Board of Directors

David Freudenthal: Chairman of the Board, Chair Nominating & Governance, Outreach Committee
In addition to being a CCOM Board Member, David works at Carnegie Hall as Director of Government Relations. David serves as chair of nominating & governance, a member of the outreach committee and is a member of the Montauk Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC). Though David and his husband Ken Jockers both live and work in Manhattan, Montauk has been their second home for over 20 years. Ken’s family fell in love with Montauk’s bountiful fishing and settled here in the 1950’s – first in a tent in the Montauk Shores Condominiums until Hurricane Donna where after they upgraded to a trailer.

Andy Harris: Vice President, Chair Environmental Committee
Andy has been a full-time resident of Montauk since 2003 and CCOM member since 2010. Originally from NZ where he graduated and practiced as a veterinarian he is a small business owner in Montauk having spent several years in the health care industry. He is also a member of the Montauk Citizen Advisory Committee.

Jessica James: Vice President, Outreach Committee
Jessica has been a part-time Montauk resident since 1964 when her parents bought a Leisurama home after seeing one on display at Macy’s. Jessica has since designed and built her own sustainable timber frame home, powered by solar and geothermal energy, and is now a full-time Montauk resident. A graduate of U.C, Berkeley (’86 rhetoric) and a retired chef/restaurateur, Jessica currently volunteers with the Montauk Fire Department as an EMT. She is a poultry and organic gardening enthusiast and keeps bees. Jessica also spearheaded CCOM’s involvement with Montauk School’s gardening and greenhouse program.

Karen Legotte: Treasurer, Co-Chair Finance Committee
Karen has been a part-time, year-round resident of Montauk since 1991. An active hiker, stand up paddle boarder and occasional golfer, she spends much of her time enjoying the beauty Montauk has to offer. In 2004 Karen was one of the founding members of fundraising group, The Friends of Montauk Downs, and was Chairperson until 2011. She is a member of the Columbus Citizens Foundation that provides scholarships for hundreds of deserving students. Karen is a partner at Gilder Gagnon Howe & Co., an investment firm she joined in 1991. When not in Montauk, she spends most of her time on the road researching investment ideas. She also resides in New York City with her partner Steven Goericke.

Céline Keating: Secretary, Chair Outreach Committee
Céline is a graduate of Queens College, CUNY (BA in Political Science, 1971; MA in Urban Studies, 1974) and City University of New York (MA in Creative Writing, 1984). She and her husband, Mark Levy, have been part-time year-round residents of Montauk since 1988. Céline joined the board in 1990, was the organization’s newsletter editor for many years, and is now co-chair of the Outreach Committee. Céline is a writer of fiction and nonfiction, and has had a long career in publishing, most recently at BusinessWeek magazine, where she was Deputy Chief of a copyediting department. She has worked for several nonprofits and currently serves on the board of the New York chapter of the National Women’s Book Association.

Ed Braun: Co-Chair Finance Committee
Retired CEO of Veeco Instruments, a NASDAQ listed Semiconductor Equipment Company. Served on numerous high tech Boards, former Chairman of SEMI, an International Semiconductor Equipment and Materials Trade Association, and Sematech a US Government / Private Industry Collaborative to advance technology.  A graduate of Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY, with BSME degree. Resident of Montauk since 2001. Joined CCOM in 2010. Current Montauk CAC Member. For my wife Rosanne and me spending our retirement in Montauk and NYC is “living the dream”…Let’s protect it for future generations.

Tom Creel: Chair Legal Committee
Tom is a Midwesterner who came east to practice law. He started camping at Hither Hills in the summers. His wife Carol’s mother bought one of the original Leisurama houses. Tom retired from Goodwin Procter in New York City where he was an intellectual property lawyer. He has done environmental pro bono legal work since the 1970’s as well. In addition to CCOM, Tom is a member of the Montauk Citizens Advisory Committee and the Montauk Lake Club.

