Search Results

Photo courtesy of Al Braden More Ways to Give Connecticut River Conservancy offers diverse ways to support our mission. From online and mail donations to IRA contributions or legacy gifts, we are happy to meet our donors where you are. See below for giving options, or contact us for any questions. For questions or support, please contact giving@ctriver.org . Charitable IRA Rollover If you're aged 70 or over, a Charitable IRA Rollover could be an excellent way to support the Connecticut River watershed without having to pay income taxes. More About IRA's Legacy Gifts Legacy gifts may take the form of a bequest, by designating CRC as a life insurance or retirement account beneficiary, or other planned gift. Leave a Legacy Sponsorship Businesses large and small contribute cash, marketing assistance, supplies, employee time and more to help restore and protect our region’s rivers Sponsor Events Workplace Giving Organize an employee group for environmental activities, have your employer match your contribution, or designate CRC as a beneficiary in your workplace campaign. Workplace Options Facebook Fundraiser Facebook fundraisers are a great way to support CRC for your birthday or special occasion while gathering donations from friends and family on social media. Fundraiser Details Stock Donations Gifts of stock often provide tax benefits to you, while allowing you to make more generous gifts to protect your rivers. CRC accepts a range of stock donations. Stock Gifts Online Donation Gifts online can be made by bank transfer, credit cards, Venmo, PayPal, or GooglePay. Donations of any amount help support CRC’s work throughout the watershed. Donate Online Charitable IRA Rollover If you’re over 70, Charitable IRA Rollovers, otherwise known as Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs), can be a tax-smart way to put your IRAs to work for causes you cherish like the Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC). In most cases, distributions from a traditional Individual Retirement Account are taxable in the year the account owner receives them. However, a QCD is a nontaxable distribution made directly by the trustee of an IRA to an eligible charitable organization like CRC. Taxpayers who make a QCD must be at least 70-1/2 years old on the day of the distribution. A QCD also will count toward a Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) which must be taken each year following the year in which IRA holders turn 72. Such qualified charitable distributions may keep a donor out of a higher tax bracket and at the least avoids paying income tax on the amount up to $100,000 annually. ​ Even if you don’t itemize, you can take advantage of this option to do more for causes you care about like Connecticut River Conservancy. ​ Please click here to download Frequently Asked Questions as well as letter templates you can use to: a) Ask your IRA custodian to make a tax-exempt distribution to the Connecticut River Conservancy this fall; and b) Let CRC know you're making a gift from your IRA as a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). ​ To learn more about gifts from your IRAs, please email me at bmorrison@ctriver.org . I’d be delighted to help. Read more about Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) at irs.gov . Legacy Gifts Many donors find including a charitable gift to CRC in their estate plan is an effective and satisfying way to ensure a lasting impact while fulfilling their financial goals and providing for loved ones. In many cases, planned gifts can provide immediate and/or future tax benefits. Two of the easiest examples of planned gifts are bequest arrangements and beneficiary designations. ​ Bequests A gift in your will or living trust, known as a bequest, can be a specific dollar amount, a percentage of your estate, or the remainder after all other obligations are met. See sample bequest language here. ​ Beneficiary Designations Non-probate assets are not covered in your will or trust and instead require you to name beneficiaries. These assets include bank accounts, investment accounts, retirement accounts, donor advised funds, or life-insurance policies. It is very simple to name Connecticut River Conservancy as a beneficiary. Start by requesting a change-of-beneficiary form from your policy administrator or download the form from your provider's website. Make your desired changes and return the form to establish your gift. Please note: Though doing business as Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC) since 2018, CRC maintains its legal name, Connecticut River Watershed Council, Inc. and all planned gifts must reference that legal name. Existing bequests or other planned gifts which list Connecticut River Watershed Council, Inc. are correct and need not be revised. ​ Bank Account, Certificate of Deposit, or Brokerage Account Designations Designating Connecticut River Conservancy as beneficiary of your bank accounts, certificates of deposit or brokerage accounts is a simple and straightforward way to support our work. Click here for more details on the two options for making this kind of gift to CRC. ​ Long River Society Have you already named CRC in your will or designated CRC as a beneficiary of a nonprobate asset? Please let us know so we can ensure that your gift is used according to your wishes. Notifying us of your plans will enable us to plan for the use of your future gift. If you prefer to remain anonymous, we will keep your name and gift in strict confidence. For more information or to discuss other options for including CRC in your plans, please contact Brett Morrison, Director of Development, at 413-772-2020, ext. 218 or bmorrison at ctriver.org . ​ Disclaimer: The planned giving information presented on this website is not offered as legal or tax advice. We encourage prospective donors to consult with their estate planning attorney, financial advisor, accountant, or other appropriate professional before making any material decisions based on information provided through this website, printed materials, or other sources. ​ Sponsorship Businesses large and small contribute funding, marketing assistance, supplies, employee