Staff

Thomas Artale
Finance Director
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[email protected] is the Finance Director for the Watershed Agricultural Council located in the Hamden office. Since late 2008, Thomas has been working with Finance Staff, Program Managers and Directors, key partners (SWCD and CCE), and our major funders (NYCDEP, US Forest Service and NRCS) to maintain the highest level of financial integrity while working with farm and forest landowners to preserve water quality in the Watershed. Before coming to the Council, Thomas worked for several nonprofit human services agencies. Thomas holds a B.S. in Accounting and Business Economics, with a minor in Finance from SUNY College at Oneonta. Thomas lives in Oneonta with his wife Maureen, daughter Abigael, son Declan and two golden retrievers, Harley and Tate. 

Sara Bolton
Executive Assistant to the Forestry Program
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[email protected] Bolton is the Executive Assistant for the Forestry Department since September 2013. She coordinates the administrative activities of the highly active, field staff and works with landowners, answering their questions and directing them to the appropriate resources. Sara holds a B.A. in Elementary Education from SUNY Oneonta and worked 11 years at Cooperstown Dreams Park where she gained all of her human resource, office and customer service skills. Sara lives by the mantra: You learn something new every day!

Edna Boroden
Benefits & Data Processing Administrator
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Edna Boroden is the Payroll, Fringe Benefits and Data Processing Administrator since February 2007. In this capacity, Edna is responsible for processing all phases of the organization’s payroll and fringe benefits. She also spearheads data input into the Council’s databases and generates programmatic data reports. Before coming to the Watershed Agricultural Council, Edna worked for 18 years as the Accounting Manager for a large electronics company on Long Island, which manufactured Microwave Components for the Defense Industry. Edna has an A.S. in Respiratory Therapy from Nassau Community College having worked in the health care industry for 12 years before returning to college and studying for her bachelor’s in Business and Finance. An avid environmentalist, Edna is a supporting member of Greenpeace since 1976. “Taking into consideration our beliefs, it became hard for my husband, Doug and I to stay on Long Island. They have developed it to death, and all of the wonderful things that were Long Island are disappearing. I really appreciate the mission of the WAC whose programs keep the Watershed so pristine. It feels good to belong to a group of dedicated co-workers who feel the same as I do.” When not working at the Watershed Agricultural Council, Edna often visits her family on The Island where she is an Emergency Medical Technician in the Copiague Fire Department of which she has been a member for the past 30 years.

Barbara Brown
WAC Accountant
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[email protected] October 2006, Barbara has been an Accountant at Watershed Agricultural Council’s Hamden Office. Prior to coming to the Council, Barbara worked 17 years at the Roxbury Arts Group and 3 years at The Catskill Center. While employed with those non-profit organizations she was their “finance department” and mastered experience in non-profit accounting and use of SAGE Fund Accounting Software. She holds an A.S. in Information Systems Management from SUNY Delhi, and a B.S in Business Education from SUNY Oneonta. Barbara is also a NYS Certified Mediator through Catholic Charities. Barbara’s perspective: “It gives me great satisfaction to work for a nonprofit which implements and manages BMPs for both forestry and agriculture to protect the lands and water quality in the watershed area. On my long drive to work, I take in the absolutely incredible views on Palmer Hill and Cabin Hill, and know I too am working to protect our area’s watershed, viewshed and foodshed.”

Leslie Deysenroth
Contract and Grants Specialist
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[email protected] Deysenroth is the Contract and Grant Administrator here at the Watershed Agricultural Council’s Hamden office. Since 2007, Leslie has worked in various capacities for the Agricultural, Forestry, and Finance Programs. In her current role, Leslie administers and monitors all of Council’s subcontracts and grants including NRCS, Forest Service and private foundation grants. Prior to her work at WAC, Leslie worked as a Contract Specialist for the U.S. Army at Ft. Drum in the Directorate of Contracting where she procured goods and services for the troops. Leslie holds a B.S. from SUNY Potsdam in Business Administration with a minor in employment relations. Leslie resides in Bloomville with her husband and two daughters on her in-laws’ farm, a pilot farm where some of the Watershed Agricultural Program’s first BMPs were implemented in 1992.

