Board of Directors

2024 Board of Directors

 
 Ellen Percy Kraly, President
Ellen Percy Kraly is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies Emerita at Colgate. At Colgate, she has served as Director of the Upstate Institute, Interim Provost and Dean of the Faculty and Director of the Environmental Studies Program.  A demographer, she has taught courses in population issues and analysis, international migration, health geographies, and social research methods.  In Environmental Studies she taught community-based studies of environmental issues and, with Professor Bruce Selleck, the capstone on environmental issues and policy in the Adirondacks.   She co-chairs the Scientific Panel on Priorities in International Migration of the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population and has represented the organization in UN convenings for the United Nations Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.  During 2019, she held the Willy Brandt Guest Professor in International Migration and Ethnic Relations, Malmö University, Sweden. She is former editor of the International Migration Review and is currently co-editing the 60th anniversary issue of the journal. She co-edited The Demography of Refugee and Forced Migration with Mohammad Jalal Abbasi-Shavazi and Graeme Hugo.  She serves on the Board of The Center in Utica, formerly the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees.
 
Stephen Bird, Vice President
Stephen has a primary focus on energy and environmental policy. His current research is focused on microgrid governance, energy conflict and social acceptance, Smart Housing and split incentives, fracking, green data centers, activism and social movements, social influence, and policy learning. He is a Research Faculty Affiliate with the Positive Energy Project, and a Fall 2016 Fulbright Research Fellow at the Centre on Governance, both at the University of Ottawa. He completed his PhD on energy policy, social networks, and interest groups at Boston University in 2009. He received his Masters’ from Harvard University (extension) in 2003, was a Kennedy Rappaport Fellow in 2004, and worked for Harvard’s Electricity Policy Group from 2001-2010. Currently he is PI or Co-PI on a variety of research projects for New York State and the National Science Foundation with research partners that include IBM, AMD, and National Grid. Other engagements include the U.S. State Department, the European Commission, Massachusetts’ Environmental Affairs, and Mass Energy (a consumer’s energy non-profit). He is an avid outdoors person (climbing, hiking, ice climbing), advisor to the outing club, loves smashing a racquetball often, and plays electric bass in a variety of jazz and rock settings in the North Country.
 
Mark Watson, Vice President
Mark recently retired from NYSERDA as the Program Manager of the Environmental Research and Energy Resources programs. He managed an annual budget of approximately $6million in areas including climate change, acid and mercury deposition, air quality, impacts of renewable energy technologies, biofuels and bioproducts, wood combustion technologies, and controlled environment agriculture. Adirondack projects supported through the program include: long-term support for the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation, where he currently serves as a Science Advisor; air quality monitoring at Newcomb and Whiteface Mountain; primary supporter of the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation; numerous projects investigating acid deposition impacts on Adirondack lakes, streams and soils; promotion of high-efficiency, low-emission wood heat technologies in Adirondack facilities; and climate change research. Prior to NYSERDA Mark managed a technical services program at the NYS Energy Office, and worked for the NYSDEC in the fisheries bureau and also the wildlife pathology unit.  Mark received his B.S. in Forest Biology at the College of Environmental Science at Syracuse.

Eileen Allen, Treasurer
Eileen Barber Allen is the formr GIS Coordinator for the Center for Earth and Environmental Science at SUNY Plattsburgh specializing in geographic information system mapping technologies. She has worked in the Remote Sensing Laboratory since 1984 and has been mapping wetlands and watersheds in the Adirondacks since 1991, involving numerous undergraduates in her work.  Eileen earned her M.A. in Natural Resources at SUNY Plattsburgh and is one of the first certified GIS professionals in New York State. She is the Northeast Arc Users Group 2011 Thacher Award Recipient which recognizes individuals who demonstrate commitment and excellence utilizing GIS to achieve success in natural resource management and conservation at the local level.  Eileen was awarded the 2016 Thorndike Adirondack Achievment Award by the Adirondack Research Consortium which recognized her significant contributions to the long term sustainability of the Adirondack Park
 
Donathan L. Brown

Dr. Donathan L. Brown is the Vice Provost for Faculty Diversity in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Northeastern University in Boston.  Prior to that, Donathan was the Assistant Provost and Assistant Vice President for Faculty Diversity and Recruitment at Rochester Institute of Technology. Dr. Brown was an associate professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Ithaca College, where he also served as the director of faculty diversity and development for the School of Humanities and Sciences. At Ithaca College he published four books, along with 10 articles and book chapters on matters pertaining to African American and Latin social policy. In 2017, Brown earned a U.S. Fulbright Professorship where he taught race and American politics at the University of Maribor in Slovenia. He has also earned five teaching awards, including Ithaca College’s highest honor, the Ithaca College Faculty Excellence Award. Donathan holds a bachelor’s degree from Illinois College, a master’s from Syracuse University in communications and rhetorical studies, and a doctorate in rhetoric and public affairs from Texas A&M University.