time and more to help restore and protect our region’s rivers. You can play your part in protecting the Connecticut River and its watershed while receiving recognition for your commitment to the environment. ​ CRC’s largest annual events are the New England Paddlesports Championship (NEPC) , and the Source to Sea Cleanup , a coordinated cleanup of the rivers, streams and banks that make up the Connecticut River system. ​ These events are popular with CRC's audience, and with the press, appearing in local and regional newspapers regularly. They also attract radio and television coverage plus online exposure through social media, newsletters, and partner networks. The Source to Sea Cleanup will be in its 28th consecutive year in 2024, where over 1,000 volunteers from more than 100 groups in New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut will remove tons of trash from the river. You can help ensure these volunteers have the support and supplies needed for a safe and successful cleanup. We can also work with you to develop sponsorships that meet your co mpany’s particular interests and help to fulfill CRC’s mission. ​ To discuss sponsorship opportunities, please contact Brett Morrison, Director of Development, at 413-772-2020, ext. 218 or bmorrison - at - ctriver.org . Workplace Giving You can support CRC through your workplace. Pull together an employee group to participate in the Source to Sea Cleanup, ask your employer to match your contribution, or designate CRC as a beneficiary in your workplace campaign. ​ Matchin g Gifts Many businesses have their own workplace giving or matching gift programs by which employees can designate a payroll deduction amount to go to the non-profit of their choice or have their donation to a non-profit matched by their employer. ​ You may be able to have your gift matched by asking your employer. Please contact your company’s personnel department to find out whether your employer has such a program. Companies contributing to CRC as part of an employer match include Aetna, Ensign Bickford, Inc., IBM, Microsoft, Nokia, Pfizer, Travelers, United Health Group, and United Technologies. Employee Group Projects A wide range of businesses participate in the annual Source to Sea Cleanup. For more information about the Cleanup and how your company can help, contact Brett Morrison, Director of Development, at bmorrison - at - ctriver.org or 413-772-2020, ext. 218. Groups participating in recent years include All American Waste, Athletic Brewing Company, Eversource, Greenfield Savings Bank, Hypertherm HOPE Foundation, King Arthur Flour, Prentiss Smith & Co. Walmart-Northampton, MA, and many others. Connecticut River Conservancy is a member of EarthShare New England and 1% For the Planet . ​ Another easy and effective way to support the work of Connecticut River Conservancy is by pledging an automatic payroll deduction from each paycheck. Through our partnerships with EarthShare New England and 1% For the Planet , employees at hundreds of public and private organizations can donate through payroll contributions. Find out if your employer has a workplace giving campaign that includes EarthShare here . ​ If you are interested in starting an employee engagement program that involves EarthShare New England at your employer, please contact Nicole Reigle, Assistant Director of Development, at nreigle - at - ctriver.org or 413-772-2020, ext. 221 Giving as a Federal Employee As a member of EarthShare New England, Connecticut River Conservancy participates annually in the largest workplace giving campaign in the nation – the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) for employees of the federal government and the U.S. military. If you are a federal government or military employee and would like to give to Connecticut River Conservancy through the CFC, please enter CFC code #68414 on your pledge card during the next fund drive. Giving as a Public Sector Employee State of Massachusetts employees, including University of Massachusetts Amherst employees, can donate to the Connecticut River Conservancy with UMACC code #104777. More information can be found here: UMACC . ​ State of Connecticut employees can donate to Connecticut River Conservancy with CSEC code # 8614. Click here for more info. Giving Through Your United Way Campaign If your company offers a United Way campaign and EarthShare New England is not listed in your company’s annual giving campaign brochure, you may still donate to EarthShare New England and any of its member organizations by writing the name of the organization in a “donor choice” option. Many campaigns allow you to write in the name of any eligible, tax-exempt charity that has 501(c)(3) designation by the IRS. EarthShare runs successfully side-by-side with United Way in hundreds of campaigns across the country. ​ If you are interested in starting a campaign in your business, please contact Nicole Reigle, Assistant Director of Development, at or 413-772-2020, ext. 221 or nreigle - at - ctriver.org. Got a birthday or special occasion coming up? Would you rather support the nonprofits you love rather than getting more things you don't need? Facebook fundraisers are a wonderful way to honor your special day while gathering donations from friends and family on social media. If you have a Facebook account, here's what you can do: ​ Visit our Facebook account here. Click "fundraisers" at the top (use the magnifying glass to search for "fundraisers" if you don't see it right away. Select "raise money" or "create a fundraiser" on the top right. Customize your fundraiser and select Connect River Conservancy as your nonprofit of choice. From there you can share the fundraiser with your friends and family! Thank you for making a lasting impact for clean water, healthy habitats, and resilient communities in this creative way! Stock Donations Gifts of appreciated stock often provide tax benefits to you, while allowing you to make more generous gifts to protect your rivers. Contact Nicole Reigle, Assistant Director of Development, for more information or gift transfer instructions. You may reach her at nreigle@ctriver.org or 413-772-2020, ext. 221.