Amy Faulkner
Administrative Services Director
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[email protected] Faulkner started with the Watershed Agricultural Council since 2002 as the Easement Program Assistant. She worked her way up the ranks, next as the Contract/Grant Administrator and now as Administrative Services Director. Here, Amy is Manager of Human Resources and provides support to the Executive Director and the Council of Directors. Amy has an A.A. degree in Human Resource Management from Herkimer County Community College. Amy’s perspective: “My hometown is the watershed community of Trout Creek; I’m proud to be part of an organization that helps the farmers and forest landowners that I grew up with.”

Tom Foulkrod
Watershed Forester
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[email protected] Foulkrod has been a watershed forester with the Watershed Agricultural Council since 2006. He works out of the Hamden office with primary duties in the Catskill/Delaware Watershed. Tom also works extensively with loggers implementing erosion controls on timber harvests, and supporting landowners carrying out various stewardship practices on private lands. He also oversees the Management Assistance Plan Program, is responsible for tracking program accomplishments, and provides professional development education for loggers and foresters. He grew up in upstate New York and has lived and worked in the NYC watershed since 1999. He received his professional degrees from Finger Lakes Community College and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry at Syracuse. Tom’s philosophy on forest management plans: Wildlife management doesn’t mean “doing nothing.”

Josh Gorman
Easement Program Acquisitions Coordinator
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[email protected] returns to the Council’s Easement Program in May 2014 as Acquisitions Coordinator. After spending two years with Land Trust Alliance learning the ropes of accreditation and national easement program standards of quality, he brings new experience and skill set to this newly created position. With his previous knowledge as the Council’s Land Conservation Specialist (September 2010-2012), he will help landowners navigate the conservation easement process from application through acquisition closing and oversee the Acquisitions Team.Josh came to WAC by way of Greene County Soil and Water Conservation District where he was the Education & Outreach Coordinator. He honed his land conservation skills at Vermont’s Department Environmental Conservation. Josh earned his M.S. from Vermont Law School in Environmental Policy and Law; he completed his undergraduate work and received a B.S. from University of New Hampshire in Environmental Resource Economics. When not at work, Josh hangs with his wife and daughter at home in Oneonta.Josh’s Perspective: My favorite quote is from mark Twain: “Buy land – they’re not making it anymore.”

Heather Hilson
Forestry Program Outreach Specialist
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[email protected] is the Forestry Program Outreach Specialist at the Watershed Agricultural Council since 2004. Located in the Hamden office, Heather provides graphic and web support to the various Forestry Program areas, including outreach materials for foresters, loggers and landowners. She also manages the Urban/Rural School Based Education Initiative and plans various programmatic events including the “famous” Annual Forestry Program Dinner and Silent Auction. Heather has a B.S. in Marine Resource Management from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. Before working at WAC, she managed a horseback riding ranch. She is a volunteer foster parent for a Border Collie rescue and owns three horses, regularly taking in the Delaware County scenery from horseback.

Gary Lamont
Land Conservation Specialist
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[email protected] has been working as a Land Conservation Specialist with the Watershed Agricultural Council’s Easement Program since 2006. His primary focus is helping landowners work through the multi-step process of developing conservation easements on their properties. Prior to joining the Council, Gary was employed by NRCS, initially conducting a two-year River Basin Study in the watershed beginning in 1992, and later serving as the Watershed Project Coordinator until retiring from NRCS in 2006. He holds a B.A. from Washington & Jefferson College and a M.S. from the University of New Hampshire. Between those two stints in college, he served in the U.S. Army for three years. He says that it has been extremely interesting and satisfying to see how this unique program has evolved over the years as it continues to provide protection for New York City’s drinking water while, at the same time, being a tremendous benefit to the local farmers, ag-businesses and contractors.

William Martin
Land Conservation Stewardship Specialist
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[email protected] joined the WAC Easement Program in 2014 as a Land Conservation Stewardship Specialist. Originally from Burnt Hills, NY in Saratoga County, Billy previously worked for Weantinoge Heritage Land Trust in northwestern Connecticut, the Adirondack Chapter of The Nature Conservancy and Adirondack Land Trust, the Adirondack Council, and the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program.Billy graduated from Paul Smith’s College in 2012 with a Bachelor’s in Natural Resource Management & Policy. While attending Paul Smith’s, Billy lived on and managed a small beef farm operation, and also spent two summers working as a Watershed Steward for the college’s Adirondack Watershed Institute.Billy looks forward to focusing his wide range of conservation and agricultural experience toward building positive working relationships with WAC easement landowners to ensure the continued stewardship of the valuable landscapes within the NYC Watershed.One of Billy’s favorite quotes: “Do unto those downstream as you would have those upstream do unto you.” – Wendell Berry

