Bob Baines and Pamela Baker-Masson have been appointed to the Island Institute's board of trustees. 

“Our board helps ensure Island Institute’s work delivers real impact where it matters most,” said Doug Henderson, chair of the board of trustees, in a news release. “Bob and Pamela bring tremendous expertise that will strengthen our collaboration with island and coastal communities as we navigate climate and economic change to expand opportunities and deliver solutions.”  

“Bob provides a vital connection to Maine’s fishing community, which is central to our mission and vital to our coastal economy,” said Kimberly A. Hamilton, PhD, president of Island Institute. “And Pamela brings decades of communications and marketing expertise that will be invaluable in helping us grow engagement and support for the communities we serve.” 

Bob Baines farmed kelp for 5 years and worked as a commercial fisherman for more than 45 years, lobstering and scalloping. He has long represented Maine’s fishing community, serving on the Maine Lobstermen’s Association Board, as chair of the state’s Lobster Advisory Council, and on numerous state and regional councils. Baines also contributes to the Maine Climate Council and the Maine Sea Grant Program’s Advisory Committee. He lives in South Thomaston with his wife, artist Susan Lewis Baines. 

Pamela Baker-Masson is a communications and marketing executive with 40 years of experience advancing mission-driven organizations. She is newly retired from the Smithsonian Institution where she directed the Smithsonian’s Office of Public Affairs, spent 15 years overseeing communications at the National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute championing the Zoo’s conservation mission, and earlier managed public relations at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. Baker-Masson held communications positions with the Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education, UNESCO in Paris, and the Africa Center for Strategic Studies. She was inducted into the PR News Hall of Fame and a recipient of numerous awards for innovation in communications. She holds a B.A. from UCLA with additional studies at the University of London and the Sorbonne in Paris. Baker-Masson  lives in Washington DC and is an avid world traveler and devoted community volunteer. 

A full list of board of trustee members can be found at islandinstitute.org/about/board-of-trustees/. 

Founded in 1983 and based in Rockland, Maine, Island Institute is a community development nonprofit that boldly navigates climate and economic change with island and coastal communities to expand opportunities and deliver solutions. For more information, visit islandinstitute.org.