salas Evans is the president and chief compliance officer of Cayena Capital Management, an independent registered investment firm in Weare. Throughout her career, Liz has had a particular interest in race and gender equality within labor markets, socially responsible investment themes, corporate practices, environmental stewardship, consumer protection, human rights, and diversity. A native of New Hampshire, Salas Evans received a B.S. degree in Business Finance and a M.S. in Applied Economics from Southern New Hampshire University. She serves as executive trustee to several local non-profits across New Hampshire, including Spark the Dream and NH PBS. She also serves as Corporator for New Hampshire Mutual Bancorp. Most recently, she’s been appointed to serve as a member of the Weare Finance Committee. She was the recipient of the NH Business Review’s 2020 Outstanding Woman in Business award and is a mentee at the American Economic Association (AEA). Liz and her family live in Weare.

Patricia Losik is an enthusiastic gardener, and caretaker of her family’s historic farm in Rye. She is a Certified Public Accountant and commits her energies to community matters including practical and responsible land use and development, climate and environmental concerns, and water quality issues.

“It is great to welcome our new board members, all with different backgrounds and representing areas across the state,” said Jack Savage, president of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. “Their combined decades of experience and deep commitment to New Hampshire’s forests and landscapes will help us evolve as an organization and continue to protect the special places throughout our state.”