Fred Gaechter; President

A veteran of the United States Air Force, Fred worked for over 40 years in telecommunications.  In 2001, he retired as Executive Director of Telecordia, a renowned telecommunications firm with over 7,000 employees worldwide. Fred served as a Truro Selectman for six years (2004-2010), the first four of which were as the Board’s Chairman. Fred is also the current president of the Truro Conservation Trust. He lives with his wife Judy in Truro.

Pamela French, MD,MPH; Vice President

Pamela French, MD, MPH, DTMH, is a specialist in Infectious Diseases and an antibiotic development consultant. A graduate of the Medical College of Pennsylvania, she is a member of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, the American Society for Microbiology, the American Public Health Association, and the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Gary Sorkin, MLS; Clerk

Gary Sorkin received his bachelor of arts from Boston University and a master of library science from Simmons College.  Gary joined the OCHS Board in February 2012 and serves as a member of the Development Committee. He has decades of experience in the microcomputer products and services industry and served as President of GovConnection in Merrimack, NH, Founder and President of ComTeq in Rockville, MD, Sr. Vice President at CompuCom in Dallas, TX, and Vice President at Businessland in San Jose, CA.  Currently, Gary participates extensively with community initiatives on the Cape and is a Board member of Am Ha Yam, a Jewish fellowship of the Outer Cape. 

Nancy Howard, M Ed, MBA; Treasurer

Nancy Howard has had a home in Provincetown for over 13 years and also has a home in Boston. She has served on the Provincetown MacMillan Pier Corporation Board. She recently retired as COO of MassDevelopment, a quasi-governmental agency, responsible for economic development across the Commonwealth, focusing on tax exempt bond financing, lending and real estate development. Prior to serving at MassDevelopment, she was the Group Executive for all Specialized Lending and a member of the Senior Credit Committee at Bank Boston.

Byllye Avery, M.Ed.

Byllye Avery is founding President of the Black Women’s Health Imperative. Avery’s renowned health advocacy work has been recognized with countless honors and awards, notably the 2008 Ruth Bader Ginsburg Award for a Pioneer in Women’s Rights and a MacArthur Foundation Genius Award.  Avery is a former faculty member at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, and she resides in Provincetown.

Attorney Bruce Bierhans of BRUCE A. BIERHANS, LLC specializies in trial law with concentrations in the areas of complex tort/personal injury, business law, probate and business litigation. A former Director of Research for the Massachusetts Senate Committee on Urban Affairs, Bruce also serves on the Board of Directors for Wellfleet Preservation Hall and the Payomet Performing Arts Center.

Robert Coval, CPA,

Robert Coval has worked for over 30 years as principal of a certified public accounting firm with offices in Easton and South Yarmouth, MA.  Licensed by the MA Board of Public Accountancy, Robert's practice concentrations include preparation of individual and corporate income tax returns and the preparation of not-for-profit organizations with concentrations in Massachusetts.

Patti Cozzi, R.N.

Ron Fichtner, Ph.D.

Ronald Fichtner was most recently Senior Director of Business Development for RTI International, and his career includes a 23-year tenure at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where he worked as Director of Prevention Informatics at the National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention.  A recipient of the US Department of Health and Human Services Special Achievement Award, Fichtner lives in Truro.

Janice Gray, C.F.P.

Janice Gray worked for over 20 years in radio as a classical music announcer, producer and editor.  As a radio station administrator, she hosted and wrote scripts for national Boston Pops and Boston Symphony radio broadcasts. In 1997, she applied her skills to the world of finance, earning her CFP (Certified Financial Planner) designation. She worked as a franchisee of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., helping people plan for and achieve their financial goals. She lives in Wellfleet.

Jayne Carvelli Sheehan, MSN, RNP

Jayne Carvelli Sheehan, MSN, RNC is senior vice president for ambulatory and emergency services at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. An expert on the development and growth of ambulatory services, Jayne speaks nationally on Ambulatory Care and Physician Practice operations, as well as space design & utilization and productivity & service.

Mary Grace Smith ( member at-large)

Mary Grace Smith is a technology and communications specialist whose career highlights include serving as Associate Director of the Office for Information Technology at Harvard University. Smith served as Principal of Northeast Consulting Resources, Inc., which offered planning, management, and communications consulting to businesses and non-profit organizations.  She serves on the board of Wellfleet Preservation Hall, and she lives in Wellfleet.