Raymond Cortell: Outreach Committee
Raymond is a graduate of NYU (BS, 1962). He and his wife Susan are full time Montauk residents who came to Montauk as a year-round weekenders in 1968 and settled full time in 1992. In addition to being on the CCOM Board, Raymond also serves on the Boards of MBPOA (Montauk Beach Property Owners Association) and the Montauk CAC (Montauk Citizen’s Advisory Board). He was ARF’s (Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons) 3rd President. Raymond still works full time as President of his International Tour Company, RMC, and has just celebrated his 55th year in tourism. Thanks to the internet, RMC has its headquarters in Montauk, with additional virtual offices in the USA and Canada.

Heather D’Agostino: Outreach Committee
Heather D’Agostino is a full time Montauk resident since 1999. She and her husband John are happy to be raising their two daughters here. Heather’s formal education includes SUNY Albany (BS in Mathematics, New York University (MA in Educational Communications) and UCLA Extension-Certificate in College Counseling. Heather is a career educator having worked in corporate education and now at the Ross School since moving East. Heather has a passion for Experiential Learning and Environmental Education. In her free time, you can find Heather standup paddle boarding, practicing yoga and hiking the trails of Montauk. Heather also serves on the Montauk Citizens Advisory Council (CAC), is a former board member of the Montauk Community Playhouse and has volunteered with Montauk Youth.

George Filopoulos: Finance Committee

Martha Krisel, Esq.: Legal Committee
Martha Krisel serves as the Executive Director of the Nassau County Civil Service Commission, a position that she has held since July 2018. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Concerned Citizens of Montauk. She is a member of the Nassau County Police Diversity Committee, and an Executive Committee member of the New York State Association of Personnel and Civil Service Officers (NYSAPCSO). She has just been appointed to the newly formed New York State Bar Association’s Task Force on Racism, Social Equity, and the Law.
Krisel joined the Office of the Nassau County Attorney in 2006 and has represented numerous agencies, boards, and commissions. Krisel has a particular interest in the environment, land use, and affordable housing.
Prior to joining Nassau County, Krisel served as the Village Attorney in Rockville Centre for ten years; she has also taught at Hofstra Law School and represented indigent children and convicted criminals for New York City’s Legal Aid Society.
A Past President of the Nassau County Bar Association, Krisel currently serves as its COVID-19 Chair. Krisel graduated from SUNY Buffalo (B.A. 1976; J.D. 1980) and celebrated 40 years of admission to the practice of law on March 11, 2021.

Richard Newman: Finance Committee, Donor Development Committee
Richard and his family have had a home in Montauk since the early 1990’s. He is happy to devote his effort and energy on behalf of Montauk, a place that his family has grown to really delight in and appreciate greatly.

Rich Silver: Environmental Committee
In addition to being a CCOM Board Member, Rich is also a member of the East Hampton Town Energy & Sustainability Committee and Montauk Citizen Advisory Committee. Rich has been a full-time resident since 2011 and CCOM member since 2010. A photographer focused on the outdoors, Rich is also an active surfer, hiker, runner, and cyclist. Prior to making Montauk his full-time residence, Rich had a decades-long career in health-care finance in New York City.

Robert Stern: Co-Chair Governance, Outreach Committee
Bob is a graduate of Haverford College (BA in Philosophy, 1969) and the NYU College of Dentistry (DDS, 1979). His non-profit board experience includes, most significantly, the presidency of the board of the Bergen Performing Arts Center – the third largest performing arts organization in New Jersey. He and his wife Daphne are full-time Montauk residents. Bob joined the CCOM board in 2003 after his retirement from dental practice. When not busy doing volunteer work for CCOM, he remains an active recording and performing violinist.

Honorary Board of Directors

Bill Akin, Chair Honorary Board, Co-Chair Fundraising
Bill and his wife Monika have been year-round Montauk resident since 1993. Bill first came to Montauk with his family as a young boy in 1950. He is a graduate of Colgate University. Bill served as CCOM President for eleven years beginning in 1997. In addition to CCOM, Bill was a fifteen year member of the Board of Directors of Wild Oceans, a national fishery conservation organization. He founded the Music For Montauk concert series in 1980. He is the author of two books, Montauk is, A Collection of Haiku Poems, and most recently The Golden Age of Montauk Sportfishing.