Ryan Naatz
Easement Program Director
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[email protected] first joined the Watershed Agricultural Council (WAC) Easement Program as a Land Conservation Specialist in January 2009. After working in land acquisitions for two years, Ryan transitioned to Land Conservation Stewardship Specialist where he learned the relationship side of easements. After an additional two years in this role, Ryan was promoted to a newly created position, Easement Program Stewardship Coordinator. Responsible for the oversight of WAC’s easement portfolio and respective staff, Naatz was charged with the task of educating, building and maintaining long-term relationships between landowners and WAC. In March 2014, Ryan was promoted to Easement Program Director and now oversees the staff of five.Ryan attended SUNY Plattsburgh and dual majored in Environmental Sciences and Geography. After college, Ryan worked in several different positions for the Otsego County Soil & Water District. Ryan also owns his own environmental consulting firm, Naatz Environmental Solutions, based in Otsego County.

Tom Pavlesich
Forestry Program Manager
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[email protected] the Forestry Program Manager based out of the Hamden office, Tom manages all staff and financial resources to insure grant and contract deliverables are met on an annual basis. A graduate of SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry, Tom joined the Watershed Agricultural Council in July 2003. Tom’s Perspective: “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” P. Drucker

Susan Seymour
Executive Assistant to Easement Program
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[email protected] the Executive Assistant for the Watershed Agricultural Council’s Easement Program since 2007, Suzie is responsible for ensuring that essential administrative tasks associated with Acquisition projects, from contract signing to contract closing, are completed in a timely manner. She also maintains Stewardship files and processes reports to meet contract deliverable deadlines. Suzie is responsible for coordinating with Acquisition and Stewardship staff to ensure that Program goals are achieved. Suzie graduated from Broome Community College with an A.A.S. degree in Management, Marketing & Sales and is proud to be part of a team that protects farmland and water quality in perpetuity.

Karl VonBerg
Watershed Forester
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[email protected] VonBerg joined the Watershed Agricultural Council’s Forestry Program in August 2008. As a Watershed Forester in the Hamden office, Karl helps loggers and landowners with forest management that promotes sediment and erosion control thus helping sustain the protection of water quality. What Karl likes most about his job is working one-on-one with with loggers and seeing the positive impact this teamwork can have on water quality.Karl holds a B.S. in Forest Science from the University of Vermont and an M.S. in Natural Resources from Cornell University. He brings a diverse background together as a WAC forester, having previously worked as a naturalist/educator, a Christmas tree farm manager, a forestry consultant and a procurement forester overseeing harvest operations and private landowner woodland management. When he’s not at work, Karl lives in, and works on, an old rambling farm house and grows Christmas trees. Karl’s Perspective: I like helping people see their role in water quality control and forest management, and getting them to utilize methods to promote good water quality and forest management.

Josh VanBrakle
Research and Evaluation Forester
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[email protected] VanBrakle joined the Forestry Program in 2010. As the program’s Research and Evaluation Forester, Josh oversees landowner education efforts including management planning, model forests, and the MyWoodlot initiative. He is also responsible for the program’s research projects. An award-winning author, Josh’s publications include articles in Green Door and the Journal of Forestry.The Council’s go-to forestry speaker, Josh has given more than 2,000 presentations in his career. His audiences have included students, landowners, environmentalists, government officials, land managers, and foreign dignitaries. He has presented at environmental conferences across the United States, among them the Society of American Foresters, the American Water Resources Association, and the New York Water Environment Association.Josh’s perspective: Healthy forests, healthy water.

MacKenzie Waro
Land Conservation Stewardship Specialist
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[email protected] joined the Watershed Agricultural Council in February 2013 as a Land Conservation Stewardship Specialist. Originally from Cooperstown, NY, MacKenzie has raised and shown Holsteins, Suffolk Sheep, Simmentals and pigs throughout the State.She graduated from Cornell University with a BS in Animal Science. After graduation, she worked with the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, Scenic Hudson, Otsego Land Trust, and Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust. In 2012, she received her Master’s of Science in Environmental Studies from the College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse.MacKenzie feels that her love for agriculture and the environment make this position a perfect match for her to be protecting the lands in the NYC Watersheds.