Laurence Marsicano, Lake Communities Symposium Co-organizer,  Aquatic Ecosystem Research, Limnologist & WCSU Biology Instructor.  lmarsicano@aerlimnology.com

Larry obtained his B.A. from Western Connecticut State University in 1988 and his M.A. from Connecticut College in 1993.  He managed the Freshwater Ecology Laboratory at Connecticut College for Dr. Peter Siver from 1990 to 1997 which specialized in paleolimnology and regional lake water quality studies.  His publications can be viewed at the Silica Secchi Disk website.  In 1998 he was hired by the Candlewood Lake Authority and in 2003 became the Executive Director of that public lake management agency, the largest lake in Connecticut.  He held that position until 2017 when he became a Principal Partner at Aquatic Ecosystem Research, LLC.  He also teaches limnology to graduate students in the WCSU MS in Integrative Biological Diversity Program.

Theodora Pinou, Western Connecticut State University, Professor of Biological and Environmental Sciences,  MS in Integrative Biological Diversity Program Director and Coordinator.

Dr. Pinou is Department Chair and  professor of Biological and Environmental Sciences at WCSU.  She is also a Curatorial Affiliate in Vertebrate Zoology at the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University. She received her BA, MA, and Ph.D at New York University in Biology, with a focus in vertebrate evolution and ecology.

Arthur (Sandy) Blanchard, Lake Housatonic Authority, Treasurer.

Sandy serves the LHA as Treasurer, and as such is responsible for budget preparation and keeping the Authority on a strong financial footing.  He is also a member of the local rowing community and maintains strong communications links to this important sector of the local community.  Although now retired, Sandy’s career included management consulting with international firms and governments to assist with resource development projects, sales and marketing of scientific instruments and high precision metal stampings, and the management of manufacturing and housing development companies.  He is a graduate of MIT and the Harvard Business School.

Arthur Brody, Lake Waubeeka Past Board President (7/2017-9/2020)

Lake Waubeeka, located in Danbury, Connecticut, consists of 262 homes, recreation fields, community center which is built around a 35-acre lake and surrounded by >550 acres of undeveloped woodlands. The community own’s its own water systems and employs maintenance and office staff.  Arthur has had executive leadership roles that spanned over 40 years working for Salomon Brothers, Reuters, Quest Diagnostics and most recently served as Managing Director of Global Sourcing & Operations at Fortress Investment Group in New York City.

Carl Brussells, Aquatic Plant Control Program, Santee Cooper, SC

Carl graduated from the College of Charleston with a BS in Marine Biology. He worked for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources in the Diadromous Fish Program and in Freshwater Fisheries for 7 years, and is entering his 5^th year as a biologist at Santee Cooper where he specializes in ambient water quality and aquatic vegetation management. He is the current president of the South Carolina Aquatic Plant Management Society.  Carl spends his spare time hiking, birding, and camping with his family, and is passionate about sparking interest in conservation and biodiversity in the general public.

George Buck, Ball Pond Advisory Committee, Ball Pond representative

George is a Penn State Alumnus.  He was with IBM for 31 years.  His last position was in contracts and negotiations for the mainframe sector.  He has been interested in grass carp as a bioregulator since the mid-80’s, and an original member of the Ball Pond Advisory Committee reporting to the Town of New Fairfield.  He continues to volunteer for the BPAC as well as other projects.

Gary Fillion, Chairman, Lake Zoar Authority.

Graduated from WMU with an Automotive Engineering degree with Marketing and Sales Adm. minors. Worked for 30 years in Industrial Sales and Marketing, traveling the world as Technical Sales Mgr. Lastly, worked as a Facilities Director for 12 high end dealerships (22 buildings) responsible for all building and property needs. Have been an LZA member for 8 years, the last four as Chairman. His retirement home and piece of paradise is right on Lake Zoar!

Matthew Goclowski, Fisheries Biologist, CT DEEP

Matt works in the Fisheries Division’s Habitat Conservation and Enhancement Program and is primarily responsible for reviewing various DEEP permit applications that have the potential to affect fish or fish habitat as well as administering the state’s triploid Grass Carp permitting program. Prior to coming on full time with the Fisheries Division, he worked as an environmental scientist on a variety of projects including fish passage studies, instream flow studies, and utility infrastructure permitting projects. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources Management & Engineering from UCONN, a Master’s degree in Fisheries Management from Auburn University, and a GIS certificate from Penn State.

