Eileen served as a tireless leader of FCSP for eight years. She deepened the FCSP partnership with DEEP and CFPA, and led a successful multi-year campaign to raise awareness of the lack of funding and need for additional staffing at our State Parks. Eileen is a landscape designer and sole proprietor of Latin Roots Garden Design in Madison, CT. Her interest in historic gardens led her to Harkness Memorial State Park in 1996. She has volunteered at the park for 18 years, assisting with the restoration of the world renown Beatrix Farrand gardens, co-chairing the Friends of Harkness horticulture committee and organizing its Annual Plant Sale. She served as President of the Friends of Harkness for four years (1999-2003) and is at present a member of its Board of Trustees. She joined the board of the Friends of CT State Parks in 2004, focusing her efforts on legislative issues. She remains active with Legislative issues.
In September of 2014, Eileen was recognized nationally for her efforts on behalf of Connecticut State Parks when she received the 2014 Presidents Award by the National Association of State Park Directors (NASPD). The award is given each year to an individual or organization who has made an extraordinary contribution, innovation, and/or best practice at a state, regional or national level, furthering the goal of a system of state parks.
Graduated from UConn with a BS in Wildlife Biology in 1974 and earned his MS degree in Environmental Science and Education from Central State University in 1977. Also earned his teaching certification in primary and secondary education. Worked with the Manchester, CT Board of Education from 1973 to 1978 at the Center for Environmental Education teaching and conducting classes for K-12 students in environmental studies and conducted workshops in environmental education for teachers. Adjunct faculty member at the University of Hartford for three years.
Sally Harold is the Director of River Restoration and Fish Passage for the Connecticut Chapter of The Nature Conservancy where she has been employed for the last thirteen years. Sally works with colleagues in the Connecticut River Watershed and around Long Island Sound to develop and find funding for projects at priority barriers to allow fish passage upstream to important spawning habitat. In Connecticut, Sally has been involved in over a dozen fish passage projects including three dam removals. She has also been involved in dam owner outreach, legislative initiatives and regional conservation planning efforts for The Nature Conservancy.
Born and raised in Waterbury, Shaun has been visiting Connecticut state parks since the earliest days of his youth. Parks like Harkness, Gillette Castle, Black Rock, Devils Hopyard, Wadsworth Falls, and numerous others, shaped Shauns love of both the natural world and of the human stories of our states past. These places are part of the reason Shaun attended Central Connecticut State University and majored in history. After finishing his B.A. and M.A. degrees, Shaun worked for the National Park Service as a ranger at Sagamore Hill National Historic Site in Oyster Bay, New York for more than six years. In 2011, Shaun accepted a position with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and was happy to return to Connecticut. He now works on the shoreline and owns a home with his wife in the Middletown area. Shaun joined FCSP in 2015 to advocate for our state lands and raise awareness so more citizens will enjoy them.
Margot Burns is currently the Environmental Planner for the Lower CT River Valley Council of Governments where she coordinates the Lower CT River and Coastal Region Land Trust Exchange and recently led the development effort of the Menunketesuck / Cockaponset Regional Greenway and its 2012 designation as a CT State Greenway. Margot earned her MS in Geography/Environmental Protection and holds a BA in Environmental Geography from Central CT State University. She currently serves on the Steering Committee for the Connecticut Land Conservation Council as Secretary for the Eastern CT Resource, Conservation, and Development Area, and is a member of the Chester Conservation Commission.
Diana grew up exploring the woodlands surrounding her Waterford, CT home and studied Environmental Studies in college. She worked in research and writing for Rodale Press and Organic Gardening magazine in the 1970’s and is currently a technology teacher and at the Interdistrict School for Arts And Communication in New London, CT. She began volunteering for CT State Parks in 1992 as the first elected president of the Friends of Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford. She worked to build the fledgling volunteer organization and led a successful campaign to restore the mansion and gardens at the estate. She is a founding member of FCSP and served as its president for six years, traveling about the state to help create new local Friends groups. She currently works on membership and web page development for FCSP.
Jay joined the FCSP board in 2013. He started his tenure with the state parks simply by offering his services in the visitors book at Heublein Tower. He joined the Friends of Heublein Tower board of directors in 2002. In 2009 accepted the position of Co-President of the board. As an architect, Jay brings his interest in restoring buildings back to their original integrity. His ability to gather support, secure materials and labor have led to many successful restoration/recreation projects at the tower. He, other members of the board and the Park Manager have collaborated on many projects together, relying on their individual strengths and talents to accomplish daunting tasks. Jay’s never afraid to be hands on, from bending copper for light fixtures to climbing up to the cupola to change the light bulb in the beacon. Jay lives in Simsbury with his wife Tara and daughters Taylor, Maggie and Maeve.
Tom is the Director of the State Parks and Public Outreach Division of the DEEP, and serves on the FCSP Board as an Ex-Officio member. Tom began his career working for DEEP in the early 80s in the State Parks Division. For 5 years, Tom worked at several parks in the greater Hartford area, including Penwood, Stratton Brook, and Talcott Mountain State Parks. Tom then worked for 10 years in the private sector, doing legislative advocacy for a number of clients, several focusing on environmental issues. He returned to the DEEP in 1997 to direct the legislative program for the DEEP working for each of the past five Commissioners representing the DEEP before the General Assembly on a wide range of issues, including significant collaboration with the Friends in their legislative work. Prior to becoming Director of Parks, Tom’s other duties for the DEEP have included leading the Land Acquisition and Management Program, as well as the Indian Affairs program.
Susan has served as Deputy Commissioner for Environmental Conservation at DEEP since April, 2008. She is an avid gardener and outdoorswoman. For more than twenty years, she has held a variety of environmental management and policy positions in both the public and private sector. She has been responsible for developing and implementing innovative public private partnerships, and for expanding educational programming and recreational opportunities in parks. In her hometown of Harvard, MA, as a member of the Harvard Historical Commission she led the effort to develop design standards for historic buildings, and has served as Co-President of the Friends of the Harvard Public Library since 2004.
Mike is Chief of the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation for the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection. In this role, he oversees the administrative, operational and managerial functions of the State Parks, Boating, and Environmental Conservation Police Divisions. Mike’s career in state parks began with North Carolina State Parks, where he started as a Park Ranger and worked through the ranks to become Park Superintendent working in five different state parks throughout western North Carolina. He eventually became Chief of Operations for North Carolina State Parks where he planned, organized and managed 41 operational units within the state parks system overseeing interpretation and education programming, law enforcement, emergency services and park maintenance and operations. He left North Carolina for his current position in Connecticut where he works to provide outdoor recreation opportunities consistent with the long term protection of the state’s natural resources. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Earth Sciences from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.