Our Staff

Lupine -
Photo by Elizabeth Horn
Lupine found in Sourlands in the summer

Executive Director
Linda J. Mead

Director of Land Preservation
William C. Rawlyk

Land Preservation Associate
Aimee Williams

Director of Stewardship
James C. Amon

Director of Philanthropy
Barbara Simmons

Advisor, Philanthropy and Grants
Scott Sheldon
(609) 924-4646, ext. 130

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Technician
Doug Carmody

Program and Development Associate
Carolyn Foote Edelmann

Land Steward
Jared Rosenbaum

Conservation Biologist
Diana Raichel

Development and Outreach
Director of Communications
Jo-Ann C. Munoz

Administration

Director of Operations
Laurie J. Emde

Database Manager
Nancy Breden

Stewardship and Education Associate
Mary Penney

Executive Assistant
Jeanette Hooban

Office Assistant
Jeff Emde

2008 Summer Interns
Charlotte Glennie
Devin B. Kennedy

D&R Greenway Land Trust Staff Biographies

Linda J. Mead, Executive DirectorLinda J. Mead, Executive Director, D&R Greenway Land Trust
Linda joined D&R Greenway Land Trust as Executive Director in July, 1997 and is responsible for major fundraising and land protection strategies, and for all facets of land trust management. She has over 25 years of experience managing multi-faceted nonprofit programs and structuring complex land preservation transactions. She has been active in the development of several projects that have achieved federal recognition and spearheaded the establishment of one of the first multi-million dollar county open space funds in southeastern Pennsylvania. Linda has collectively secured well over $100 million to support land preservation. Under Linda's leadership, D&R Greenway was awarded the New Jersey Environmental Excellence Award in Open Space Protection and Preservation in 2004. In 2007, D&R Greenway reached a milestone achievement of 10,000 acres of protected land; nearly 8,000 of these acres were protected since 1997 under Linda's leadership.

D&R Greenway Land Trust has experienced phenomenal growth resulting in name recognition throughout the State and top dollars from the NJ Green Acres Program. Linda's vision and partnering abilities have led to formation of new initiatives and have resulted in leveraged funding and public/private partnerships. In June 2002 Linda was awarded the prestigious International Paper Conservation Partnership Award from The Conservation Fund, a national conservation organization, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Linda holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Planning from Rutgers University.

 
William C. Rawlyk, Director of Land Preservation         Bill Rawlyk, D&R Greenway Staff
Bill joined D&R Greenway in 1999. He is responsible for all aspects of land and easement acquisition. Through personal experience as a third generation farmer and landowner, Bill brings a unique understanding of the landowner perspective. His knowledge of state and local preservation programs permits Bill to design strategies resulting in both permanent proection and satisfied landowners. Bill's naturalist experience is vital to D&R Greenway's stewardship planning. In spring of 2006, Bill converted his family's sod farm into grassland bird habitat, installing wetland areas and native grasses in cooperation with State programs. The Rawlyk family has permanently protected their farm as a demonstration site, to educate landowners and the public about techniques and values of conservation. Bill is a founding trustee of the Hunterdon Land Trust Alliance, and served for 12 years as Chairman of the Kingwood Township Environmental Commission. Bill has been involved since 1995 in the South Branch Water-
shed Association Biological Water Monitoring Program. In 1997, he received their Annual Conservation Award for work on conservation of the region's waterways. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Biology from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Bill also has been a workshop presenter on land preservation and stewardship issues at National and State Land Trust Conferences.


Aimee Williams, D&R Greenway Staff
Aimee Williams, Land Preservation Associate
Aimee Williams is a native of Michigan. She moved to New Jersey in 2005 to join the D&R Greenway Land Trust staff.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History with minors in Environmental Studies and American Studies from Alma College . After college she began her environmental career at an environmental consulting company in Detroit.  Once getting experience in the environmental field, she decided to join her love of American history and her desire to protect nature by moving to the East Coast and continuing her commitment to the environment.  At D&R Greenway she is responsible for ensuring land preservation transactions continue on schedule, and serving as administrative support for all land preservation activities. Aimee is a member of the Ewing Township Environmental Commission.