James Haney, Professor, University of New Hampshire – “Can HAB’s be controlled?”

Jim Haney is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of New Hampshire.  He is Director of the UNH Center for Freshwater Biology and co-founder of the New Hampshire Lakes Lay Monitoring Program.  Dr. Haney teaches General Ecology, Lake Ecology, Stream Ecology and Ecotoxicology.   His current research focus is on the transfer of cyanobacteria toxins within the lake food webs and their impact on wildlife such as fish and the Common Loon.  Other research projects include 1) toxic aerosols as risk factors from lakes with toxigenic cyanobacteria 2) use of cyanobacteria pigments to predict cyanobacteria blooms and lake toxicity.  He and his students are also conducting collaborative research with Dartmouth-Hitchcock ALS Clinic to examine toxic aerosols as possible links between cyanotoxins and neurological disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Alzheimer’s disease.  He is also a member of the USP EPA Region 1 Cyanobacteria Monitoring Collaborative (cyanos.org).

Chad Holbrook, Aquatic Plant Control Program, Santee Cooper, SC

Chad Holbrook is an Environmental Specialist at Santee Cooper (South Carolina Public Service Authority) with an emphasis on fisheries projects related to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license compliance.  License compliance issues involve upstream and downstream passage of diadromous fish (American Shad, Blueback Herring, and American Eel) as well as population monitoring of federally endangered Atlantic Sturgeon and Shortnose Sturgeon in the reservoirs and downstream rivers.

Chad is a graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and Tennessee Technological University where he received a Bachelor of Science in Fisheries Science and a Master of Science in Biology.  He has worked in the field of fisheries science since 2003 for a variety of employers including environmental consulting firms, state and federal agencies, and public utilities.  He worked from 2006 -2019 as a fisheries biologist for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources with responsibilities of freshwater and diadromous fisheries management in Lakes Marion and Moultrie and nine counties along the Atlantic Coast.  Specific areas of interest were Blue Catfish and Striped Bass population management in Lakes Marion and Moultrie, Atlantic Sturgeon and Shortnose Sturgeon acoustic telemetry research in coastal rivers, and American Shad and Blueback Herring passage at St. Stephen Dam and Pinopolis Navigation Lock.  He began working at Santee Cooper in 2019 and looks forward to the opportunity to continue to maintain/improve diadromous fish runs in the Santee Cooper System.  Chad is an active member of the South Carolina Chapter of the American Fisheries Society

When he isn’t spending time on the water working, he enjoys saltwater fishing, chasing trout in the Appalachian Mountains, and hiking with family and friends.

Edward Machowski, Fisheries Biologist, CT DEEP

Ed has worked as a fisheries biologist since 1988.  His career started in the cold-water realm by inventorying Connecticut's stream resources as part of the initial Stream Survey project.  At present, he is one of two warm-water biologists in charge of managing the state's lake, pond and large river warm-water fish communities.

Casey Welch Moorer, Aquatic Plant Control Program, Santee Cooper, SC

Casey Welch Moorer is the Manager of Biological Services at Santee Cooper (South Carolina Public Service Authority). The Biological Services team is responsible for the ambient water quality program on Lakes Marion and Moultrie, aquatic plant control on the lake system, vector management, internal sampling services, fish passage projects related to Santee Cooper’s FERC license and cooperative wildlife projects with South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) and United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

Casey is a graduate of Winthrop University and Charleston Southern University, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Master of Business Administration. She began her career with Santee Cooper in 2005. Casey is an active member of The South Carolina Aquatic Plant Management Society where she served as the president and a director for several years and currently serves as the society’s secretary. She is also a board director for the Lowcountry’s Enrichment in Abilities of the Disabled (L.E.A.D) and on a steering committee for Berkeley County Kids Who Care.

Her passions include finding the balance between all lake users, education/community outreach and protecting the Santee Cooper lake system from invasive plants and animals. When she isn’t spending time on the water she enjoys camping and traveling with family and friends.

