Board Member since 2024
Job Title and Company: GIS Analyst at Michel Baker International
Location: Reinstein Woods
Hometown: Buffalo, NY
Tell us about what you do for work.
“I currently am a GIS Analyst on a Federal Planning Team at Michael Baker International. We work on a wide variety of projects for US Military bases throughout the world. I support these projects by working on map creation, data analysis, creating customized online data portals, facilitating workshops, and developing reports for various types of projects. One of my favorite parts of my job is being able to travel and see different parts of the world while being able to answer questions and provide solutions for these different groups.”
What is your interest in the land trust? What brought you here?
“I have been an outdoor enthusiast since I was young, which led me to a local-owned outdoor store, Gear For Adventure. I have worked for this store for around a decade now on a part-time/as-needed basis, and it has always been considered my “fun job” where I get to help people gear up for their upcoming adventures. During my time there, I’ve made connections with various community members and customers which is where I met the former president of the BNRLT. With my GIS and environmental experience and my love of the outdoors, it seemed like a great opportunity to be apart of a bigger mission and give back to the community. I’m hoping to contribute to cleaning up various areas in our surrounding communities and making these places accessible to the public again.”
What is the significance of the place you chose to meet?
“I first came to Reinstein Woods while I was in my aquatic ecology program in high school. It became a local park that we would frequently explore and learn about nature and conservation. It’s always been a place that I find approachable to all groups of people as it has shorter, well-maintained trails, but is also beautiful. My favorite time of year to explore Reinstein is in the early summer to see the water lilies spread across the entire pond.”
What’s your favorite part about being on this board?
“Some people call me a work-a-holic, which might be true, but I enjoy staying busy and being productive. This type of work allows me to accomplish those things, but also give back to the community while doing it.”
What brings you joy?
“While I do work a lot, I love to balance that out by taking long vacations and traveling to new/different places. I like to experience different environments, immerse myself in different cultures, and meet new people to hear their stories.”
What is your favorite outdoor activity?
“My favorite outdoor activity would be hiking. If I’m near a peak, there’s a good chance I’ll be making plans to attempt to summit it. Although I don’t think the top of Everest will ever be in my future, maybe I’ll become a 14er at some point!”
What is your favorite season?
“I think Fall is arguably the best time of year, at least in Western New York. There aren’t many extreme weather conditions and it’s the end of the season for a lot of outdoor pests. It’s often comfortable to hike without getting too hot, but then you get to enjoy a cozy fire at night to warm up.”
If you could have any superpower what would it be?
“I think it would be incredible to be able to breathe underwater! There’s a whole different world to explore down there and it’s incredibly difficult, in many cases, to experience it.”
