Meet the FFI Team
Steve Martineau
Executive Director
Stephen joined Friends Forever International as its Executive Director in November 2005, after having spent time working with Habitat for Humanity in South Carolina, the Children’s Museum of Boston, and MYTOWN, an innovative inner-city youth organization in Boston, MA. Over the last 17 years, Stephen's tenure has seen FFI expand to multiple sites across the continental United States, the establishment of Friends Forever Europe in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and the formation of FFI programs in the Middle East, and the United States. He has also led the acquisition and renovation of the Friends Forever International Campus in Durham, NH, the FFI Center at Annalong in Northern Ireland, and the Diane M. Seagren Rainforest Academy in Belize, all spaces that are devoted to peace and leadership development.
In addition to nearly two decades of high-level expertise in the field of NGO's, Stephen brings to Friends Forever International a genuine passion for building active leaders through service on the local and global levels by empowering the most underutilized asset in the world today: youth.
Amelia Burke
Special Projects Manager
Amelia came to FFI in January 2019 as an AmeriCorps VISTA member and then became Special Projects Coordinator in 2020 (and now Manager). As FFI's Special Projects Manager, she coordinates our alumni movement and works on event planning, grant preparation, and other projects.
Prior to joining FFI, she worked with international students and scholars to support them in getting their visas to study/work in the United States. She has her Master's in International Education from SIT Graduate Institute and a Bachelor's in French and Global Studies from Salve Regina University. She is very excited to be with FFI to continue to support international youth.
Natalie Gauthier
Volunteer Coordinator
Natalie joined Friends Forever International as a participant in 2018 as part of the first team out of Spaulding Highschool in Rochester, NH. Since then, she has gone on to join the Alumni Movement and was named our 2019 Eileen D. Foley fellow. Natalie has also done an internship with FFI, completed our program in NOLA, and been a part of three alumni teams. Most recently, she led virtual workshops and in-person programs for our Nationwide Teams. She is excited to continue her engagement with the Alumni Movement and fulfill her new role as our volunteer coordinator.
Natalie is currently attending UNH as a dual major in Political Science and International Affairs with Arabic as her chosen language of study. She aims to build a fulfilling career working internationally to help others in whatever capacity possible.
Alex DesRuisseaux
Program and Community Engagement Coordinator
Alex joined the FFI team in 2021 with loads of enthusiasm for youth and leadership development. Alex is a NH Certified Educator in Secondary Social Studies and worked in both public and alternative school programs before coming to FFI.
She received her Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education with a certification in Secondary Education, Psychology minor, and Social Studies concentration from the University of Maine at Presque Isle in 2019. She is passionate about FFI's mission and excited to engage with youth and the community through new and exciting ways.
Matthew Arsenault
Special Projects Coordinator
Matthew (he/him) began with FFI in February 2022 as an Administrative Assistant and then moved to Special Projects Coordinator. With an eagerness to learn and lend anyone a hand, Matthew takes on various tasks around FFI to ensure no loose end goes unaccounted for. A heavily involved background with his hometown’s recreation department has inspired initiatives to construct and facilitate experiences where younger generations can become best equipped to serve their respective communities.
Matthew recently graduated from the University of Southern Maine with a Bachelor’s Degree in Leadership and Organizational Studies along with a concentration in Community Leadership and Civic Engagement. He is now continuing his education in graduate school studying Public and Nonprofit Management.
Monica Rogers
Office Coordinator
Monica recently joined FFI in October 2023 as the Office Coordinator and is excited to support the FFI office in any way possible to achieve their goals in empowering youth globally.
She comes to FFI with 7 years of experience in educational publishing, where she worked with authors in various administrative, project management, and editorial roles to publish academic texts. She received her English degree from Hofstra University in 2014.
Our Board
Past Board Members
Karen Babin | Steve Barndollar | Guy K. Buesing | Terry Conner | Rick Considine | Thomas E. Coughlin | Elizabeth Dehn | Paul Draper | Joe Durek | David Eliot | Diane Foley | Patrick (Pat) Forestell | Ivor Freeman | Rick Gilmore | John Herbert | Bill Holt | Sean Joyce | Ida Keir | Craig Kelleher | Anne Kelly | Elizabeth Kennedy | Ira Korinow | Jo Lamprey | Dick Manelis | Catherine McLaughlin-Hills | Jeff McLean | Neal Ouellett | Rick Page | Laura Peterson | Robert (Bob) Raiche - Founder | Anne Romney | Leslie Schwartz | Leonard Seagren | Diane M. Seagren | Gary Speers | Gordon Thomson | Rosemary (Pidge) Tyson
Jameson French
Board Chair
Current Position: CEO of Northland Forest Products, Inc.
Community Involvement (current):
Quebec Labrador Foundation, Chair | Land Trust Alliance, Chair | American Forest Foundation, Vice Chair | National Wildlife Federation Action Fund, Vice-Chair | Prescott Park Arts Festival, Immediate Past Chair
Previous Experience:
Society for the Protection of NH Forests, Chair | Strawberry Banke Museum, Chair | Portsmouth Music Hall, co-founder | NH Charitable Foundation, Past Treasurer, Vice-Chair | City of Portsmouth Trust Funds, Chair | Hardwood Federation, Chair | Foundation for Seacoast Health, Chair | Forest Stewardship Council (USA), Chair
Advisory Board
Leslie Schwartz
“I've been involved with Friends Forever since the mid-1990’s. Friends Forever’s unique model and programming, upon which its measurable successes are built, have kept me continuously engaged these many years. Albeit soft-sounding in name, Friends Forever is highly professional and focused with respect to its objectives.”
Senior Volunteers
FFI is driven by passionate team members including a select group of dedicated senior volunteers.
Leonard Seagren
Chelsea Fitton
Bev Lauer
Influential Rotarians & Volunteers
Tom Arthur | Al Bergeron | Paul Beswick | Mike Carbee | Poppy Carbee | David Considine | Marcia Considine | Tom Corcoran | Dick Crabtree | Ray Doucette | Carole Elliot | Tom Elliot | Rita Fleming | Theresa Holt | Linda Horstmann | Audrey Jackson | Mark Kelliher | Rebecca Kelliher | Ellen LaBrie | Carolyn Lambert | Jackie Mahoney | Ardis Manelis | Bob Mansfield | Steve Marcus | Linda McDonough | Larry McNeill | Kathy Moreau | Scott Moreau | John Morrow | Cecilia Mulkern | Pat Novello | Josh O'Brien | James Petersen | Mort Schmidt | Kevin Tarpley | Charles (Chuck) Thibeault | Janet Thibeault | Jonathan Tymann | Dudley (Butch) Tyson