Board Member since 2025
Company and Job Title:
Senior Program Manager at Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper
Location: Hyde Park, Niagara Falls
Hometown Buffalo, NY
What is your role at BNWaterkeeper?
“Currently, I am really focusing on design and construction projects for habitat restoration and public access... I’m on the ecological program team … we’re focused on more of the on-the-ground restoration projects”
What experience led you to where you are today at the land trust?
“I have known the land trust since its inception… back when we were asking ourselves at Waterkeeper, what do we do with these land properties that we can’t hold?… I’ve been able to see you guys grow from day one. Now, here I am, on the board, watching the protection of land along our waterways… and making sure those waterways are cleaned up for the next generation… It’s been a wonderful opportunity…”
Could you tell us more about your involvement with Concrete Central and City Ship Canal?
“Since I started at Waterkeeper, I’ve been focused on Buffalo River Restoration, so we cleaned up the sediments, and then we wanted to know what kind of habitat we can bring back to that natural corridor… Concrete Central was always that one property that was untouchable because it’s owned by CSX, and CSX wouldn’t talk to anybody… So we moved ahead and restored all the properties we could up and down the river… Concrete Central has always been in the back of my mind… that area has some great native flora and fauna… It’s just a really amazing corridor, and the rail lines are actually one of the most common transits for wildlife in our area… I am super excited to see that happen… City Ship Canal as well… we did in-water work there… because of private ownership we weren’t able to do anything on the shoreline… now that the land trust has that under their belt it’s going to be a great opportunity area…”
What is the significance of the place you chose to meet?
“We are at Hyde Park in the city of Niagara Falls, and it is the second largest urban park in New York State following Central Park… there is so much public activity here… It’s very connected to the community, and people are always out here. One thing we have been seeing is that Hyde Park has been experiencing harmful algal blooms (HABs) pretty much routinely every Summer… HABs are not only harmful to the ecosystem, but they are also a public health crisis… even secondary contact from fishing or kayaking can make people sick… we received a couple different funding sources to look at installing 3 living shoreline and green infrastructure type projects at this park so it can hopefully improve water quality… we are really trying to restore the lake itself. We are also doing a study with a local consultant to figure out what’s actually causing the harmful algal blooms… We have recently secured funding for implementation, so this is not just a planning project… It’s going to be a lot of stabilization of the shorelines, restoration planting… so this is going to be a lot of work, and we hope to start construction next year at the three different sites.”
What brings you joy?
“I enjoy laying on the couch, watching murder shows, scrolling on tiktok… I enjoy going to concerts, seeing live music, just hanging out with my friends. I really have a strong core group of people around me in life. Being able to connect with them in different ways brings me joy”
What is your favorite outdoor activity?
“I love just being by the water. I love gardening in my backyard…just being able to connect and be outside when we have that opportunity in Buffalo… I love being outside as much as I can.”
What is your favorite season?
“Definitely Fall. It’s absolutely beautiful. I love going down to Letchworth or Allegheny… the crunch of leaves, and pumpkins, it’s just the best.”
If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
“I think I’d like to be invisible… so that I could insert myself into other people’s conversations so that I know what’s going on without influencing them… like imagine holding a public meeting, and you could just be that fly on the wall, to hear what people are really saying without their guards up. I think that would be incredible… Also, you could just disappear and be at peace by yourself for a while.”
