About Us

Board Members

David Anderson has traveled to over 60 countries, lived in 14 towns and since 2020 has called Saxonville his forever home. David was drawn to Framingham and Saxonville by nearby family, medical facilities, history, shopping, and recreational opportunities. He served as an officer in the US Army from 1976-1990 and was a distinguished engineer for IBM for 43 years practicing industrial, electrical, environmental, and civil engineering. David is an enthusiastic lifelong learner; graduating from the United States Military Academy (West Point) in 1976, earning an MBA from the University of Puget Sound in 1979, the Defense Language Institute (Turkish linguist) in 1980, achieving a Masters in Engineering Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1993, certifying as a project manager at George Washington University Project Management Institute in 2008 and continuing education opportunities concerning engineering,
environmental science, planning and AI. David has used his engineering and leadership skills to help non-profit organizations such as churches, libraries, Boy Scouts, Planning Boards, Trails committees, towns, and cities. He has been a Scoutmaster and has trained 4 guide dogs for the blind. He presently volunteers his time with St. George Parish as a lector, is a Framingham Conservation Commissioner, a member of the Framingham Bike, Pedestrian and Trails committee, Commander of Amvets Post 79, and Friends of Saxonville.

David is passionate about the outdoors and is an avid hiker, biker, skier, kayaker, paddleboarder, swimmer and star gazer. Retiring in 2024 has allowed David to improve his physical, mental and heart health, hike 800 kilometers of the pilgrims’ way, the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain, play more pickleball and walk his black lab, Gifford, daily. Most of all, he enjoys family time with his wife of 47 years, Anne, 5 sons and daughter-in-laws, and 9 grandchildren who all call him by his trail nickname, Hammer.

Kathy Gagen is a lifelong resident of Framingham, retired FPS Educator, and along with her husband Tom, a small family business owner in South Framingham. She and her husband have lovingly restored an old Victorian home in Saxonville where they have raised their four sons, and have lived for over 40 years. Kathy is deeply rooted in the community with a sense of pride and gratitude for its people, and for the vibrancy of the village. Kathy also has a special interest in gardening, which shares with the community.

Jane Harrington has lived in Saxonville for more than 50 years and been on the Friends of Saxonville Board for 25 years. She brought up her three children here and is a grandmother of two. She has two Masters Degrees: Library Science and Communication. Now retired, Jan was Holliston’s Library Director for 12 years and is presently an elected Framingham Library Trustee. She currently tutors in the Literacy Unlimited Program.

David Longden lives in and owns the same house his parents bought in Saxonville in 1971. He attended school at Winch Park MS and Framingham North HS. David has an Associates Degree in Public Communications from Mt. Wachusett Community College and a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Northeastern University. He has been married to his wife Paula for 40 years, and together they raised two boys who also attended Framingham Public Schools. He is currently employed as a Sales Engineer in the Electronic Components industry. David was a Framingham Town Meeting member for 20 years, serving on several committees during that time. He served as Boy Scout Assistant Scoutmaster in Troop 21 (Saxonville) for 20 years. David has been on the board of Friends of Saxonville for over two decades, and had served as President of the organization for 15 of those years. He is currently the Treasurer of FOS.

Susan Silva grew up in Saxonville 4th generation and is a resident of Framingham. She and her husband raised their children in Framingham. Susan worked for the Framingham National Bank, Ford Motor Company, and owned an antique shop. She volunteered for the Framingham History Center for about 30 years, chairing the Collections Committee, House Tour, served on the programs committee, and organized tag sale fundraisers. Susan is a Trustee at Edgell Grove Cemetery and a volunteer at Saint Bridget’s Food Pantry. She is proud to be a member of this community and interested in helping when possible.

Brandon Ward is a longtime Framingham resident, where he serves as member of the City Council and on the boards of Friends of Saxonville and Downtown Framingham, Inc. In his professional life, Brandon’s career has included stints in government, nonprofits, and higher education. Previously, Brandon worked at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership, where he facilitated leadership trainings for graduate students committed to public service and social justice. He has worked at the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy as a faculty assistant to former Canadian politician Michael Ignatieff; at the international development nonprofit BRAC USA as the special assistant to the CEO; and in the U.S. Senate as a congressional aide to Senator Joe Lieberman.

In his free time, Brandon enjoys playing soccer, being outdoors, and spending time with his wife Lindsey and dog Madison. You can frequently find them at the Saxonville Mills Cafe for an early morning coffee or on the Cochituate Rail Trail for an afternoon run. His favorite restaurant is Mediterranean Turkish Cuisine (and he forgives them for moving out of Saxonville).

Steve has been active in Friends of Saxonville since moving to Saxonville in 1985. His two children are graduates of Framingham public schools. Around 2014, he became a member of the FOS Board of Directors. Steve is a Regional Planner by training, though most of his career was spent in the clean energy field. His personal interests include historic preservation, land conservation, and horticulture. He is a member of the Framingham Conservation Commission and also served on the City’s Community Preservation Committee after leading the successful 2020 campaign for Framingham’s adoption of the Community Preservation Act by referendum.

Steve is the chair of the FOS Village Center Improvement Committee. Since 2015, he has led FOS efforts to collaborate with the Department of Public Works and other stakeholders for the renewal of McGrath Square, which has not been upgraded for 60 years. He was a member of the FOS Athenaeum Task Force prior to joining the board of directors. In 2024, he spearheaded a partnership that was awarded a $500,000 Community Preservation grant for the exterior restoration of Athenaeum Hall, which will be supplemented by a $1,000,000 Town Meeting allocation from 2017. Also in 2024, as a member of the Framingham Conservation Commission, he assisted the City’s Conservation Department to secure $650,000 in local Community Preservation funds, supplemented by a $100,000 MassTrails grant, that will remove the end-of-service-life Getchell Trail boardwalk, built in 2000, and will construct a new, fully ADA accessible replacement boardwalk.