 

Catherine Cardelús 

Catherine Cardelús is a Professor of Biology & Environmental Studies, and Director of the Upstate Institute, at Colgate University. Her research is focused on human-induced impacts on forests, spanning pollution, deforestation, acid rain, and deer overpopulation. Investigations extend locally, regionally, and internationally, encompassing: conserving sacred church forests in northern Ethiopia; managing overabundant white-tailed deer in Hamilton, NY; assessing the effects of mitigative liming on ecosystem processes in Adirondack State Park, NY; and analyzing the impacts of anticipated increases in nutrient deposition on epiphyte communities and ecosystem function in the tropical rainforest canopy, Costa Rica. Despite diverse locations and ecosystem types, these studies share a unified scientific framework, exploring the consequences of human disturbances on community and ecosystem dynamics. Her work extends to the socio-ecological feedback between human communities and forests.

 

 

Kimberly Coleman

Kim Coleman ​is an Associate Professor in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont.  Kim received a B.S. and a M.S. from the University of Vermont in environmental studies and natural resources, and a Ph.D. in forest resources and environmental conservation from Virginia Tech. She is a broadly trained social scientist interested in human dimensions of natural resources, including issues related to outdoor recreation and tourism, the planning and management of public land, environmental justice, and environmental education. Kim is also a member of the Williston Conservation Commission and the co-founder of a non-profit, Green Mountain Off-Road Inc., focused on diversifying the sport of cycling.  Prior to her work at UVM, Kim was an Assistant Professor in the Center for Earth and Environmental Science at SUNY Plattsburgh. 

 

David A. Cotter
David is a Professor of Sociology at Union College. A scholar of inequalities with a focus on how local opportunity structures affect individuals, he has published numerous articles on spatial and temporal variation in work-related gender inequalities, as well as rural poverty and rural students’ access to and success in STEM fields.  He helped to coordinate the 2019  and 2021 Union College "A Peopled Wilderness" Mini terms, working with local officials,  organizational representatives, and local residents to help participants gain insight into life inside the Blue Line. Educators.

James C. Dawson 
Jim is a Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus, Earth and and Environmental Science, SUNY Plattsburgh (1970-2017) and a New York State Regent Emeritus, The University of the the State of New York/State Education Department (1993-2015). He is a Licensed Professional Geologist with New York State License # 1. He has a PhD in geology and geophysics/oceanography from the University of Wisconsin, Madison (1970) and an MS (1967) and BA (1965), both in geology, from the University of California Los Angeles. He has had extensive environmental public policy experience in the Adirondacks and Lake Champlain. This includes serving as co-founder and past chair of the Adirondack Land Trust, past chair of the NYSDEC Forest Preserve Advisory Committee, past chair of the Plan of Study Committee, Lake Champlain Basin Study Program, past president of the Adirondack Mountain Club and various other board and leadership positions.
 
Andrea Ferro
Dr. Andrea Ferro is a Clarkson University Professor and Associate Director for Research for the Institute for a Sustainable Environment.  Andrea is a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Her technical expertise is focused on indoor air quality and human exposure to particulate pollutants. She has also worked in the private industry, engineering consulting and non-profit sectors. The overall goal of Professor Ferro’s work is to improve human health by improving air quality through source control, ventilation and purification strategies, education, and regulatory policy.  She is a registered professional engineer. Andrea holds Ph.D. and M.S. degrees from Stanford University and a B.S. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
 
Bryan Goodwin

Bryan is the Network Manager of Information Technology at SUNY Adirondack in Queensbury, NY.  When not working, Bryan enjoys the outdoors and fishing.  He holds a BA from Cornell University and Associate degrees from Fulton-Montgomery Community College and SUNY Adirondack.

