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< Back Nina Gordon-Kirsch River Steward in Massachusetts​ Nina joined CRC’s staff in December 2023 after assisting with CRC’s water quality monitoring program during the summer of 2023. She moved to the Connecticut River Valley from northern California where she spent the past decade working across the water industry including regulatory and monitoring work for the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, teaching a high school field course on natural and human-made water systems, and designing and installing professional greywater reuse projects. Before leaving CA, Nina walked 240 miles along the Mokelumne River to trace where her drinking water came from and feels passionate about connecting humans to their water sources. She holds an M.Sc. in Wastewater Reuse from Ben Gurion University, completed a Fulbright Scholarship in Israel and Palestine researching the fate of endocrine disrupting compounds in Palestinian wastewater treatment, and earned her B.Sc. in Environmental Science with a minor in Marketing from the University of Southern California. In her free time, you’ll find her dipping in local rivers (all year round!) and hiking with her dog Petey. ngordonkirsch at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 ext. 216 Our Mission Get to Know Our Mission, Vision, & Values Upcoming Events Register to Learn & Connect Get Involved Volunteer, Participate, or Donate

< Back Rebecca Budd Restoration Program Manager Becky joined CRC’s staff in October 2021. She received her B.A. in Psychology from Dartmouth College and M.S. in Natural Resources from the University of New Hampshire. She previously worked with American Rivers and The Nature Conservancy on land protection, river restoration, and conservation GIS projects. ​ Becky has always lived near the river, from her childhood in Connecticut to her college dorm in “The River Cluster” near the upper Connecticut River. She currently lives in Northampton, MA with her family. In her spare time, she volunteers on rare species and habitat surveys and enjoys gardening, cooking, hiking, and skiing. rbudd at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 ext. 222 Our Mission Get to Know Our Mission, Vision, & Values Upcoming Events Register to Learn & Connect Get Involved Volunteer, Participate, or Donate

< Back Mary McCaughey Development Assistant Mary joined CRC in September, 2022. Mary has been living in the Connecticut River Valley in Western MA since 2008 when she began her studies in Plant, Soil, and Insect Science at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Mary reluctantly worked in retail sales and customer service before being lucky enough to join CRC. She currently lives in Easthampton with her husband and dog. She enjoys art, music, and spending time with family and friends. mmccaughey at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 Our Mission Get to Know Our Mission, Vision, & Values Upcoming Events Register to Learn & Connect Get Involved Volunteer, Participate, or Donate

< Back Payton Shubrick Trustee, Vice-Chair Born and raised in Springfield, MA Payton is a proud graduate of Central High School, College of the Holy Cross, and most recently Bay Path University. The oldest of four children, Payton is a natural leader and innovative thinker who enjoys new challenges facing traditional industries. Skilled in design thinking and ideations to solve tough problems, she currently works at MassMutual as an R&D Lab Manager. She continues to call Springfield home, living in Sixteen Acres and is currently considering MBA programs as she is a firm believer of continuous learning. CRC@ctriver.org

< Back Brett Morrison Director of Development Brett grew up on the Connecticut River – fishing, swimming, and floating on the brooks, streams, and rivers of southern Vermont’s hills and valleys. He joined the CRC team in 2018, eager to meet CRC members and work toward the river’s better future. His professional experience includes fundraising throughout New England and NYC for the Student Conservation Association (SCA), consulting and business development with a communications and printing company specializing in nonprofit fundraising, and over a decade teaching, coaching and house parenting at New England independent schools (including Bement School in Deerfield, MA and Northfield Mount Hermon). Since returning to Vermont in 2006, Brett has served on the boards of the West River Watershed Alliance (VT) and the Strolling of the Heifers (Brattleboro, VT), and the Planning Commission in Vernon, VT. He enjoys coaching lacrosse, skiing, playing ice hockey, time with family, and exploring new parts of the river and watershed. bmorrison at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 ext. 218 Our Mission Get to Know Our Mission, Vision, & Values Upcoming Events Register to Learn & Connect Get Involved Volunteer, Participate, or Donate