James C. Amon, Director of Stewardship
Jim Amon, D&R Greenway StaffA founder of D&R Greenway Land Trust, and former Advisor to our Board of Trustees, Jim Amon joined D&R Greenway's staff in 2005, after 29 years as Executive Director of the Delaware & Raritan Canal Commission. He has been a leading force in the preservation and stewardship of land in central New Jersey. Jim's responsibilities as Executive Director of the D&R Canal Commission included the protection of a water supply system that provides drinking water for over one million people. Yet he still has found the time to serve on the boards and advisory committees of over 15 conservation-related organizations. He has also published numerous articles designed to inform the public of the need to preserve the natural world and developed proper planning for various recreational areas. His efforts have been recognized by many awards, including the 2004 Donald B. Jones Conservation Award, the Planning Design Award from Hunterdon County, and the Environmental Enhancement Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects (NJ Chapter).

Jo-Ann Munoz
Jo-Ann C. Munoz, Director of Communications
Jo-Ann joined D&R Greenway Land Trust as a consultant in April 2002 and became a permanent staff member in January 2003. An advertising professional in New York City for over 13 years, Jo-Ann worked at McCann-Erickson, Ogilvy & Mather, and J. Walter Thompson, leaving the industry as a Senior Vice President with McCann-Erickson and moving to Princeton, New Jersey to raise her family. Jo-Ann's responsibilities include helping us achieve our accelerated land preservation goals by creating communications strategies and programs to enhance public awareness and support for D&R Greenway Land Trust's mission and by designing and implementing community and media outreach and fund raising events. Jo-Ann holds a BA in English from Colgate University.



Laurie Emde, D&R Greenway StaffLaurie J. Emde, Director of Operations
Laurie joined D&R Greenway Land Trust in May of 1995. With 16 years of financial experience, Laurie is responsible for the organization's financial management and general office administration. She supports the land preservation process by overseeing all public funding requirements and providing paralegal expertise. She oversees facilities management of D&R Greenway Land Trust's Johnson Education Center at Greenway Meadows Park in Princeton. For the past five years, Laurie has served as Assistant Secretary to D&R Greenway's Board of Trustees. Laurie is active in her own community where she serves as a trustee of the Lawrence Township Conservation Foundation and is chair of the community's Open Space Advisory Committee.



Barbara Simmons, Director of Philanthropy

Barbara Simmons joined D&R Greenway Land Trust in January 2008 as Director of Philanthropic Support. Barbara is the founder and executive producer of PEACETALKS, as heard on National Public Radio, and is an instructor at Arcadia University 's International Peace and Conflict Resolution Master of Arts program, where she teaches conflict transformation. Barbara served as director of The Peace Center for 12 years, an educational organization dedicated to addressing conflict and violence. Barbara studies conflict in other parts of the world such as the Middle East, South Africa and Northern Ireland. She has been on the front lines of conflict resolution activism for more than 20 years.

Barbara and her husband are dedicated environmentalists, and have placed a conservation easement on their property in Solebury, Bucks County, PA, to permanently protect their land. She holds a degree in
Archeology from the Institute of Archeology in London, England.

Nancy Breden, D&R Greenway StaffNancy Breden, Database Manager
Nancy joined the staff of D&R Greenway Land Trust in June of 1998. Nancy oversees database management for the organization's extensive outreach activities. She also coordinates list management and mailings. Prior to her employment with D&R Greenway Land Trust, she worked as a financial applications programmer at AT&T Communications and AT&T Bell Laboratories. Nancy developed an appreciation for environmental work by participating as a Youth Conservation Corps member assisting with conservation projects at the Great Swamp in Basking Ridge, NJ. Nancy graduated from Bucknell University with a major in accounting with special emphasis on computer science.



Mary Penney, Stewardship and Education Associate
Mary Penney, D&R Greenway Staff
Mary joined the D&R Greenway Land Trust staff in February of 2001. Before joining D&R Greenway Land Trust, Mary specialized in project management for corporations, professional associations and non-profit organizations. Her first project at D&R Greenway Land Trust was assisting with the Special Resource Study for the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area. Among programs she has developed are the Conservation Easement Monitoring Program and New Jersey Trails Association. Mary also coordinates website design and content for D&R Greenway Land Trust and the New Jersey Trails Association.