Support the Connecticut River Every contribution supports our mission of clean water, healthy habitats, and thriving communities. Together, we can restore free-flowing rivers for fish passage and recreation in the Connecticut River and tributaries for years to come. Other Ways to Give Donate by Mail Please mail your check, made out to Connecticut River Conservancy, to: 15 Bank Row, Greenfield, MA 01301 Donate by Phone To donate by phone or to get assistance with your donation, please contact us at 413-772-2020 More Ways to Give Learn about legacy and workplace giving, sponsorships, stock donations and more with more ways to give. For questions about making your gift to support Connecticut River Conservancy, contact Brett at bmorrison - at - ctriver.org or call 413.772.2020 x218.

< Back Kathy Urffer Director of Policy and Advocacy Kathy joined CRC in 2017. Prior to moving to Vermont, Kathy was Special Projects Manager and Operations Director for Hackensack Riverkeeper in New Jersey. In addition to managing the staff and day to day finances of the organization, she developed and ran their river cleanup program, assisted with their canoe and pontoon boat eco-cruise programs, managed stream restoration projects, and fish advisory, outreach and education projects. More recently she has served on the Board of the Southeastern Vermont Watershed Association, the Windham Regional Commission, and has worked on education projects related to wastewater treatment. Kathy holds a M.S. in Natural Resource Management from Antioch New England University, a B.A. in Psychology from Rutgers, and is a former Vermont Leadership Institute Fellow from the Snelling Center for Government. She is a self-taught amateur botanist and herbalist and enjoys re-learning about the natural world through the eyes of her two children. kurffer at ctriver.org 802-258-0413 Our Mission Get to Know Our Mission, Vision, & Values Upcoming Events Register to Learn & Connect Get Involved Volunteer, Participate, or Donate

Privacy, Security, and Terms Privacy Policy Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC) takes your privacy seriously. We do not sell our mailing lists and takes steps to protect your privacy. Please read the following to learn more about our privacy policy. ​ What This Privacy Policy Covers This policy covers how CRC treats personal information that it collects and receives from individuals. Personal information is information about you that is personally identifiable like your name, address, email address, or phone number, and that is not otherwise publicly available. This policy does not apply to the practices of companies or organizations that are members or affiliates of CRC, which CRC does not own or control, or to people that the organization does not employ or manage. ​ Your Consent By using this website, you are consenting to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information as set forth in this Privacy Policy. If you do not consent to our use of your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy, please do not provide any information about yourself when you visit this website. ​ Information Sharing and Disclosure CRC does not rent, sell, or share personal information about you with other people or nonaffiliated companies or organizations. ​ We may include the names of individuals who make donations to the CRC in our newsletter, annual report or other publications. These listings include names only, without address or other identifying information. At an individual’s request, donations may remain anonymous. You can request that your information be deleted from our mailing list by contacting us by email at crc@ctriver.org or by mail to: Connecticut River Conservancy, 15 Bank Row, Greenfield, MA 01301 ​ WHAT PERSONAL INFORMATION DOES CONNECTICUT RIVER CONSERVANCY COLLECT THROUGH THIS WEBSITE? CRC collects only the personal information you knowingly and voluntarily provide to us when you use this website, for example, the personal information you provide when you subscribe to a newsletter or e-blast, add your name to our mailing list, complete a survey, complete an application to volunteer, offer help or register for an event/activity. ​ HOW DOES CONNECTICUT RIVER CONSERVANCY USE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION? CRC uses your personal information only for the purposes for which it was provided. For example, if you subscribe to a newsletter, we use your contact information to mail or email the newsletter to you. If you apply to volunteer, we use information about your background, interests and skills to help you find the right volunteer opportunity. If you register for an event or activity, we use the information you provide to process your registration or application. If you complete a poll or survey or send us comments or other information, we use that information to improve our programs, services and communications. We also use your personal information to respond to your questions and comments and to thank you for your donations. ​ CRC also uses personal information to compile statistics about visitors to our website, our donors, volunteers, and other supporters. These statistics do not identify you personally or individually. If you provide us with your name and address, you may receive periodic mailings from us with news and information about CRC and its events or containing requests for your support. You may opt-out or unsubscribe at any time by contacting us. All email messages contain links to quick unsubscribe pages that block re-subscription at later dates. ​ DOES CONNECTICUT RIVER CONSERVANCY SHARE