FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 22, 2025
The House of the Seven Gables Welcomes Five New Trustees
SALEM — The House of the Seven Gables Settlement Association is proud to welcome 5 new members to its esteemed Board of Trustees: Gina Flynn, Paula Occhino, Thomas Piñeros Shields, Peter Pitman, and Michael Selbst.
Gina Flynn is a seasoned financial and community leader with more than 2 decades of experience in banking, organizational leadership, and civic engagement. As Vice President and Branch Manager at Eastern Bank in Salem, she is recognized for her commitment to relationship-based banking, coaching strong teams, and supporting the financial needs of families and businesses throughout the North Shore. Flynn currently serves as Executive Committee Member for Salem Chamber of Commerce, Treasurer & Executive Committee Member for The Salem Partnership, and Trustee for Salem Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Deeply rooted in the Salem community, Flynn is passionate about preserving its history, strengthening local families, and ensuring The Gables continues to thrive as a center of cultural education, immigrant services, and historic preservation for generations to come.
Paula Occhino is an experienced family law attorney with over 21 years of practice. She has spent the last 12 years at Koiles Pratt Family Law Group in Salem. Occhino received her undergraduate degree from Boston College and her Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School. Occhino lives in Beverly with her husband, Vincent, and their 2 children. As a naturalized citizen, she is particularly passionate about the good work of the Settlement Association, including its path to citizenship program, and the conservation and preservation efforts of the historic House of the Seven Gables.
Thomas Piñeros Shields, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Salem State University Department of Politics, Policy, and International Relations, and founding director of the North Shore Policy Lab. Dr. Piñeros Shields brings over 30 years of experience with community-based participatory action research and pedagogical projects alongside marginalized groups to dismantle barriers of race, class, ethnicity, language, and legal statuses in New York City, Boston, East St. Louis, and several small Massachusetts cities. Dr. Piñeros Shields’ primary scholarship is at the nexus of social and policy concerns related to undocumented immigrants who entered the United States as children. He earned a joint doctorate in Social Policy and Sociology from Brandeis University, an MA in Urban and Environmental Policy at Tufts University, and an undergraduate degree from Cornell University. He lives in Salem with his family.
Peter F. Pitman was born in Salem and raised in Swampscott. He earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture in a 6-year program from Boston Architectural College in 1988 and currently works as senior principal of the Salem architectural firm Pitman & Wardley Associates, LLC. The firm is noted for high-end residential, award-winning historical restoration and renovation, and commercial projects. He is a recently retired U.S. Navy Captain following 27 years in the Civil Engineer Corps and the U.S. Navy’s Seabees, including overseas deployments, Naval War College, and time as a Battalion Commander. Pitman’s volunteer work includes 3 years as a teacher of architectural design studios and 5 years as a thesis advisor at Boston Architectural College, 6 years on the Board of Directors at John Bertram House, and 6 years on the Board of Directors at Hamilton Hall. He also volunteers his design services in support of Wounded Warrior Projects.
Michael Selbst serves Boston and the North Shore with over 20 years of experience in residential real estate. Before entering real estate, Selbst worked in various marketing positions for Scudder Kemper Investments, Marsh McLennon Capital, and Bank of Boston. He is a double graduate of Cornell University with a Bachelor of Economics and an MBA. He resides in Salem with his husband, Brad, and their dog, Payton, and is currently working on restoring his fifth antique house. In addition to his role at The Gables, Selbst just completed his third term as Board President of Hamilton Hall and serves on the board of the Essex Heritage Area. He also organizes the annual Fête en Blanc Salem pop-up dinner every year, which now has over 1,000 attendees.
About The House of the Seven Gables Settlement Association
As stewards of this iconic historic site, we aim to follow the tradition of Nathaniel Hawthorne and tell stories that reckon with the hard truths of our past, acknowledge our unique individual journeys, and remind us of our dependence on one another. As inheritors of the legacy of Caroline Emmerton and the Settlement House Movement, we aim to provide meaningful support for new immigrants, challenge misleading narratives that limit their opportunities, and empower them to write their own pages in our ongoing American story. For more information, visit www.7gables.org