Speakers
Michael Altshul
Geospatial Information Systems
Specialist, Green Valley Institute
The Quinebaug-Shetucket National Heritage Corridor (QSHC) is a 35-town
region in eastern Connecticut and south-central Massachusetts, officially
recognized by the National Park Service as having natural, cultural and
historic resources of national significance. The region has been nicknamed
"The Last Green Valley" because night-time satellite images clearly show it
as the last dark spot in the Boston to Washington DC coastal megalopolis.
The Green Valley Institute is an outreach and education partnership between
QSHC and the University of Connecticut Extension Service dedicated to
improving the knowledge base from which land and natural resource decisions
are made and building local capacity to protect and manage resources.
Among many duties, Mike is responsible for maintaining, updating and
improving geospatial data for the Last Green Valley; providing geographic
information systems (GIS) expertise, maps and data for land trusts and
municipalities throughout the corridor and instructing local officials and
volunteers in the use of geospatial and global positioning system (GPS)
technology. To date, he has assisted nine towns in the Last Green Valley
with a Co-Occurring Resource Inventory analysis.
Robin Chesmer
Managing member
of The Farmer’s Cow, ‘Fresh Connecticut Milk’
Farmer’s Cow, the
farmer-owned milk company was launched in October 2005 by a group of six
family farms. The Farmer’s Cow has been well received in the
George W. Cleek, IV
State Conservationist, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, New Hampshire
Cleek began his career as a soil conservationist in 1987. He held multiple conservationist positions in Montana before moving to Wyoming in 1996. He served as the NRCS Partnership Liaison to the Wyoming Department of Agriculture and the Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts for nearly 4 years. In 1999, he was named Wyoming’s assistant state conservationist. With his last two positions, Cleek spent much of his time helping to strengthen and support conservation districts and provide leadership for locally-led watershed planning. He has provided critical partnership coordination with local, state, and federal agencies for NRCS.
Robert Dobbs
District Manager, Camden County Conservation District, Camden, New Jersey (since 1978)
Dobbs has provided leadership for multiple employees as they carry out their state erosion and sediment control program. He has held officer positions within his state employees association, as well as having served as President of the Northeast Association of Conservation District Employees. Dobbs recently completed three terms as president of the National Conservation District Employees Association (NCDEA). As president, he has actively participated with other core partnership leaders in meetings and policy discussions. On behalf of NCDEA, Dobbs signed the new national core partnership agreement at the Leadership Meeting in Nashville in November.
Holly Drinkuth
Land Conservation Coordinator, Green Valley Institute
Quinebaug Highlands Project Director, The Nature Conservancy Connecticut
Chapter
The Quinebaug Highlands Landscape spans the border of the "quiet corner" of
Northeastern Connecticut and south-central Massachusetts. Comprising a
193,000-acre are of large forest blocks and pristine streams, most of this
natural area is contained within The Last Green Valley. The Nature
Conservancy and Green Valley institute are working together to identify and
protect important natural resources in the region as well as offer support
to the local municipalities and nonprofit land trusts working towards the
same goals.
Holly provides education and assistance to the Conservation Commissions
throughout the Last Green Valley. Her work emphasizes the need for
partnership in conservation planning and efforts to "look beyond political
boundaries" to make choices for protection of natural areas. To date, she
has assisted eight towns in the Last Green Valley with a Co-Occurring
Resource Inventory analysis.
David Feld
President and National Program
Director, GeesePeace, Inc.
David Feld currently serves as President and National Program Director for
GeesePeace, Inc., a non-profit organization assisting communities resolve of
wildlife conflicts. David is a Professional Engineer with an M.S. in Water
Resource Engineering from the Catholic University of America. He has a B.S.
in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. David served
in the US Peace Corp in Kenya designing and installing water supply systems.
He has worked in the aerospace programs for the Martin Marietta (now
Lockheed-Martin), He was Virginia State Engineer, Energy Systems Coordinator
and the Chief of Operations Research and Systems Development for the USDA
rural development agencies. David is a past president of Lake Barcroft
Association, Fairfax County, VA. It was during his tenure with the
association that he helped found GeesePeace. David received the USDA
Distinguished Service Award from the USDA Secretary of Agriculture and the
Hammer Award from the Vice President of the US for making governments work
better and cost less. In 2001, David received the "Lord Fairfax" recognition
from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for
outstanding community service.
Steve Gephard
Supervising Fisheries Biologist, State of Connecticut, Department of Environmental Protection’s Inland Fisheries Division
Gephard, in charge of the Division’s Diadromous Fish Program, has over 28 years of experience with diadromous fish species, which migrate between fresh and salt water to spawn. Much of his work involves planning and building fishways around dams to allow the restoration of historic fish runs. He has assisted in the teaching of courses across the country on fish passage and co-authored a booklet entitled, “A Fishway For Your Stream.” Gephard serves on a number of regional fisheries management commissions and committees, including a recent term as chairman of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s American Eel Technical Committee. He also holds a presidential appointment as a U.S. Commissioner to the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization, an international treaty commission dedicated to conservation of salmon in international waters.
Krysta Harden
Chief Executive Officer, National Association of Conservation Districts
Harden joined the officer team of NACD in March 2004. Operating from NACD headquarters in Washington, D.C., she oversees the association's policy development and member services programs and coordinates strategic planning, budget formulation, and related business operations. Harden previously served as senior vice president of Gordley Associates (a Washington, D.C. consulting firm). In that capacity, she served as senior lobbyist for a variety of commodity organizations, most notably the American Soybean Association. Her major areas of responsibility included conservation, environmental, and energy issues. Prior to working for Gordley, Harden served in various positions on Capitol Hill for 12 years. While on the Hill, Harden worked as chief of staff for former House member Charles Hatcher of Georgia and spent time working for the House Agriculture Committee. Harden holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Georgia.