PERSONAL INFORMATION WITH OTHERS? There may be some other, limited circumstances in which we may share or transfer information in our databases to an unrelated third party, for example, to comply with a legal requirement or court order; in the event of a tax audit or other investigation; to investigate a possible crime, such as credit card fraud; to protect the security of our website and the integrity of our databases. We may also share, on a confidential basis, your personally identifiable information, as well as a record of transactions you conduct with us, with third-party analytics partners and related service providers to enable us to better understand demographic information about our supporters and website visitors and to advance our environmental advocacy goals, and for no other purpose. ​ Whenever we share personal information with third parties, we take appropriate steps, by contract or otherwise, to limit the use and prevent the unauthorized disclosure of that personal information. You may opt out of sharing your information with a third party by contacting us at crc@ctriver.org . Otherwise CRC does not share its mailing lists with other organizations. ​ Refund Policy CRC does not offer refunds for donations or gifts made online. Cancellations for registrations for events and activities are based on the specific cancellation policy for that registration. Refunds for goods or services purchased through this website are available upon request by email at crc@ctriver.org or by mail to: Connecticut River Conservancy, 15 Bank Row, Greenfield, MA 01301 CREDIT CARD TRANSACTIONS CRC uses carefully selected service providers to process credit card transactions. When you provide credit card information through this site, your information goes directly from your computer to a server operated by our service provider. Our service provider uses your credit card information only to process your transaction and is bound by contract to treat all of your personal information as confidential. Although our service providers send us the information you provide when you complete a transaction (so that we know, for example, who has registered for an event or activity and how to contact them), for your security, our service providers do not share your credit card information with us. ​ TECHNICAL INFORMATION COLLECTED THROUGH THIS WEBSITE When you access this website, we use standard web server technology to collect technical information, such as the name of your Internet service provider, its IP address, the name of your operating system (such as Windows® or Macintosh®), your browser type (such as Netscape® or Internet Explorer®), the length of time you spend on our site during a visit, the pages you visit, and so on. This information does not identify you personally, and we do not attempt to tie this technical information to any of the personal information you provide. We use this information to improve our website and make it more compatible with the technology used by our visitors. SECURITY Donations, purchases and other financial transactions are secure as noted above. When you provide other, non-financial information through this website, the transmission is not secured or encrypted. You must understand that the Internet is inherently insecure and CRC does not warrant that this website is secure or “hackerproof”; you use this website solely at your own risk. LINKS TO OTHER WEBSITES This website contains links to websites that are not operated or controlled by CRC. This Privacy Policy applies only to this website, which may be accessed at ctriver.org. It does not apply to personal information collected through other websites owned and operated by third parties. Links to third-party websites are provided as a service and do not imply any endorsement of the activities of these third-party websites nor any association with their operators. CRC does not control these third-party websites and is not responsible for their data practices and policies. You should review the privacy policy posted on each website you visit before using the website or providing any personal information about yourself. QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS If you have questions about these Terms and Conditions, the Privacy Policy or our use of your personal information, please contact us by email at crc@ctriver.org or write to us at: Connecticut River Conservancy, 15 Bank Row, Greenfield, MA 01301 ​ Revised and approved by the Board of Trustees, March 11, 2022

To see this working, head to your live site. Categories All Posts My Posts Forum Welcome! Have a look around and join the discussions. Create New Post General Discussion Share stories, ideas, pictures and more! subcategory-list-item.views subcategory-list-item.posts 3 Follow Questions & Answers Get answers and share knowledge. subcategory-list-item.views subcategory-list-item.posts 0 Follow New Posts Diana Chaplin Apr 09, 2023 Welcome to the Forum General Discussion Share your thoughts. Feel free to add GIFs, videos, hashtags and more to your posts and comments. Get started by commenting below. Like 0 comments 0 Diana Chaplin Apr 09, 2023 Introduce yourself General Discussion We'd love to get to know you better. Take a moment to say hi to the community in the comments. Like 0 comments 0 Diana Chaplin Apr 09, 2023 Forum rules General Discussion We want everyone to get the most out of this community, so we ask that you please read and follow these guidelines: • Respect each other • Keep posts relevant to the forum topic • No spamming Like 0 comments 0 Forum - Frameless

