Sarah Khatib is the founder and president of Destination Downtown. Her passion for planning and economic development led her to join with other community and business leaders to form a community-led nonprofit to revitalize downtown Walpole. She is also a Town Meeting Representative for Precinct 8. Her professional background is in civil structural engineering. Sarah holds degrees from Purdue University and University of Illinois Urbana. She has lived in Walpole with her husband and four children for 13 years.

Dave Clark is a research scientist at MIT Lincoln Laboratory and also served part time as an adjunct professor of mathematics and science. A graduate of Walpole High School, he went on to receive science degrees from UMass Lowell and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He returned to Walpole more than 25 years ago and served as a town meeting representative for over a decade. His two children are also products of the Walpole school system who went on to earn graduate level degrees. He is the current vice president of Destination Downtown.

Rick Ward recently relocated to Walpole from Roslindale with his partner. He was a volunteer with Roslindale Village Main Street, an economic revitalization program for seventeen years, including five years on their Board of Directors. He also served on their Economic Restructuring, Marketing, and Farmers Market Committees. As a recent retiree from Boston College, he did corporate relations for the Carroll School of Management’s Center for Corporate Citizenship. Prior to employment at BC Rick worked for NeighborWorks America, an organization that advocates for home ownership for low-to-moderate income families. Rick has a BS from UMass/Amherst and an MPA from Northeastern University. He is currently serving as treasurer of Destination Downtown.

Michael Shea brings over 15 years of experience implementing people systems and driving data strategy at multiple S&P 500 companies and guiding high-growth startups through IPO. He is currently with Boston Consulting Group (BCG), where he works on large-scale data initiatives, and is passionate about helping small businesses leverage data, technology, and practical strategies to grow and strengthen community networks.

A Walpole resident since 2019 with family roots dating back to 1953, Michael earned his Bachelor’s degree from UMass Lowell. He previously volunteered with the Oracle HCM Users Group (OHUG) and a nonprofit automotive club, reflecting his commitment to community service. Michael is also a supporter of local art and music, connecting him further to the Walpole community.

As a board member, he is focused on supporting local businesses, enhancing engagement through digital tools and data-driven insights, and fostering a thriving downtown community.