Jane Brawerman, Executive Director
Manages District operations, planning, fundraising, and finances. Directs the Connecticut River Watch Program, the District's citizen monitoring program. jbrawerman at conservect.org
Barbara Davis, Office Administrator
Manages general office operations. Coordinates the annual shrub sale, workshop registrations and the District’s library of manuals, brochures, videos and other resources. bdavis at conservect.org
Erica Larner, Natural Resource Specialist
Conducts site plan reviews for municipal commissions, provides technical assistance to municipalities and landowners, plans and manages conservation and watershed management projects, conducts workshops and seminars, and contributes to ERT reports.
elarner at conservect.org
Watershed Projects Coordinator (open)
Coordinates watershed management activities in the Mattabesset watershed, plans and conducts field stream surveys, assists in implementing Connecticut River Watch Program stream monitoring programs, assists with conservation projects, and provides GIS support for District projects.
Staff Changes
A fond farewell to Wendy Goodfriend, who left the District at the end of the year after seven years as our Natural Resource Specialist. She and her husband John Rozum, former director of the Connecticut NEMO program, moved to California to pursue new professional opportunities and be near family. Wendy was a tremendous asset to the District, and we are grateful for the many, significant contributions that have had a positive impact on conservation efforts within our District, as well as statewide. Her energy, creativity, diverse skills and talents, and experience are missed very much—by our staff and Board, the municipal staff and commissions she assisted in our communities, her District colleagues throughout the state, and the many partners she worked with over the years. She leaves behind a great legacy, including the many first-class educational publications and other resources she produced to promote "backyard" conservation and green land care practices. Wendy is now applying her experience gained in Connecticut to a new challenge: protecting San Francisco Bay. We wish Wendy and John all the best in California, and much success in their new careers.
A warm welcome to Erica Larner, our new Natural Resource Specialist who began working with the District on March 1, 2010. Erica is new to Connecticut and is relocating here from Cape Cod with her family. She has a B.S. in Biology from UMass Amherst, with additional training in wetlands. She started her career working as a Roving Conservation Coordinator for the towns of Barnstable, Provincetown and Bourne, MA, advising their conservation/wetlands commissions, applicants and other town departments, and has over five years of experience helping clients obtain various wetlands and endangered species permits, delineating and documenting wetlands, managing open space, evaluating site plans and applications, and conducting construction and mitigation oversight and monitoring. Erica has jumped right in and is busy learning the ropes, getting up to speed on the projects she'll be working on, and meeting the partners she'll be working with. She loves to "play in the mud" and is looking forward to field season. If you're in Middletown, stop by and say "Hi"!