Meet the Team
Tammy McKenna
Events Manager
Tammy is the embodiment of the mansion and she has truly earned her nickname of "The Commandress." Her entrepreneurial journey started in her early twenties when she opened her own nail salon in Newton. After a few years, she was introduced to the events industry and worked in custom event linens. It was on one of her event installations that she fell in love with the Commander's Mansion. Years later, she even got married here!
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Tammy has been at the helm of the Commander's Mansion since 2005. She will manage your event from beginning to end with the utmost kindness and professionalism. She is a mom and Abuelita ("Aba"), who loves spending time with her family and traveling.
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In 2024, the Commander's Mansion staff fully transitioned into their joint role as the Events Team for the City of Watertown. In addition to hosting private events on site at the mansion, the team also plans over a dozen annual City Events for the Watertown community.
Jen Nicholson
Events Coordinator
Jen is the newest member of the Commander's Mansion/City of Watertown's Events Team. She is a lifelong Watertown resident and deeply involved in the community, serving on a number of volunteer boards and organizations including Watertown Cable Access, Watertown Boys and Girls Club, Watertown Community Foundation, and Watertown SEPAC. Jen holds a Bachelor's degree in Marketing and Human Resources from Boston College and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Regis College, along with a decade of experience as an elementary educator.
When Jen isn't working or volunteering, she loves spending time with her husband, two children, and their family pets: Daisy (their 12 year old dog) and Chloe, Kiwi, Oreo, Cookie, Pua, Belle and Luna (their seven guinea pigs).
Tracey Barenholtz
Administrative Specialist
Tracey joined the Commander's Mansion team in 2022. She holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work and has an extensive work history in the areas of healthcare, higher education and the pharmaceutical industry. She performs a variety of administrative tasks at the Mansion including responding to inquiries, booking tours and helping to plan community events. A former avid runner, Tracey has completed multiple road races including the Boston Marathon-twice! She enjoys yoga and spending time hiking and biking with her husband and two children.