Kipen Kolesinskas
State Soil Scientist (Connecticut/Rhode Island), USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service
Received an A.A.S. in Plant Science from SUNY Cobleskill, and a B.S. in Soil Science from Cornell University. Kip has 29 years of professional experience in a number of soil scientist positions in New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. In addition to State Soil Scientist responsibilities, he also serves as program manager for the Federal Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) and the Grasslands Reserve Program (GRP). He is a recognized regional and national speaker on soils and land use planning, wetlands, and farmland protection.
Joseph Lomax
President, Lomax Consulting, Cape May, New Jersey
Supervisor for the Cape Atlantic Conservation District since 1978. Lomax has held all offices within the New Jersey State Association of Conservation Districts including President. He also served as Chair of the South Jersey RC&D Council. He was previously New Jersey's Director to NACD and during that time served as the Northeast Chair, and served on eight NACD National Committees. Lomax currently serves on the NACD Executive Committee.
Cliff Lundin
Chairman, Sussex County, New Jersey Soil Conservation District (SCD)
Member of the New Jersey State Soil Conservation Committee
Lundin has been a SCD supervisor for 38 years., and has served four terms as President of the New Jersey Association of Conservation Districts. He has been New Jersey's representative to the NACD Board of Directors since 2004, and in that role has served as the Chairman of the NACD Urban, Community, and Coastal Resources Policy Committee since 2005. Lundin was instrumental in the development of the NACD Urban Vision and Strategy, adopted by the Board of Directors in Feb 2007. He is an attorney at law, specializing in environmental issues. He previously worked for the Region 2 office of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as Chief of Water and Hazardous Waste Compliance. He also served eight years as Mayor of his community of Hopatcong, New Jersey. He currently is a member of the Board of Education, Planning Board, and municipal and county open space committees.
Bruce L. Morton.
Co-owner of
Aqua Solutions LLC, a small water quality consulting firm located in
Marlborough, CT. Served as project coordinator for the
Donald L. Murphy Member of the Stonington, Connecticut Shellfish Commission since 1984, Donald Murphy has helped manage recreational and commercial shellfishing activity within town waters. The commission undertakes an extensive water-quality testing program to ensure the recreational beds meet federal standards. In addition, the commission restocks shellfish beds and participates in other shellfish-enhancement programs. Finally, the commission manages a small, but important marine aquaculture program in town-controlled waters. Murphy currently serves as commission chair. He is also a member of Stonington's Stormwater Task Force, which evaluates runoff impacts and implements stormwater strategies, including a broad public education campaign.
Olin Sims
President, National
Association of Conservation Districts
Rancher from McFadden, Wyoming A long-time
landowner and champion of conservation, Sims first became involved with
districts at the local level in 1987 when he became a Rural Supervisor for the
Medicine Bow Conservation District. He has served as an area director since
1996. Prior to becoming a national officer, Sims served five years on the NACD
Board and six as President of the Wyoming Association of Conservation
Districts. Sims was born and raised in The Equality State and has
worked the land all his life. He and his family operate the Sims Cattle
Company in the Rock Creek Valley. They run 700 Gelbvieh/Angus cross cows on
22,000 acres of deeded, private, state and federal leases in southern Wyoming.
The ranch retains ownership of all calves and feeds to finish in Nebraska. The
Sims Cattle Company implements sound environmental stewardship practices such
as intensive rotational grazing, weed control, fertilizer application,
introducing new varieties of grasses, and windrowed hay management. The Sims'
are currently working with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to use
livestock grazing for elk habitat enhancement on a nearby Wildlife Habitat
Unit. The Sims family recently received the regional 2005 Environmental
Stewardship Award, presented by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association,
acknowledging their efforts to protect and conserve our nation's natural
resources.
Walter Smith
Private consultant, Landword Consulting, Connecticut
Smith worked for the Federal Government for 30+ years, leaving public service as the State Water Quality Coordinator for the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Connecticut. From 1994-2007, he formed the Land Use Leadership Alliance; developed the Farmer Research Group participatory conservation decision-making process with the University of Connecticut; directed NRCS involvement in AFO/CAFO general permit development; developed the Collaborative Planning Training Modules for Watershed Partnership Initiatives; developed and implemented a watershed planning model for the EPA-Long Island Sound Study and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Proposed, designed, and facilitated the Norwalk River Watershed Initiative; and assisted DEP in developing their Coastal Non-Point Source Management Plan. Educational background includes Yale University (2004), School of Forestry and Environmental Studies Master of Environmental Management; and University of Connecticut (1977) College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Bachelor of Science in Plant Science.
Debbie Surabian
Deborah Surabian is a Soil Scientist with USDA-Natural
Resources Conservation Service in Connecticut. Received a B.S. in Agronomy,
an M.S. in Plant Science (Soils) and Graduate Certificate in GIS from the
University of Connecticut. Debbie has over 9 years of professional
experience in soils in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Florida. From
2005-2007, she researched, mapped and sampled subaqueous soils in
Connecticut and Rhode Island with assistance from the University of Rhode
Island; prepared the Coastal Zone Soil Survey of Little Narragansett Bay;
and developed subaqueous soil interpretations such as presence of sulfidic
materials, moorings, potential presence of eelgrass and bottom type.
Thomas Wagner.
Planning
Director for the Town of