Finance and Operations
American Ancestors / New England Historic Genealogical Society Staff
Vice President and CFO

Bruce joined NEHGS in 2019 as Chief Financial Officer. In his role, he is responsible for the financial well-being of NEHGS and serves as a resource to the senior management team and employees of NEHGS.
Prior to joining NEHGS, Bruce had a 20-year career working with not for profits in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire.
A native of Greenwich, Connecticut, Bruce earned his Bachelor of Science at the University of Vermont and Master of Business Administration at Northeastern University. He and his children, who are 15th generation descendants of John and Priscilla Alden, live in Hanover, Massachusetts.
You can email Bruce at bruce.bernier@nehgs.org or contact him by phone at 617-226-1264.
Accounts Receivable Associate

Emma joined NEHGS in May 2014. She received a B.A. in Arts Administration and Art History from Simmons College, Boston. Originally from Maine, Emma enjoys architecture, music and the history of paper.
You can contact Emma by email at emma.brightbill@nehgs.org.
Senior Accountant

Michael joined the staff of New England Historic Genealogical Society in 2003. Michael worked for Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, in Boston for ten years before coming to NEHGS. He is a native of Boston and attended Bentley College in Waltham.
You can email Michael at mforbes@nehgs.org or contact him by phone at 617-226-1254.
Database Manager

Wes joined American Ancestors / NEHGS in 2018 as Database Manager. He has a strong technical background with experience in data management, HTML, CSS, JavaScript and SQL.
Wes oversees the day-to-day administration of our constituent relationship management (CRM) database, Tessitura, an arts and cultural enterprise application to manage membership data.
You can email Wes at wes.matthews@nehgs.org or contact him by phone at 617-226-1213.
Director of Facilities

Matt Ottinger joined our staff in the fall of 2018 as Director of Facilities, a new position created to address our growing needs as we expand our headquarters. Matt oversees the management of our physical plant, including maintenance, environmental systems, and safety and security programs. He is also a key member on our 97 Newbury Street planning team. Matt joins us after eleven years of facilities and preservation work at the Bostonian Society/Old State House. A preservationist and historian by education and training, Matt’s earlier experience includes historic preservation work in Boston, Plymouth, Massachusetts, and Minnesota. He presently serves as a trustee of Boston’s South End Historical Society, where he advises their preservation activities.
You can email Matt at matt.ottinger@nehgs.org or contact him by phone at 617-226-1274.
Accountant

You can email Nick at nick.purinton@nehgs.org or contact him by phone at 617-226-1258.
Director of Information Technology

Steven was born and raised in Plymouth, Michigan. He received degrees in Marketing, Advertising and Psychology from Adrian College. He entered the computer field 20 years ago and has worked in the field of mortgage banking and desktop publishing in the printing industry.
Steven has worked as a volunteer for a number of non-profits setting up computer networks and websites.
You can email Steven at steven.shilcusky@nehgs.org or contact him by phone at 617-226-1275.
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