< Back Leslie Harris Trustee Leslie manages the pick-your-own orchards at 200-acre Quonquont Farm in Whately, MA. Before coming to the farm, she served as a non-profit administrator for more than 25 years. Today, Leslie chairs the Trustees of the John T. and Jane A. Wiederhold Foundation, which funds projects in animal welfare, land conservation, and veterinary research. Leslie and her wife are the kind of people whose idea of a terrific vacation is to see how many dogs they can get into their canoe before they disappear into a cloud of bugs down some remote waterway. CRC@ctriver.org

< Back Diana Chaplin Director of Communications Diana brings over 15 years of experience in communications strategy and marketing for both nonprofit and startup organizations with a distinct passion for conservation and uplifting storytelling. Her background also includes publishing, leadership development, and graphic design. Prior to joining CRC in 2022, Diana was the Marketing Director at global reforestation nonprofit One Tree Planted during 5 years of its early critical growth, establishing the organization as a media-savvy environmental brand and growing a robust internal team while funding the planting of over 40 million trees – including being a funding partner of CRC! Diana currently oversees CRC's content throughout this website, email, social media, and custom distribution channels in partnership with programs staff. When she’s not working, Diana enjoys exploring the great outdoors with her family in Massachusetts. dchaplin at ctriver.org 413-834-0079 Our Mission Get to Know Our Mission, Vision, & Values Upcoming Events Register to Learn & Connect Get Involved Volunteer, Participate, or Donate

< Back Tom Ciardelli Trustee, Treasurer Tom is a retired Professor of Pharmacology at Dartmouth Medical School and the former owner of Hanover Outdoors. A native of New Hampshire, he and his wife Andrea have been Upper Connecticut River Valley residents since the early 1980s. Tom is a Board member of The Vermont Institute of Natural Science and the Center for Northern Woodlands Education. An outdoorsman at heart, his interests include conservation and animal cognition. He spends the majority of his free time in pursuit of North American game fish. CRC@ctriver.org

< Back Stacey Lennard Events Manager & Source to Sea Cleanup Coordinator Stacey’s passion for the Connecticut River began in the spring of 1996 when, after moving to the valley from NYC, she and her husband embarked on their first paddle in celebration of his birthday. They have created a ritual of the event, bringing friends and family along for this annual birthday flotilla. Stacey began volunteering with CRC in the winter of 2015 and currently organizes our public events. She loves to combine her creativity and community-building skills to share the important work of CRC and inspire others to engage with their rivers. ​ Stacey holds an M.F.A. in photography from UMass Amherst, an M.A. in Art Education from City College of New York and a B.F.A. from University of Michigan. She was the Executive Director of Youth Action Coalition—a community-based youth arts and social justice organization—for nearly 20 years, and has been an arts educator and facilitator in rural and urban schools and out-of-school settings. She lives in Leverett, MA with her husband, sons and new puppy, loves canoeing, backpacking, playing the cello, reading, and cooking. At her first Source to Sea Cleanup, Stacey and son Ethan dragged nine tires out of the river! Stacey hopes to be a Source to Sea Through-Paddler in the near future. slennard at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 ext. 211 Our Mission Get to Know Our Mission, Vision, & Values Upcoming Events Register to Learn & Connect Get Involved Volunteer, Participate, or Donate

< Back Ron Rhodes Director of Programs Ron joined CRC in 2011 as a NH/VT River Steward, spending most of his time removing old dams, planting trees, and working with landowners and partners to implement river restoration projects. Now, Ron is the Director of Restoration Programs where he leads CRC’s aquatic and riparian habitat restoration programs throughout the watershed in NH, VT, MA and CT, and determines short and long-range restoration program opportunities. Ron is a graduate of Wittenberg University in Springfield, OH where he majored in Political Science and Economics. Prior to moving to the Upper Valley, where he lives with his wife Betsy, Ron worked in politics and government in Washington D.C. and Ohio. rrhodes at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 ext. 214 Our Mission Get to Know Our Mission, Vision, & Values Upcoming Events Register to Learn & Connect Get Involved Volunteer, Participate, or Donate