 

Joseph Henderson  

Joe is a Lecturer in the Department of Environment and Society at Paul Smith’s College where he teaches courses in the environmental social sciences. He is trained as an anthropologist of environmental and science education, and his research investigates how sociocultural, political and geographic factors influence teaching and learning in emerging energy and climate systems. He completed a Ph.D. at the University of Rochester, where he conducted ethnographic analyses of science learning, sustainability education, and educational policy. His post-doctoral work at the University of Delaware examined the emerging field of climate change education from learning sciences and educational policy perspectives.
 

Diane White Husic

Dr. Husic is the Richard ’64 and Gail Stradling Executive Director of the Center for the Environment at St. Lawrence University. Prior to this role, she was the founding dean of the Center for Scholarship, Research, and Creative Endeavors at Moravian University and served as director of Environmental Programs. Her research includes ecological restoration, climate change impact monitoring, and work at the science-policy interface within the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. Since 2009, she has led delegations to U.N. climate meetings and recently co-founded the 500-acre Camaquiri Conservation Initiative in Costa Rica. Dr. Husic is an author on over 50 publications and serves on multiple boards, including Lehigh Gap Nature Center and Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. She holds a B.S. and Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Northern Michigan and Michigan State University, respectively.

 
Melanie H. Johnson
Mel is an associate professor and president of the faculty congress at Paul Smith’s College, where she teaches courses in Environmental Science, GIS, Remote Sensing, Field Ecology and Landscape Ecology.  She was raised in the Midwest, and received her B.S. in Anthropology from University of Minnesota Moorhead,  her M.S. in Geology from the University of North Dakota, and a doctorate in Environmental Science from the University of Idaho.  As a conservation scientist, her work centers around integrating remote sensing, GIS and related skills with field work to examine real-world conservation issues.  Dr. Johnson has worked in the environmental field for over twenty years at the university level, local and state government level, as a geological consultant.

 

J. Douglass Klein  

Doug became the Faculty Director of the Kelly Adirondack Center (KAC) of Union College in September, 2017, and is the Kenneth. B. Stone Professor of Economics. He received his BA in Mathematics from Grinnell College, and his PhD in Economics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He has taught at Union for 40 years and while there has served as the Associate Dean for Information Technology, the Dean of Interdisciplinary Studies and the Director of Union’s Environmental Science, Policy and Engineering (ESPE) programs. In 2008, while Dean, Doug helped create Union’s annual Symposium on Engineering and Liberal Education. Since 2012, Doug has co-led Union’s 3-week December student study tour of energy and environment in New Zealand, and in August, 2019 he will lead Union’s first 3-week student study tour in the Adirondacks. Doug has taught courses in economic history, microeconomics, antitrust and regulation, has supervised capstone research projects for students majoring in economics or environmental policy, and has been a regular contributor to Union’s required general education courses for first- and second-year students. 

 
Stephen Langdon Steve is the Director of the Shingle Shanty Preserve and Research Station. He has 25 years of experience in the Adirondacks working on conservation from shovel-in-hand trail maintenance to biodiversity research with government and private organizations. He has a Masters degree in Ecology from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, as well as a B.S in Ecology and a B.A. in Philosophy from SUNY Plattsburgh, where he is an adjunct instructor in the Center for Earth and Environmental Science. Steve is involved in a number of research efforts surrounding impacts of human-caused global environmental change on biodiversity within the boreal-temperate ecotone with a particular focus on peatlands. When he is not at Shingle Shanty he lives with his wife and two young sons in Saranac Lake.

David J. Miller

David joined the Adirondack Council in 2021 as Clean Water Program Coordinator after consulting for them since 2015. His work focuses on clean water advocacy, including research, policy development, and addressing issues such as septic system pollution, road salt contamination, and water quality in the Adirondack Park. Prior to this, Miller was an environmental consultant from 2015-2021, working with clients like the American Forest Foundation and Sustainable Dairy Technologies. He also held leadership roles in organizations such as the National Audubon Society and Great Lakes United, where he led conservation campaigns and developed strategic initiatives. Miller holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Economics from St. Lawrence University.

 

Dr. Onno Oerlemans, Elizabeth J. McCormack Professor of Literature, Hamilton College.  Onno’s areas of research are British and American Romanticism, ecocriticism, and critical animal studies. His most recent book is Poetry and Animals: Blurring the Boundaries with the Human, published by Columbia University Press (2018), which surveys the ways in which animals have been represented in English-language poetry. His first book is Romanticism and the Materiality of Nature (University of Toronto Press, 2003) examined the ways that several British Romantic poets explored the physical (as opposed to transcendent) reality of the natural world. He has published articles on a wide range of topics and writers and is currently working on a history of writing about the Adirondacks. His degrees are from Queen’s University and Yale University.

