Melissa Brink
Melissa began coming to Orleans during college. A friend of hers lived on Pilgrim Lake and she would visit whenever she could. While there, most of their time was spent swimming, fishing, canoeing, or just sitting around the lake. Her favorite weekends were the ones they’d motor boat out to their “off the grid” outer beach house with lots of food and provisions in tow, have cookouts, swim, sit around a bonfire at night and sleep on lumpy mattresses. She’s always loved the water and the outdoors in general, a love she believes grew even deeper during her visits to Orleans.
When her last child left home in 2019, she and her husband started looking for a new home and ended up in Orleans. They bought a house on Pilgrim Lake right before the pandemic and the rest, as they say, is history. She and her husband enjoy paddleboarding, kayaking and swimming in Pilgrim and Pleasant Bay whenever they get the chance. She joined OPC so that she could contribute her time and energy to protecting the health of the local waterways so that her whole family will be able to enjoy them for years to come.
Tom Coleman
Tom and his wife, Liz, raised their three daughters in Newton and looked forward to summer vacations on Crystal Lake, where they have owned a home since 2013. Spending time here opened their eyes to the bounty of natural resources within which Orleans lies and the fragile balance that we must maintain living here and they happily became permanent Orleans residents in 2024. Tom can often be found hiking or running the trails across the Cape with their dog, Cali.
A problem-solver by nature, Tom’s career has centered on working with bond managers to create stronger connections with their clients. In addition to his professional work, Tom provides strategic advice to non-profits, working on a pro-bono basis with SOAR Management Consulting. He is currently the President of the Friends of Crystal Lake, is an active member of the Orleans Climate Action Network and is on the Town of Orleans Architectural Review Committee.
Vicky Huestis
Vicky Huestis is current president for the Friends of Lonnie’s Pond. She has spent some part of every summer of her life here in Orleans. In 2020, she and her husband, Tom, made Orleans their full-time home; a decision they’re still congratulating each other over. Vicky has taught mindfulness in public and independent schools for over twenty years and is currently a literacy tutor with the Brooklyn based non-profit READ718. The mother of four and life long aquatic nymph, Vicky can be found swimming, or plunging, in Cape waters all twelve months of the year.
Sari Rotter
She has just retired from a rewarding 40 year career as a pediatrician in Brookline. She grew up in Wisconsin where she learned about the beauty and joy of rivers, lakes and ponds. When she came east for college she was introduced to the Cape through her husband’s family cottage on Sippewissett Marsh in West Falmouth where she spent summers with Bill and their 3 children.
When Sari and Bill were lucky enough to find their house on Pilgrim Lake (they actually think it found them) in 2021, they fell in love with the lake and Orleans.
They are hikers and swimmers. Sari is a birder, Bill a gardener. She can be found paddle boarding around Pilgrim’s perimeter at sunrise most mornings, binoculars around her neck.