Mark Matthews,
President
Mark has always been fascinated by the history of man’s audacity in using their waters to stimulate minds and improve the human condition. He has fond memories of exploring canals, small boat building, and sailing the Hudson River in his youth. Mark attended Rhode Island School of Design where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Architecture. He is the Principal of Mark C. Matthews Architecture, P.C., a Southampton-based firm that provides architectural services throughout the United States and the Caribbean. Mark is a member of the American Institute of Architects and was the treasurer of AIA Peconic. He has spent years engaged in long-distance offshore sailing, and his family has been a fixture on North Sea Harbor for 25 years - boating, fishing, clamming, walking the beach, and growing oysters to help clean the harbor. Mark previously served as the Director of Breakwater Yacht Club, acted as the Commodore, and as the Director of its youth sailing program; he is also the architect of the Breakwater Yacht Club Community Sailing Center. He currently serves as the President of the Conscience Point Shellfish Hatchery and as the Vice President of the North Sea Maritime Center. Mark reveres and celebrates man’s connection with the water and how it enriches human existence, a passion that aligns with the vision of the North Sea Maritime Center.
Mark Antilety,
Vice President
Mark is a third-generation small business owner in Southampton who has always had a strong connection to his community. He coached and ran Southampton’s P.A.L. basketball programs for over 15 years and is a member of the North Sea Lions Club, having served as President as well as scholarship and youth activities chairman.
Mark is a former member of the Our Lady of the Hamptons school board and was instrumental in the fundraising campaign to build a brand-new school gymnasium. He was the founding Vice President of Southampton Youth Services and was its President for a decade.
Currently, Mark is a board member of the Polish Hall and President of the Southampton Golf Club. He holds a degree in Landscape Design from Farmingdale State University. Together with his son Alex, the fourth generation, Mark runs Jacob Antilety Landscaping, Inc., now in its 86th year of business.
Having both been born and raised in Southampton, Mark and his wife Suzanne know how special it was to raise Alex and siblings Zach and Lauren in this community they have always called home. He is honored to be part of another public & private endeavor that will enrich his community.
Mark’s love of local history and his appreciation for the role our bays and waters play in our lives on the East End make working on the NSMC board a wonderful opportunity.
Lyn Ashe,
Secretary
Lyn’s associations with the beautiful area around North Sea Harbor and Conscience Point have been long and lasting. Summering at North Sea Beach Colony inspired her parents to purchase their farm in 1942 – the Dutch Colonial house just feet away from the Tupper Boathouse – and North Sea has remained an extensive background to her life. Her best friend Ann grew up in the boathouse and Lyn was a frequent visitor there until Ann’s father, Ned Tupper, sold it and it became a commercial property. She spent her childhood watching boats being built and launched into the harbor, along with exploring the surrounding landscape. Lyn and her husband met while teaching at Southampton Intermediate School and lived in Spain and Arizona before returning to North Sea. After their return to Southampton, Lyn received her MLS and was employed as Director of the Westhampton Public Library. She was then hired as the Director of Rogers Memorial Library in 1976 and was part of the efforts to construct a brand-new building that opened in 2000 before retiring two years later. In her retirement, she spends her time introducing her nine grandchildren to the wonderful pleasures of the harbor and the point, in addition to reading books, making scrapbooks, and playing the piano at local churches. The preservation and enhancement of the area has been an enduring part of her life since childhood and she enjoys bringing her lasting love of the area to the NSMC board. “Long Live North Sea!”
Connie Claman,
Treasurer
Connie’s family began vacationing in Southampton on Bullhead Bay, the next bay over from North Sea Harbor, over 60 years ago. In the mid-'70s, her parents bought a cottage there which in subsequent years became the site of annual family vacations with her sisters, followed by trips with her three children and now grandchildren. She was thrilled to finally move out to the house permanently upon retirement. Connie graduated with a degree in math from Mount Holyoke College and earned her MBA from NYU. She began her career in finance at GE in New York City. Ultimately, however, she decided that she preferred working for a non-profit. She was hired by Liberty Science Center as one of the initial staff, planning and developing this hands-on science museum for children and adults. She was CFO there for almost 25 years, and in that time worked on all financial aspects of the Center including admissions, educational programs, exhibit design and construction, grants, and development. She also worked for a year as interim CFO at Carnegie Hall and spent several years as CFO of BronxWorks, a settlement house in the South Bronx. Now a full-time resident, Connie looks forward to participating in and supporting the community she loves. She is currently on the board of the Conscience Point Shellfish Hatchery and is very excited to be participating in the development of the North Sea Maritime Center.
