Our Board & Staff

Nanette Fresher is a public accountant, project manager, Middletown resident, oil painter, gardener, and yoga enthusiast passionate about sharing the arts and getting our community involved! She has had her oil paintings displayed at the Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery at Wesleyan University and won several prizes from the Hamden Art League for her artwork.
Nanette has recently started a new initiative to bring art opportunities to members of the Middletown community. 

Having spent formative years as a child exploring and trying to get lost in French castles with her family, Renée Tribert developed an interest in historic buildings, architecture and art. Since moving to Connecticut in 1988 she has worked at the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, the New Britain Museum of American Art and now Preservation Connecticut. She enjoys biking, hiking, and travel, often in pursuit of her adult children. With nary a creative bone in her, she instead appreciates the creativity of others, and discovered The Buttonwood Tree upon moving to Portland in 2019.

Melinda Brainerd graduated from Loyola Marymount with a B.A. in Theater and has done community theater in Connecticut. An accounting assistant for an Architectural Firm, as well as private bookkeeping, Melinda is serving as our Treasurer. While her passion is theater, she loves live music.

Derrik Bosse is our web and marketing manager and events coordinator. He studied at CCSU and earned a B.S. in Management Information Systems with a minor in music performance. His passions include playing, composing, and teaching music in many styles. He is currently a principal member of Middletown-based group Merganser, an Irish-trad inspired folk group that rehearses and performs at the Buttonwood Tree.