Dam Removal River restoration includes improving fish passage and flood resiliency at “pinch points” in our rivers. These obstacles include obsolete dams no longer serving a useful purpose, and undersized culverts that block or hinder fish and other aquatic animals from accessing their entire watershed. CRC works with many partners to safely remove dams and upgrade culverts. Our accomplishments since 2014: There are over 3,000 dams in the Connecticut River watershed. Most of them are obsolete. In addition, there are 44,000 stream crossings (bridges and culverts), many of which are undersized. Why Remove Dams? Fish Passage Removing the old dams, building fish ladders at active hydro dams, and replacing culverts with larger flood and fish-friendly structures allows fish to move upstream to spawn and find colder water during the warm summer months. Creating fish and aquatic animal passage helps reestablish natural cycles in rivers, allowing migratory fish, mussels, amphibians, turtles and a host of aquatic invertebrates access to critical habitat to reproduce. Learn more about migratory fish in the Connecticut River. Flood Resilience By removing obsolete dams and undersized culverts we create natural stream flows that improve flood resiliency in our communities. Each dam removal lowers the flood elevation level and provides additional storage capacity within the river channel during the next big storm. Non-flood control dams do not provide flood storage capacity during large storm events; these obsolete dams only act as a small speed bump during the high flow events. Dam Safety Poorly maintained dams or those that have outlived their useful life are at risk of failing. Dam failure can cause flooding and damage to upstream and downstream infrastructure, homes, businesses, and ecosystems. Any polluted sediment trapped behind a dam is also released. With severe storms becoming more common, dam failure is a growing threat to communities. The National Inventory of Dams is a helpful resource to look at the number of dams in your state, along with their hazard potential. Water Quality Dam removal improves water quality by increasing water flow and oxygen levels and reducing water temperatures critical for aquatic organism health. Many projects also remove the accumulated sediment behind the dam which may contain excess nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus that can be harmful to a healthy river system. Dam removal is often followed by buffer planting in the spring to help stabilize the riverbank for long-term benefit. Learn More About River Restoration Beaver Brook Dam Removal in Wilmington, VT Recent Project: In 2023 Connecticut River Conservancy worked with a private dam owner, the Town of Wilmington, the State of Vermont, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to remove an old mill dam and upgrade a town owned culvert to a new bridge. This project aims to restore water quality, reconnect native brook trout habitat, and improve flood resiliency in Beaver Brook (a tributary to the Deerfield River in the town of Wilmington). Learn More About This Project How We Remove Dams CRC works with private landowners, towns, and other owners of these structures to facilitate dam removal so that our rivers are healthier for everyone to enjoy. Agreement Communicate with landowners to ensure there is agreement on moving forward with a potential project. Permits Secure all necessary local, state, and federal permits legally required for dam removal. Assessment Collect information on site structure, environment, potential benefits, and feasibility of moving forward. Funding for Removal Another round of funding must be secured for the implementation of construction work. Funding for Design Secure funding to move ahead with the design phase - which usually involves grants and regional partnerships. Construction Implement site access, water and sediment management, dam removal, channel and flood bench construction. Project Design Engineers conduct field investigations, surveys, and modeling to create a design plan & cost estimate. Restoration Plant native trees, shrubs and grasses along the riverbank to ensure long-term stability and ecological health. This process can take 3-7 years! After project management and completion, we also monitor the site for several years to document the long-term impact and share results with regional partners and the public. ​ CRC is currently pursuing multiple dam removal projects throughout the watershed, as well as several culvert replacement projects. Grant applications and funding proposals are being submitted to federal and state agencies and many Foundations. This multi-year campaign is focused on tributaries to the Connecticut River watershed where native fish and other organisms are prevented from moving upstream to spawn. CRC's Dam Removal History Dam Removal News Long Island Sound River Restoration Network Testimony in SUPPORT of SB 192 An Act Concerning Dam Safety with modifications Long Island Sound River Restoration Network Testimony in SUPPORT of SB 192 An Act Concerning Dam Safety with modifications Connecticut River Conservancy Receives NFWF Grant for Stone Pond Dam Removal Project Connecticut River Conservancy announces the receipt of a grant from the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) for dam removal project. State of Vermont Clean Water Funds Used to Remove Old Dam in Wilmington The Connecticut River Conservancy in collaboration with partners recently completed a dam removal project on Beaver Brook. For questions about dam removal with Connecticut River Conservancy, contact Ron at rrhodes - at - ctriver.org .

