Leadership & Staff

James LaMarca
Chair, Board of Directors
James LaMarca is the founder of Contemporary Climate Gallery and joined the Board of Directors as Chair in November of 2023. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, he currently works for investment advisory firm, Prime Buchholz LLC, as a Senior Investment Data Specialist covering Global Equities. Additionally, James serves on the Advisory Council of the Harvard Business Review and as a Lifetime Member of the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association. James LaMarca graduated from Colby College with a major in Sociology and minors in Art History and Economics. He received two independent research grants related to the commercial art industry and environmental sustainability, while having experience as a part-time Gallery Associate for the Lucy Lacoste Gallery.

Aakanksha Chandrashekaran
Member, Board of Directors
Aakanksha is a founding Board Member of Contemporary Climate Gallery and joined the Board of Directors in November of 2023. She currently works at the Clark Art Institute as the Lunder Special Assistant to the Director in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Aakanksha is pursuing a Masters of Art History from the University of London at the Courtauld Institute of Art. Aakanksha Chandrashekaran graduated from Colby College with a dual major in History and Global Studies and a minor in German. While at Colby College, she worked as a Student Guide for the Colby College Museum of Art. Additionally, she worked as a Prints and Drawings Intern at the Art Institute of Chicago and as a Museum Diversity Intern at The Adirondack Experience.

Samuel Lunder
Member, Board of Directors
Sam is a founding Board Member of Contemporary Climate Gallery and joined the Board of Directors in November of 2023. He is a current student at Colby College studying Sociology and most recently worked as a Rotational Intern at Advanced Manufacturing Group (AMG) in Jinjiang, China. At Colby College, Sam is conducting an independent research study titled ‘Sociology of Artificial Intelligence’, exploring the applications and effects of artificial intelligence from a sociological framework. Additionally, he previously worked as a Rotational Intern at StarCard Sports Games, assessing the risk of startup venture projects related to cryptocurrency and developing a VR gaming product merging the professional sports world and cryptocurrency.

Joseph Bui
Member, Board of Directors
Joseph (he/him) is a Board Member of Contemporary Climate Gallery and joined the Board of Directors in December of 2023. Based in Houston, Texas, he currently works as a Freelance Photographer with clientele including the Wall Street Journal, the Houston Chronicle, and the Texas Tribune. He is a member of the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) and the Asian American Journalist Association (AAJA). Joseph is currently pursuing a Masters of Photography from the University of Houston. Joseph graduated from Colby College, studying Studio Art with a concentration in Photography and is a Houston-based editorial, documentary, and portrait photographer. While at Colby, he was awarded the 2022 President’s Purchase Prize, for outstanding artwork. Identifying as Vietnamese-American, he developed an interest in storytelling on topics of relationships between people, community, identity, culture, and the theme of “home”. This led to him telling the stories of the Queer Community in Waterville, Maine, and most recently his own family in Houston, Texas through his photo book and series, “I Love You. I Miss You. Have a Good Day.”

Elian Joseph
Member, Board of Directors
Elian is a Board Member of Contemporary Climate Gallery and joined the Board of Directors in December of 2023. He is a current student at Colby College studying Global Studies and Economics and most recently worked as an Executive Administration Intern for the Center for Children & Youth Justice in Seattle, Washington. At Colby College, Elian is a member of the Colby Football and Track teams. While at Colby, Elian was a member of the Washington State Becca Task Force and the LINC Program helping protect at-risk youth.