Our Board & Staff

Erik Drake has spent the past 20 years of his career helping to drive the fast expansion and evolution of category leading organic companies.  As the CEO of Coast of Maine, Erik is helping grow Coast of Maine’s distribution, marketing and sales of their organic and natural soils, mulches, fertilizers and amendments.  Prior to joining Coast of Maine, Erik was the CEO and COO of Pete and Gerry’s Organics, the #1 organic egg brand and #2 branded egg company in the US, where he broadened its distribution and sales with a specific focus on strengthening the company’s operational efficiency and commercial strategy, capabilities and scope and led the team through a successful sale to Butterfly Equity.  Previously, Erik was the Executive Vice President for Late July Organic Snacks where he managed all functions of the company reporting directly to the founders as they expanded nationally and grew 400% over 4 years.   His experience in the organic food industry began at Stonyfield Organic.  Through a series of leadership positions, he was instrumental in accelerating the company from an entrepreneurial niche brand into a national organic food leader with aggressive sales and share growth over 10 years to become one of the largest organic food brands in the US. 

Erik received an MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan in 2000, following his desire to integrate sustainability into the mission and operations of companies. Erik previously worked in the environmental field, first as a researcher for the paper industry and then as a project manager for ENSR International (now AECOM) where he focused on water quality issues.  He also has an MS and BS in Environmental and Civil Engineering from Tufts University.

Steve Gabriel is a co-founder and Managing Partner at 36creative, a leading brand marketing and creative strategy agency headquartered in Salem, NH. As a service provider and consultancy firm, Steve and his team get to intimately learn about the inner workings of top brands, companies, non-profits, and organizations throughout the country to help them achieve increased success. Steve was raised in Southern NH, and before starting 36creative, he graduated from Northeastern with honors and worked at Fidelity Investments, Standard & Poors (S&P), and FedEx Trade Network. Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability is something that 36creative believes in strongly, implementing a comprehensive program for employees at all levels to participate in and engage with throughout the year. 

Sara Johnson is the Small Business Technical Assistance Program Manager and Small Business
Ombudsperson for the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. Sara has 25 years’
experience in New Hampshire state government and serving the small business community. She
represents Region 1 on the National Steering Committee (NSC) for Small Business Environmental
Assistance Programs and was Chair of NSC from 2014 to 2016. Sara was awarded the Karen V. Brown
Leadership Award in 2022 and the Small Business Environmental Assistance Program Award in 2018 by
the NSC. She is a member of the Leadership Lakes Region Class of 2015. As Vice-chair of the National
Pollution Prevention Roundtable, Sara was the founding member of the Tribal Workgroup in 2007. She is
a member of the Union Leader “40 Under Forty” Class of 2007. She earned her B.S. in Marine Science
from Coastal Carolina University and her M.S. in Resource Management and Administration from
Antioch University New England.

Jesse Lore is the Founder and CEO of Green Wave EV, a company leading the electric vehicle transformation.  The world is rapidly changing, the opportunities for purpose-driven organizations are multiplying, and the stakes for execution in business have never been higher. Jesse is here to serve our communities, our companies, and our world as we embark upon the next phase of evolution in our economy: Stakeholder Capitalism.

Prior to Green Wave, Jesse was the Vice President of Sales and Service for Mobility Works, a national company selling wheelchair accessible vehicles, vehicle modifications, and home modifications for people with disabilities, with over 90 locations nationwide, with corporate offices in Londonderry. He has worked serving people with disabilities his entire career, serving Easter Seals in NH and NYC for 6 years before joining the Mobility Vehicle Industry in 2012. In his work in the Mobility Industry, Jesse has been instrumental in expanding wheelchair taxi access nationwide, working with state and municipal regulators and fleet owners across the country to expand access to transportation for people with disabilities. Jesse also founded the Social Responsibility Committee at MobilityWorks, and has championed projects including tuition reimbursement, volunteerism, and energy use reduction. In his work with Easter Seals, he developed the curriculum for passenger assistance for all NYC and DC taxi fleets. Jesse works with and leads teams to work with veterans’ agencies, disability charities and support organizations, schools, and seniors’ service facilities to give greater access to communities for people who use wheelchairs. Jesse also serves as a member of the New Hampshire Governor’s State Coordinating Council for Community Transportation, representing the private sector.  Since 2019, Jesse has served on the NHBSR Measure What Matters Committee, and he co-hosted the First Annual Sustainability Awards in March, 2020 as well as co-hosting the Sustainability Slam in the fall of that year. And with his wife and two children, he leads the Seacoast’s only family-friendly hip-hop band, Rock Street, which was featured in TEDx Portsmouth 2019 and in Portsmouth Living Magazine.

Anne is the owner and media director at Richardson Media Group, a media planning & buying and SEO agency located in Portsmouth, NH. Anne founded RMG in 2014 after several decades spent managing paid media campaigns around the Boston area. Anne guides her company along a values-driven path, seeking clients and creative partners who share her team’s commitment to prioritizing ESG goals and using digital and traditional marketing tactics as responsibly as possible. Earlier in her career, Anne earned her M.Ed. and taught English and history in the public sector. These dual career paths have informed and enhanced her entrepreneurial experience and contributed towards RMG’s successful growth. In 2022, Anne and her team earned their B Corporation certification making them the first marketing agency to become a B Corp in the State of New Hampshire. Anne is a lifelong Legacy Partner, telling the story of a Holocaust survivor to educate new generations about this dark period in history. She is a Business Advisor to the UNH B Impact Clinic, helping companies and student-led teams navigate the B Corporation certification process. She chaired the Marketing Committee for the Spring 2022 New England BLD Conference and is an active business member of 1% for the Planet.

A lifelong native of Massachusetts recently settled in New Hampshire, Anne earned a B.A. from Bowdoin College and a master’s from Lesley University. She brings her innate curiosity and strong communication skills to the NHBSR board of directors and looks forward to continuing to expand her agency’s footprint within the New England business community and beyond.

Melissa Skarupa is the Community Relations Manager for Dartmouth-Hitchcock and has over 15 years’ experience in Community Relations and Communications. She previously worked for Public Service of New Hampshire, Child and Family Services of New Hampshire, Centerstone Behavioral Healthcare in Nashville, TN and Capital Media Network in southern Florida.

Melissa is a graduate of Lyndon State College in Vermont, where she was part of the Arthur B. Elliot honor society and earned her BA in Psychology. She also attained a Broadcast Journalism certificate from the Connecticut School of Broadcasting.  

Melissa’s work on a Methamphetamine Awareness and Prevention campaign for Centerstone Behavioral Health received a Bronze TELLE and Gold Addy Award.

Melissa has volunteered time with many local non-profits and served as the VP of Communications for the Merrimack Chamber of Commerce, Auction and Marketing Chair for the Animal Rescue League of NH, and currently is part of the Nashua Department of Public Health and Community Service’s Access to Healthcare Work Group and is on the Board of Trustees for the YMCA of Greater Nashua.  She has also run the Boston Marathon the past two years for Boston Children’s Hospital.

Melissa’s favorite pass time is spending time with her husband Kevin, son Levi. She also enjoys running, gardening, cooking, and reading when time permits.