Mary has volunteered for over 20 years on environmental issues, including clean air, endangered species, and land use. She received a national conservation award in 1997 for her leadership in central New Jersey. In 2002, she helped establish Montgomery Friends of Open Space and continues to serve on their board of trustees. Mary is a graduate of Ohio University with a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Communication and a Certificate of Latin American Studies.


Doug Carmody, D&R Greenway Staff

Doug Carmody, GIS Technician
Doug joined D&R Greenway Land Trust in June of 2006. Prior to his employment with D&R Greenway Land Trust he worked as an intern at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Freshwater and Biological Monitoring. Doug is responsible for creating GIS maps for D&R Greenway Land Trust preserved lands as well as mapping those open lands yet to be preserved. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Geography with a concentration in Geographic Information Systems from Shippensburg University.

 

Diana Raichel, Conservation BiologistDiana Raichel
Diana joined D&R Greenway Land Trust in October 2007 with a desire to preserve open space in her home state of New Jersey and a particular interest in restoring and enhancing habitats for native flora and fauna.  At D&R Greenway, Diana coordinates with landowners as well as federal, state, county, and municipal entities to preserve properties and form a network of greenways in central New Jersey.  She also helps to develop stewardship plans for lands owned or managed by D&R Greenway and participates in outreach venues to educate others about the importance of invasive species control and nurturing native plant communities.  Diana has a Master of Science degree in Ecology and Evolution from Rutgers University and a professional background predominantly in environmental consulting.  





Jared Rosenbaum, Land StewardJared Rosenbaum
Jared Rosenbaum joined D&R Greenway Land Trust staff in 2007 after serving as a volunteer land steward on D&R Greenway preserves for several years. He lives on the Sourland Mountain ridge, deep in a forest he cherishes for its intricacy, beauty and power to teach. Before joining D&R Greenway, Jared worked as a freelance historian and curator. His work has been favorably reviewed in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and other major media sources. Now, his perspectives as a historian on land use contribute to his ability to read the ecology of D&R Greenway preserves, by understanding the context of their return to wilderness. His dedication to the local wilderness also compels his work as a trustee of the Sourland Planning Council, and as a volunteer naturalist with Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve. Jared is a graduate of Rutgers University, where he majored in Anthropology and History. He is a musician who composes instrumental music inspired by the archaic folk music of the United States and Eastern Europe. His responsibilities at D&R Greenway include monitoring preserves and easements, posting and trail building on preserved lands, and assessment and management of plant and wildlife communities in order to maintain healthy and diverse communities, control invasive species and enhance wildlife habitat.


Carolyn Foote Edelmann, D&R Greenway Staff
Carolyn Foote Edelmann, Program and Development Associate
Carolyn writes and photographs on nature, travel and history for Princeton and New Jersey newspapers and magazines. A poet, she is founder and publicist for Princeton 's Cool Women Poets. Carolyn arranges and publicizes readings and other presentations for a broad array of artists, photographers, poets, writers and publishers. As publicist for Friends for the Marsh (Hamilton/Trenton/Bordentown Marsh), Carolyn proposed and covered the Princeton Artists Alliance Friends for the Marsh art exhibit at Bristol-Myers Squibb. She is publicist for Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands, where she also works with grants. At D&R Greenway Land Trust, which she joined in September, 2006, Carolyn is involved in Events Planning, Grant Writing, Art Exhibits and general community outreach.

Jeanette G. Hooban, Executive Assistant Jeanette Hooban, D&R Greenway Staff
Jeanette joined D&R Greenway Land Trust in the fall of 2007 as Executive Assistant to Linda Mead. Prior to this, Jeanette had a six year sojourn in Ireland, during which time she served as president of The American Women's Club of Dublin. Jeanette worked in New York City for 20 years with companies including Burke Marketing Research as a media coordinator and the Estee Lauder Companies as both a public relations and consumer relations manager. Jeanette loves open space and has hiked throughout Ireland and the Adirondack Mountains in New York state. She graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, majoring in art education.


Updated September 8, 2008

 

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