CRC Staff We are very fortunate to have a talented staff stewarding CRC's work. Meet the people behind the mission. Executive Director Rebecca Todd She/Her, rtodd at ctriver.org, (413) 834-9457 For over 30 years Rebecca has advised organizations, individuals, and businesses in matters related to environmental, educational, contractual, employment, and non-profit management. Prior to joining Connecticut River Conservancy in October 2023, Rebecca served as General Counsel for Antioch University, as Associate Attorney General in the Office of the Attorney General in Washington in the Education and Ecology divisions, and litigated cases for the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund, Inc. (now Earthjustice) and the Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. related to the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, and hazardous waste laws. Rebecca also teaches environmental law, legal advocacy, and other subjects nationally and internationally. ​ In addition to these professional accomplishments, Rebecca grew up in the Connecticut River watershed, has raised a family while stewarding farmland along the river in New Hampshire, and is cultivating a new passion for the sport of rowing. Staff Members Alphabetical by first name Aliki Fornier Ecology Planner afornier at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 ext. 207 She/Her Read More Ansel Appleton Finance & Accounting Assistant aapleton at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 ext. 201 He/Him Read More Diana Chaplin Director of Communications dchaplin at ctriver.org 413-834-0079 She/Her Read More Kate Buckman River Steward in New Hampshire kbuckman at ctriver.org 603-931-2448 She/Her Read More Mallory Strider Assistant Director of Finance mstrider at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 ext. 201 She/Her Read More Nina Gordon-Kirsch River Steward in Massachusetts​ ngordonkirsch at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 ext. 216 She/Her Read More Ron Rhodes Director of Programs rrhodes at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 ext. 214 He/Him Read More Stacey Lennard Events Manager & Source to Sea Cleanup Coordinator slennard at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 ext. 211 She/Her Read More Alix Kaplan Content Coordinator akaplan at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 They/Them Read More Brett Morrison Director of Development bmorrison at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 ext. 218 He/Him Read More Fritz Gerhardt Conservation Scientist fgerhardt at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 ext. 219 He/Him Read More Kathy Urffer Director of Policy and Advocacy kurffer at ctriver.org 802-258-0413 She/Her Read More Mary McCaughey Development Assistant mmccaughey at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 She/Her Read More Rebecca Budd Restoration Program Manager rbudd at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 ext. 222 She/Her Read More Ryan O'Donnell Monitoring Program Manager rodonnell at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 ext. 217 He/Him Read More Angela Chaffee Grant Strategist & Writer achaffee at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 ext. 204 She/Her Read More Chris Riffenberg Director of Finance criffenberg at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 ext. 202 He/Him Read More Gabrièl Chevalier Recreation/Restoration Prog. Manager gchevalier at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 ext. 210 She/Her Read More Laura Herbert Staff Accountant lherbert at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 She/Her Read More Nicole Reigle Assistant Director of Development nreigle at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 ext. 221 She/Her Read More Rhea Drozdenko River Steward in Connecticut rdrozdenko at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 ext. 203 She/Her Read More Sam Stegeman Operations Manager sstegeman at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 ext. 200 He/Him Read More Our Mission Get to Know Our Mission, Vision, & Values Upcoming Events Register to Learn & Connect Get Involved Volunteer, Participate, or Donate

Contact Us Get in Touch CRC's headquarters is located at: 15 Bank Row Greenfield, MA 01301 ​ For general inquiries, contact us at: CRC - at - ctriver.org or 413-772-2020 ​ For specific inquiries: You can find a listing of our staff with their respective contact information on our staff page. For press, media, or interview requests: Contact our Communications Director, Diana Chaplin, at dchaplin - at - ctriver.org Support Connecticut River Conservancy Today Your contribution will make a lasting impact for clean water, healthy habitats, and resilient communities in the Connecticut River watershed. Donate