+ Give Now! Photo courtesy of Al Braden Give Back to the Land (and Water) Day! Since 1952, Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC) has worked to restore and advocate for clean water, healthy habitats, and resilient communities to support a diverse and thriving watershed. ​ Polluted waters and degraded riverine habitat are among the great threats to biodiversity in the Connecticut River watershed. Land, wildlife, and communities suffer without clean water and life-filled streams and rivers. With summer temperatures rising and more frequent severe rain events, water quality and restored corridors are all the more important for aquatic life, to prevent dangerous bacterial blooms, and to mitigate flooding. ​ Your donation will make an immediate and lasting impact for watershed ecosystems, wildlife, and people. All donations up to $10K will be matched! All gifts through April 16th will be DOUBLED thanks to a generous donor. Thanks to the challenge, you will have twice the impact in protecting river health and restoring habitat. You will strengthen community science monitoring programs for water quality, aquatic invasive species, and migratory fish; fuel steady and effective advocacy for strong environmental standards on permits, regulations, and licenses; and power the organization of the annual Source to Sea Cleanup which mobilizes thousands of volunteers to remove trash, and provides data that also informs CRC’s work on solutions to stop trash before it starts. Help CRC protect and restore the Connecticut River watershed for your community and the future with a gift today, Give Back to the Land (and Water) Day! Other Ways to Give Donate by Mail Please mail your check, made out to Connecticut River Conservancy, to: 15 Bank Row, Greenfield, MA 01301 Donate by Phone To donate by phone or to get assistance with your donation, please contact us at 413-772-2020 More Ways to Give Learn about legacy and workplace giving, sponsorships, stock donations and more with more ways to give. For questions about making your gift to support Connecticut River Conservancy, contact Brett at bmorrison - at - ctriver.org or call 413.772.2020 x218.

< Back Chris Riffenberg Director of Finance Christopher Riffenburg joined CRC in November 2022. Before his time here began, he had a successful tenure as the Financial Manager for Westfield State University’s profitable College of Graduate and Continuing Education; having responsibility for a $13 million dollar budget; and service to more than 5,000 students annually. Prior to Westfield State, he spent more than eight years in non-profit Financial Management, providing leadership in organizations committed to service of low to moderate income residents of Hampden County. He has extensive experience in managing grants and budgets (Private, Municipal, State and Federal). He was, at one point, the financial administrator of a grant funded by the Internal Revenue Service, working with a Qualified Tax Attorney to offer representation to citizens in United States Tax Court. Chris is a lifelong golfer, who currently resides in Western Mass with his wife and two cats, Tweety and Hoosier. His hope is to bring his experience in financial management to growing a clean, healthy, and full of life Connecticut River. criffenberg at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 ext. 202 Our Mission Get to Know Our Mission, Vision, & Values Upcoming Events Register to Learn & Connect Get Involved Volunteer, Participate, or Donate

< Back Mallory Strider Assistant Director of Finance Mallory joined CRC in August 2019. Originally a native of Maryland from the Potomac River Watershed, she moved to the valley in 2014 to attend Smith College. Mallory earned her B.A. in History as a part of the Ada Comstock Scholars Program. As a history major, her capstone project for her archives concentration was a digital narrative and history of the Mill River. Prior to her relocation, Mallory volunteered with the Muddy Branch Alliance doing stream sampling as a part of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Stream Waders Program. Mallory enjoys riding her bicycle, spending time outside, and exploring – sometimes guided by maps and sometimes guided only with a sense of adventure. mstrider at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 ext. 201 Our Mission Get to Know Our Mission, Vision, & Values Upcoming Events Register to Learn & Connect Get Involved Volunteer, Participate, or Donate

