Board member since 2022
Company and job title: Senior Planner for Chautauqua County’s
Department of Planning and Development
Location: Mural on the side of Grace and Abes in Westfield
Hometown: Randolph New York in Cattaraugus county
What is the significance of the location where you chose to meet?
“The mural is part of a project that my department worked on organizing, it was just completed a couple weeks ago and it’s one of 4 murals being installed around the county. It’s a really exciting project for me because art is one of the passions I bring to my work…Public art is one piece in a whole puzzle of things that make a place great. It’s the synergy between the mural, the very walkable Main Street, the historic downtown, lots of little shops, the farmer’s market, trails, it all feeds off of each other and it creates a place that young professionals and creative people want to either visit or move to… It’s been my favorite project so far since working for the county.”
What is a favorite memory you have while on the BNRLT board?
“I had such a great time at the fall fundraiser last year at Duende. Definitely coming again this year!…I thought it was really fun to get together with like minded people and connect with other environmental organizations. Good food, good people, such a cool event space too.”
What is your favorite outdoor activity?
“I love being outdoors. Most commonly I enjoy walking - on my lunch break I take a walk along Lake Erie… I also love kayaking, and mostly road biking but I would love to get into mountain biking too…In the winter I go cross country skiing.”
What brings you joy?
“I find joy in art and creative expression. I like the creative aspects of my job as a planner - planning for places that feel unique and reflect the community through public art, landscaping, better street design, etc. Going through the planning process and seeing those projects implemented, and then seeing the positive reactions from people who live in the community makes me feel like we are making real progress towards a bigger vision. In a similar way, the Land Trust’s projects involve acquiring an abandoned property and making enhancements that result in a more defined, unique, and still natural area. I enjoy exploring places like these that have a history of abandonment and have been through a transformation, because someone saw the potential.”
What is your favorite season?
“It’s hard to beat Fall. It makes me feel lucky that we have the seasons around here. It’s one that I wouldn’t want to live without. The colors are just beautiful…The goldenrod and the aster are some of my favorites…I also have to say that Spring is a close second because I love when everything thaws out and the wildflowers are popping up…I like going out and looking for wild leeks and mushrooms.”
If you could have any superpower what would it be?
“I think it would be cool to communicate with animals…and plants!
Future projects or anything you’re working on that you want to promote?
“We are promoting outdoor recreation and trails in Chautauqua County…We have hundreds of miles of trails in the county… the best mountain biking trails around, cross country skiing trails, equestrian trails, hiking trails, waterway trails. One of our projects is creating a trail that would loosely follow The Portage Trail, the path that Native Americans and early explorers followed to travel from Lake Erie, across the Eastern Continental Divide, to Chautauqua Lake. It’s a project that has been a long time in the works and it feels like we’re getting closer with a final plan that can be implemented…”