Sheila Comparetto,
Program Director
After a rewarding career in the Garment District in New York, Sheila settled in Huntington to raise her children. Over twenty years ago, she and her husband restored an 1800s farmhouse in North Sea which became their permanent home upon retirement. Eager to get involved in the community, she joined the North Sea Community Association. Shortly after, Sheila became a member of the Southampton Landmarks and Historic Districts Board and began the process of having the North Sea Schoolhouse landmarked to be preserved and enjoyed by residents for future years. She is currently the recording secretary of the North Sea Community Association and a member of the North Sea Citizens Advisory Board. In addition to her North Sea efforts, Sheila volunteers year-round for the Southampton Fresh Air Home as a furniture and art coordinator for their annual fundraising event, which provides a residential camp experience for physically challenged youth. She is also a member of Preservation Long Island, whose mission is to protect, preserve, and celebrate Long Island’s cultural heritage.
Beginning in 2013, Sheila attended meetings with town and local residents to rally support for the preservation and restoration of the boathouse, saving it from demolition. In her role as Program Director, she visited boathouses on Long Island and in New England to learn more about wooden boatbuilding to research potential programming options. She is proud to be one of the founding members of the NSMC, working with an amazing group of dedicated people to see their vision become a reality enjoyed by all.
Theodore Anderson III,
Legal Director
Ted’s great-grandfather, Carroll Martin, was a founding member of the North Sea Fire Department and his photo still hangs there today. His grandfather, Cyril Martin’s name is inscribed on the WWI Monument at Agawam Pond. Ted’s East Market in Southampton Village has been in Ted’s family for two generations, with his brother Tom serving as the owner and manager. Ted is a trial lawyer and for nineteen years was the Managing Member of Kilgore PLLC law firm of Dallas, Texas. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), an invitation-only organization limited to the top trial lawyers in America. Ted has also served as a director of the Friends of Fair Park in Dallas. Ted is a graduate of UAlbany and SMU School of Law. From 2006 to 2021 Ted was a Director, Chair of the Development Committee, and member of the Executive Committee of the University at Albany Foundation, during which his alma mater completed its largest Capital Campaign in history.
Ted and his wife Elena own a home in Hampton Bays. “I am excited to join the Board of Directors of the NSMC. This organization will provide the community with invaluable historical and environmental education and recreation for young and old alike. I look forward to continuing my family’s tradition of giving back to the community.”
Ann Reisman,
Director
Ann and her husband came to Southampton over 50 years ago, and with their children, made it home. She received her education in marine biology and ecology at Cornell University and the University of California Los Angeles. In 1974, she began a 35-year career at Brookhaven National Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy Research Laboratory. Her work covered two distinct subject areas: energy, environmental & economic policy analysis, and nuclear non-proliferation technical support. This work included receiving funding and direction from the Departments of State and Energy where she used her expertise to concentrate on global energy and climate change policy. She also has worked internationally in the nuclear non-proliferation sector and represented America’s technical support group at the IAEA in Austria for two years. After retiring, Ann became very involved in community organizations related to the environment, local history, and planning. These include the North Sea Citizens Advisory Committee, former Co-Chair Sustainable Southampton Advisory Committee, and the Southampton Town Waterfront Protection Program Advisory Committee. She is a trustee and Planning Chair of the Southampton History Museum in addition to her role as President of the North Sea Maritime Center, the planned Steward of the Historic Tupper Boathouse.
WHY US?
Those of us who enjoy spending time in and around North Sea Harbor, are drawn by its incredible beauty and rich history. With the creation of the North Sea Maritime Center at the Historic Tupper Boathouse, we have come together to increase public awareness of this special place and do what we can to contribute to its preservation.
The independent, self-reliant, and entrepreneurial early settlers were made up of whalers, fishermen, farmers, and boat builders. They brought commerce, industry, and a vibrant life to the North Sea Harbor since their arrival in 1640 at Conscience Point. As early as 1910, philanthropic citizens who valued the extraordinary beauty of the harbor- its surroundings, its natural resources, and its history -have taken measures to preserve open space and give their own resources to respect this unique community. This is possible through partnerships with the Town of Southampton, the Southampton Historical Museum, the Nature Conservancy, and the Peconic Land Trust.
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As local residents, we have benefited from their vision and generosity and enjoy the beauty and tranquility they have thus far insured. It’s now time for us to do our part – there is so much more we can and need to do. The task is to inspire and insure that future generations learn to appreciate this extraordinary area and in turn, do their part to make sure its preservation continues.
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