At its Annual Meeting the Pomperaug River Watershed Coalition (PRWC) elected and welcomed Charles Bartlett Jr., Annie Musso, and Lisa Turoczi to its Board of Directors.
Charles Bartlett has a long background of service to his country and Woodbury. After 23 years in the Army, Charles retired in 1983 to Woodbury looking for ways to get involved. There he served on the Zoning Commission, Finance Board, and the Board of Selectmen. He has an MBA from the University of New Hampshire. Charles humbly explains “being of service to my community has been my passion and being on the Board of PRWC is another extension where I hope I can be of some benefit.” Charles has recently relocated to Oxford.
Annie Musso comes to PRWC with a background in non-profit work and strong community involvement. She previously served as Business Administrator for the After-School Arts Program (ASAP!) and recently joined New Morning Market’s team as Business Development and Sustainability Project Leader. She is a member of the Woodbury Conservation Commission and has been a loyal volunteer with PRWC including participation in the Woodbury Earth Day Festival and stream assessments. Annie is a Woodbury resident.
Lisa Turoczi a landscape designer and owner of Earth Tones Native Plant Nursery in Woodbury with her husband, Kyle. She has a degree in Landscape Architecture from SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry with hands-on experience in propagation and landscape design build from SUNY Cobleskill. She serves as a member of Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group and has won numerous horticultural awards. Lisa has been generous in tree, shrub, and perennial plant donations for PRWC and other organizations and volunteers with the groundwork as well. She has long supported PRWC’s stream buffer and rain garden projects.
Gail McTaggart, PRWC Board Chair, commented: “We have such a strong skilled and dedicated Board that will be complemented by participation of these strong new members. Their professional and community skills and involvement will definitely help us foster our mission of using science, research, and educational outreach to promote the protection of our water resources in the watershed.”
The PRWC Board recognized and thanked outgoing Board members Chris Wood of Woodbury and Wayne McCormack of Oxford for their years of service, leadership, and stewardship. The Board also elected its slate of officers for the upcoming term including Gail McTaggart (chair), Ann Feinberg (vice-chair), and David Taylor (secretary/treasurer).
In addition to new Board Members, PRWC welcomed several new Advisory Council members over the past year. Advisory Council members represent various stakeholder groups within the watershed and help provide a wide perspective on how to balance natural resource conservation and land use development activities in the context of ensuring high quality water for generations to come.
New Advisory Council members are: Ann Astarita (Roxbury Land Trust), Julie Stuart (Southbury Land Trust), Vince LaFontan (Flanders Nature Center and Land Trust), Steve Solley (Steep Rock Association), Richard Warren (O&G Industries), Maryellen Edwards (Town of Woodbury), Mark Massoud (Town of Watertown), Cynthia Rabinowitz (Northwest Conservation District), and Katy Sherer (watershed resident).
Each Board and Advisory Council member brings a unique and significant resume of environmental stewardship. PRWC remains so very grateful to its volunteers, supporters, sponsors, community officials, and State and local conservation partners whose donations of time, talents, and financial support have an enormous impact on the health and well-being of the watershed and community. PRWC salutes and thanks them for recognizing the importance of supporting the use of science, education and outreach in the collective roles of stewards of the environment.