Kevin Stack,
Kevin is a builder, building scientist, and eco-literacy educator specializing in sustainable design through Building in Nature’s Image™. He founded Northeast Natural Homes and Northeast Green Building Consulting, focusing on health, resilience, and sustainability using building science and biomimicry. A USGBC LEED Fellow and Faculty member, Kevin has served on multiple industry boards, including the USGBC national board. He holds credentials as a PHIUS+ Builder & Rater, LEED for Homes Green Rater, and more. Recently relocating to Tupper Lake, he launched NYSERDA’s Clean Energy Campaign to promote heat pump technology. Kevin has a B.S. in Biology and an M.S. in Sustainable Construction Management & Engineering from SUNY ESF. His work has earned national recognition, including the Hanley Award nomination and an Excellence in Building Science Education award.

Richard Stedman
Rich is the Associate Department Chair of the Department of Natural Resources and Associate Director of the Center for Conservation Social Sciences at Cornell University. As a faculty member in resource policy and management, his teaching, outreach, and research focus on the interaction between social and ecological systems. His training is in sociology, and he uses the theories and methodologies of this discipline as a lens for examining a broad array of human/environment conflicts. He is particularly interested in the challenges that rapid social and ecological changes pose for the sustainability of forested ecosystems, watersheds, and human communities.  His work in the Adirondacks has focused on community wellbeing, relationships between visitors and residents, and the challenges and opportunities afforded by land acquisition and management strategies.  He is eager to expand his work in this crucially important region.  Dr. Stedman has his B.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Sociology and Rural Sociology, and his M.S. from Cornell University in Natural Resources.    

 
Elizabeth Thorndike

 

Liz has spent her professional career in the nonprofit and education sectors, and in public policy positions concerned with the environment at the local, state, and federal levels. Dr. Thorndike was founder, executive director, president, and member of the board of the Center for Environmental Information (CEI) in Rochester, NY from 1973 to 2007. She has held appointments as adjunct faculty at Cornell University since 1996.  She has served as a Commissioner of the Adirondack Park Agency where she chaired the Agency’s Park Policy and Planning Committee from 1980 to 1995, as a member of Governor Mario Cuomo’s Environmental Advisory Board from 1985 to 1994, and as a member of NYSERDA’s Board 1997-2017 where she chaired the Waste and Facilities Management Committee with oversight for cleanup of the West Valley nuclear waste site.  Dr. Thorndike holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Stanford University and Harvard University and a doctorate in natural resource policy and planning from Cornell University. Liz has served as ARC Vice President from 2003 to 2006 and as President from 2006-2008. 

 
Daniel Fitts, Board Secretary and Executive Director

Dan hails from Rouses Point, NY, situated on the shores of Lake Champlain. He holds a B.A. in Environmental Science from Plattsburgh State University and an M.S. in Environmental Science from the College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, NY, focusing on public policy and government. With a diverse background, Dan has served in various capacities, including as a legislative director in the New York State Senate and as Supervisor of Administrative Services and Executive Director at the Adirondack Park Agency.  Additionally, Dan has been actively involved in organizations such as the Essex County Historical Society and the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Board of Trustees, where he previously held the position of Board Chair from 2005 to 2009.

 

Sunita Halasz, Climate Strategy Advisor
Sunita is Project Coordinator for the Community Climate Resilience Hub of the North Country, a new partnership of the Adirondack Research Consortium, The Wild Center, Paul Smith's College, Adirondack Foundation, and NYSERDA. She is a Regional Leader for NASA's Earth To Sky Climate Communications Academy. She is a Mentor to the amazing, teen-led North Country Climate Club. Sunita has served on many boards, most recently with the Adirondack Center for Writing, and helps guide local not-for-profits in strategic planning. She currently serves as a co-coordinator of North Country Homeschooling, a multi-county group of over 1,000 families who organize classes, field trips, sports, clubs, and volunteer opportunities for home-instructed students. She was a member of the Gag Reflex Improv Comedy group, serving Adirondack communities, recovery centers, and the incarcerated with numerous workshops and shows. Sunita was formerly with the Adirondack Park Agency helping to coordinate federally funded wetlands programs, work with local governments, and review State Land Unit Management Plans. She holds a BS and MS from Cornell University in plant pathology and forest ecology. She is youth coach in soccer and cross-country skiing. Sunita lives in Saranac Lake with her husband, Steve, and their two children.