Board of Trustees We are continually rewarded by the generous gifts of time and skill from members of the CRC Board of Trustees. All are seasoned experts in fields ranging from the environment and education, to legal, corporate business, and finance. The dedicated folks on our Board offer us the know-how and long-range thinking that helps keep CRC moving in the right direction. We cannot thank them enough. Bob Sproull Trustee, Board Chair Computer scientist, rower, and experienced with conservation and board management. Read More Tim Lewis Trustee, Secretary Avid paddler and conservationist retired after a career in manufacturing. Read More Kari Kastango Trustee The first person to swim the entire length of the 410-mile Connecticut River. Read More Tom Ciardelli Trustee, Treasurer Retired Professor of Pharmacology, and the former owner of Hanover Outdoors. Read More Payton Shubrick Trustee, Vice-Chair Skilled in design thinking, leadership, and ideations to solve tough problems. Read More Stephen Gephard Trustee Fisheries biologist, consultant, formerly with CTDEEP for 42 years. Read More David Deen Trustee Former CRC River Steward + 30 years as a VT legislator advocating for river protections. Read More Nicole Pollard Trustee Experienced in industry-leading technology, data science, and education. Read More Damon DePaolo Trustee 20+ years of experience in IT & cyber security, with a passion for the outdoors. Read More Alison Brinkmann Trustee Experienced in business & nonprofit leadership, boater on the Connecticut River. Read More Leslie Harris Trustee Nonprofit administrator for 25+ years, orchard manager, and outdoor enthusiast. Read More Tony Judge Trustee Former broadcasting executive and radio, television, & film producer, and wildlife nonprofit board vice-chair. Read More Honorary Trustees Raul de Brigard Land Use Consultant Higganum, CT ​ Ed Gray Author Lyme, NH ​ Susan Merrow Environmental Lobbyist East Haddam, CT Jim Okun Principal, O'Reilly, Talbot, and Okun Ellington, CT Ronald Poltak Retired, Executive Director, NEIWPCC Auburn, NH ​ John Sinton Retired, Professor of Geography, Land-Use and Environmental Planning, Human Ecology Florence, MA ​ Annette Spaulding Retired, Spaulding & Harris Tax Service Bellows Falls, VT Our Mission Get to Know Our Mission, Vision, & Values Upcoming Events Register to Learn & Connect Get Involved Volunteer, Participate, or Donate

< Back Nicole Reigle Assistant Director of Development Nicole has a background in development, small business administration and marketing. Before joining CRC in 2021 as the Development Coordinator, Nicole served as the Development Assistant for Healing Across the Divides – a nonprofit that provides grants for wellness initiatives for women and children in Gaza and the West Bank. She also created communication materials for Ask Nurses & Doctors, a bipartisan endeavor pushing to elect political representatives who prioritize universal healthcare. Prior to selling the small business she founded and operated with her husband from 2016-2020, Nicole acted as Assistant to the Chief Advancement Officer at Hampshire College. Nicole holds a B.A. in English from UMass Amherst and is also a freelance graphic designer, interior decorator, and copy editor. Her other passions include stroke research and care, women’s issues, and vegan cooking/baking. nreigle at ctriver.org 413-772-2020 ext. 221 Our Mission Get to Know Our Mission, Vision, & Values Upcoming Events Register to Learn & Connect Get Involved Volunteer, Participate, or Donate

< Back Nicole Pollard Trustee Nicole is a Director of Learning & Development at MassMutual. Prior to this she was the Director of Strategy and Implementation for Digital Underwriting at MassMutual. Since joining MassMutual in 2014, she has held various roles in case management and underwriting, with a specific focus on integrating industry-leading technology and data science into MassMutual’s algorithmic underwriting models. Prior to joining MassMutual, Nicole was a tenured professor of various college-level health science courses and still currently teaches at Westfield State University. She has experience in research at facilities such as Vanderbilt University and the Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard University. Nicole received her Master’s in Physiology and her Doctorate in Health Administration with a concentration in quality analytics. CRC@ctriver.org