Board President

Marti Warren

Marti has called Amherst Village home since 1983, when she and her family moved in and she wasted no time getting involved—right after dropping off her four kids at four different schools! Her first volunteer project was producing the PTA Playbill, and she’s been a dedicated part of the community ever since

Over the years, Marti has helped organize the Amherst Garden Club’s Annual Plant Sale, contributed to Old Home Day, and supported countless local causes. In 2014, she was honored as the Amherst Citizen of the Year by the Lions Club. She’s also been happily hands-on in helping raise her 13 grandchildren, most of whom grew up right here in Amherst.

Starting a newspaper was never part of Marti’s plan—she simply loved reading The Amherst Citizen and occasionally submitted photos and stories. But when the paper closed after COVID, she recognized how much the town missed having a community news source. Drawing on her experience with local nonprofits (and her natural talent for organizing), Marti decided to take on the challenge with help from others.

Starting The Bear has been a true learning adventure—and one she’s enjoying every step of the way. Marti is thrilled for the launch of The Amherst Bear in 2026, a new community newspaper dedicated to celebrating Amherst’s people, places, and stories.

Board Secretary & Fundraising Lead

Stacey Morison

Stacey Morison never thought she'd move north of Boston but has been living quite happily as an Amherst resident since 2018. A former classroom teacher and office manager, she has spent the past decade applying her skills in volunteer leadership roles, spearheading successful fundraising campaigns and fun community events in town. She serves on the board of the Amherst Junior Women's Club and the Friends of the Amherst Library, and she is an active member of the PTA. She is currently working as a Project Manager for Andrews Consulting, helping nonprofit organizations meet their fundraising goals.

Recognized as the 2023 Amherst Citizen of the Year, she is known for her initiative, creativity, and ability to spot spelling errors in other people's writing. Outside of work, volunteer obligations, and The Bear, Stacey enjoys hanging out with her husband and two amazing kids, singing along to whatever is playing on the radio, and reminding herself (again) that she really should start strength training. Working to bring a community newspaper back to Amherst has been quite the adventure, and she can't wait for the first issue to arrive in her mailbox.

Board Treasurer

Maureen Minner

Maureen Minner grew up in Maine and moved to Charleston South Carolina in 1992. She and her husband brought up two boys in the South and moved North after they both graduated from Clemson. They attend the 4th of July parade in Amherst in 2016 and knew they wanted to be part of this town.

Maureen was a prior Treasurer of the State of South Carolina Garden Club and The Amherst Garden Club. She is an avid gardener and quilter and enjoys spending time with her three granddaughters.

Board Member & Webmaster

Peter Giannakopoulos

Peter has lived in Amherst since 2004 and has been an active part of the community ever since. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and has built a career in finance and consulting, working with organizations such as Mellon Financial, Putnam Investments, State Street Bank, Eagle Investment Systems, and Broadridge Financial Solutions, where he currently works.

Peter and his family have deep roots in Amherst — his children attended local schools and went on to graduate from the University of Oklahoma and the University of Miami. He has also served on the Fourth of July Committee and the Amherst German Christmas Market boards.

Peter is excited to help launch The Amherst Bear because he believes a local newspaper can bring neighbors together, share important local stories, and strengthen community pride.

Board Member

Dee Fasoli

Dee has lived in Amherst for 29 years.  Along with raising four kids (that all went through the Amherst school system), she had a career as a nurse, educator, manager, leader, and researcher, in business and health care settings and retired from the Navy (active and reserves). She was also active in the Boy Scouts (Treasurer) and served on the Town Ways and Means Committee. She retired from professional life when work started getting in the way of family, fun, and a desire to “make a difference”.  That led her to pursue volunteer positions at the national level as Chair of the Health Affairs Committee of the Secretary of the Navy’s Retiree Council, as a consultant with the Executive Service Corps and locally with several community organizations.  The fun part was a slam dunk, with 12 grandchildren scattered across the east coast and following a dream to travel and see North America by boat, truck camper, and snowmobile.  

Dee always says the best part of travel is coming back to Amherst and experiencing that there really is “no place like home”; that is, Amherst, with its small-town community atmosphere and idyllic countryside, where the community is engaged, and neighbors are your family. The Amherst Bear is bringing back an essential cornerstone to the community.  Dee is honored to serve on the founding Board of Directors of The Bear.

Board Member

Matt Larson

If you had asked Matt as a kid what state he could imagine spending the rest of his life in, he would have had only one answer for you: New Hampshire. He feels incredibly lucky that, of all the towns in the Granite State, he gets to call Amherst home. An avid hiker, you may bump into him on one of the many local trails, either walking his dog Bullet or doing some trail maintenance for the ACC. There’s also a good chance if you’re walking around the village on Halloween, you’ll catch sight of some of his other enthusiasm for the town when you pass by his house.

Matt and his wife, Liz, have lived in Amherst since 2004. They've raised four children here and what drew them to Amherst was the Norman Rockwell charm of the village, its beautiful country roads, and its proximity to family back in Massachusetts. Having a large town common is also rare these days, and it's clear that Amherst’s provides a particularly special place for people to connect—and for children to meet, play, and grow up.

Matt comes from a varied background well-suited to the launch and growth of The Bear. After a lengthy career in real estate development, he has now turned to the pen. He is the author of 4000s by 40: Tackling Middle Age in the Mountains of New Hampshire, a memoir, and is currently at work on his next project—a novel geared towards young adults. Before his work in real estate, Matt held leadership positions at Fidelity and ACS. His passions include writing, hiking, and skiing, and he believes community connection is more important than ever. As such, he’s thrilled about the return of a community newspaper to Amherst and can’t wait to help facilitate its arrival.

Managing Editor

Wendy Depuy

Wendy grew up in Milford and graduated from MASH in 1989, just a few years before Souhegan High School opened and MASH (Milford Area Senior High) became Milford High School. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English at Tufts University and a master’s degree at Temple University, in Philadelphia. She then spent several years in Philly and then Boston working at nonprofits and newspapers, including serving as editor of a weekly newspaper in Philly. In 2006, Wendy and her husband, Dean, moved to Amherst and raised their daughters here. The girls graduated from Souhegan and are now in college — one at Boston University and one at Temple.

While they were little, Wendy worked for a few years at the Cabinet and the Nashua Telegraph, as a reporter and then as copy desk/layout person. Layoffs reduced the staff to a skeleton crew, and after an out-of-state company bought the paper, even the Cabinet building was sold. Later, the Amherst Citizen closed, leaving Amherst with no community newspaper. Wendy is excited to help create a town newspaper that offers valuable information and furthers the sense of community in Amherst.