Board of Directors

Susan Bush

I am president of Albany Records, a classical music record label that specializes in American music. I’ve lived on Block Island for 16 years, first on the west side and now downtown. I serve on the Zoning Board as well as the Block Island Residents Association and am the manager of Island Bound Bookstore. I’m a former Peace Corps Volunteer; I was manager of the Albany Symphony; and have served on numerous panels at the National Endowment for the Arts.

Marti Dunne

I retired in 2019 from my position as Associate Vice Provost at New York University in the area of Research Compliance, overseeing the offices which support its faculty doing research. I served on the Board of Directors of the Council of Governmental Relations, an organization composed of the nation’s major research institutions and also served on the Board of the National Council of University Research Administrators, so I am accustomed to the important work that Boards do.

Having grown up on Long Island, ocean communities have always been special to me. As a family, we tried beach vacations in the Hamptons, on the Cape, on the Vineyard, and finally in 1993, we discovered Block Island and never again chose anywhere else. In 2011, we were lucky enough to find a house to purchase and although we still retain a house in Connecticut, we enjoy the Island year-round.

The importance of conservation was made clear to me at a young age as I watched the Great South Bay become polluted, the farms disappear from my hometown and the empty space become consumed by development. One of the things that drew me to Block Island was the determination of its residents to preserve its natural beauty and open space.

Craig Fontaine

We began coming to Block Island thirty years ago. Over the years its natural beauty and friendly serenity enticed Michele and I to purchase our home. Eventually we completely renovated it and now we spend as much time here as we can, as do our grown children who also share our love for this island.  I am an attorney and in my free time I enjoy the many great recreational opportunities Block has to offer including boating, fishing, scuba diving and hiking. My wife and I enjoy the unique and warm social fabric of our island community and, who knows, maybe I will even manage to be a better guitar player.

Joe Loya

My wife and I have owned our house since 1990 and moved to Block Island full time in 2018. I spent the first phase of my career in the not-for-profit sector, working for Save the Children, the international child-welfare and community development organization, followed by a 30-year career as a solution-oriented communication and change consultant in HR/workforce communication, digital technology and marketing, working with many Fortune 500 companies.

We most recently completed renovating and expanding our home on Payne Road, which was formerly one of the five original schoolhouses on the island — The Gully Schoolhouse. In addition to my role as President of BIRA, I enjoy carpentry, woodworking, masonry and sharing my voice in the Ecumenical and St. Andrews Choirs.

Susan Matheke

I’ve been a full-time resident of Block Island since 2011, however I first vacationed on Block Island in1974.  Block Island is now our only home.  In 2011 I retired after twenty-six years as the Chair of the Dance Department at the ACES Educational Center for the Arts in New Haven, Ct. and just recently retired after twelve years as Adjunct Faculty at Central Connecticut State University.  During my performing years, I was a member of the Viola Farber Dance Company in NYC (1972 – 1979) and also Co-Director of Dances for 2 (1979 – present), a duet company, with my husband, Willie Feuer.

Eliot Nerenberg

My wife and I first came to BI Memorial Day weekend, 1977 and immediately fell in love with the Island.  We rented houses during the summers until 1983, when we bought our present home on Cooneymus Road.  Our kids spent their summers here.  I have felt very much part of the community here.  I have been on the Board of the Southeast Lighthouse Foundation for about 20 years, and am proud of the work we have done there.  For the past 5 plus years, I have worked as a volunteer for the Block Island Historical Society by giving weekly walking tours of historic downtown Bi (except for this summer because of Covid-19).  I am now on the Task Force of #RespectBI.

By way of professional background, I was an attorney in Connecticut for 41 years, specializing in family law and real estate, and was listed in Best Lawyers in America.  Since I retired 6 years ago, my wife and I reside, when not on BI, in Manhattan.  I feel privileged to be part of this unique and caring community, and would look forward to continuing my involvement through BIRA.

Nancy Thornberry

My family and I have owned a house on Block Island for approximately 23 years.  I’ve been active in conservation efforts at Peckham Farm, Block Island where I have joined others to protect and restore open space. I am devoted to “the topics that are top of mind for BIRA … and I’m happy to be involved.”

Professionally, I joined Kallyope as Chief Executive Officer at the company’s launch in November 2016.  I was formerly Senior Vice President and Franchise Head, Diabetes and Endocrinology, Merck & Co. Inc.

Sharon Weinberg

Sharon Lawner Weinberg has been a home owner and seasonal resident of Block Island since the summer of 1994. In addition to being on the BIRA Board, she is also a member of the Block Island Health Services (BIHS) Board. She was an active participant on the 2020 Block Island Medical Center Fund-Raising Committee and is continuing in that role for 2021. She and her family enjoy the many treasures that Block Island has to offer, including its hiking trails, sailing waters, beaches, ponds, and spectacular views. When not on Block Island, Sharon and her husband Steve reside in New York’s Westchester County. She is a Professor of Applied Statistics and Psychology and former Vice Provost of Faculty Affairs at New York University.

Mary Forssell

Bob Benjamin

I married into Block Island as my wife’s family has been coming since before her grandfather bought a house on Spring Street many years ago. We bought our Island home in 2009 and have come as often as possible at all times of the year since then. We moved to the Island after we both retired in 2021.

The Block Island community is as very dear to us as the beautiful Island itself. My wife and I cannot imagine ever tiring of walking the Island’s trails and beaches. Little makes me happier than running Crescent Beach on a brisk, off season day at low tide.

Before retirement I had two careers, spending 18 years in banking and 20 years as a high school math and business teacher.

Mark Costello

I have been a part-time resident of Block Island since 1969 when I first visited with my family.  My wife and I have owned our own home here since 1998 and have raised our two sons on the island during the summer months. During my professional career, I served as a senior executive in the real estate industry and was a longtime Partner at a global professional services firm.  I also served for many years as a board member of the Tenement Museum in New York City.