Robbie Mordente, MS Integrative Biological Diversity 2022

Robert Mordente, born and raised in New Milford CT. Graduated in 2019 from Coastal Carolina University with a biology degree and focus on cellular, molecular, and genetics. Proud to be a part of the second cohort in the integrative biology program at Western Connecticut State University. He has always been interested in environmental conservation and teaching the community about the importance of backyard nature.  His interest in conservation sparked while participating in project CLEAR from 2012 to 2015 and he still carries this flame on this project.

James Olson, Lake Housatonic Authority, Aquatic Vegetation Management Coordinator.

A. J.  Reyes, Aquatic Ecologist, Northeast Ecosystems Research

“Strategies beyond grass carp for managing aquatic plant growth”

A.J. Reyes received a Bachelor of Science in Ecology at SUNY Plattsburgh, and a Master’s of Science degree in Lake Management from SUNY Oneonta. AJ is also recognized as a Certified Lake Manager by the North American Lake Management Society. Before joining NEAR in 2017, A.J. spent years living in various parts of the country working on water quality and aquatic invasive species projects with the United States Geological Survey and the Yellowstone coalition. A.J. also served as an Extension Associate for North Carolina State University working on aquatic plant management. At NCSU he was the liaison between multiple stakeholder groups including the reservoir utility owner, the NC DEQ, and thousands of shoreline residents at Lake Gaston. Since working with NEAR, A.J. has served as the project manager for the Mid-Hudson River aquatic plant survey project, as well as many existing and newly established water quality and aquatic plant management programs in NY and CT.

Phyllis Schaer, Chairman, Candlewood Lake Authority

Phyllis Schaer- Chairman of the Candlewood Lake Authority since 2014 and CLA delegate from the town of Sherman since 2008. Life member of Connecticut Federation of Lakes. Member of North American Lake Management Society. Phyllis provided the initial research and development work to create and establish the Sterile Carp Management Program for Candlewood Lake. A lakefront home owner and resident of Sherman for 20+ years.  Formerly Vice President of Tekcast Industries.

Neil Stalter, Candlewood Lake Authority, Director of Ecology and Environmental Education

Neil Stalter joined the Candlewood Lake Authority as the Director of Ecology and Environmental Education during the summer of 2018. Having earned a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Rochester in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, as well as a Master’s in Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University, Neil has the scientific and public policy background to support a government agency like the Candlewood Lake Authority. Neil grew up in the Finger Lakes region of New York, on Conesus Lake where his love of lakes began. At the CLA Neil manages the monthly monitoring program, designs new ecosystem protection initiatives and projects, reviews all relevant FERC documentation and writes and compiles all responses, and helps create new public education initiatives.

Connie Trolle, President of the Bantam Lake Protective Association and President, Connecticut Federation of Lakes

Connie Trolle is the President of the Bantam Lake Protective Association and the first woman to hold this position since the founding in 1925.  In this role, she created a coalition fund to manage invasive weeds and storm water issues at Bantam Lake. She is also the current President of the Connecticut Federation of Lakes and instrumental in pushing forward the legislation that created legislation that will create a grant program for aquatic invasive species and cyanobacteria related projects.  She is also served as a Commissioner of the Inland Wetland, Town of Morris; Chairman of the Board of Finance for the Town of Morris, and President of the Bantam Lake Task Force.  Connie has lived on Bantam Lake as a summer resident all her life. She lives on the lake full time and is very active in the community.

Rebekah White, Director of Water Quality for Friends of the Lake (FOTL), Lake Lillinonah

Rebekah White, Director of Water Quality for Friends of the Lake (FOTL), Lake Lillinonah serves as the treasurer for Connecticut Federations of Lakes (CFL). She began volunteering as a citizen scientist with FOTL starting in 2009. She volunteered as a monitor for the lake dock monitoring program, Citizen Led Environmental Observatory (CLEO).  She also joined in on the monthly testing and calibration of their buoy deployed multiparameter sonde.  She received her BA in Biology with a concentration in Ecology from Western CT State University in 2014, and continues to volunteer with FOTL. She also works part time during the season to improve the water quality program.

C. Peter Van Dine, Science Chair, Friends of Bolton Lakes

Jonathon Zwang, Co-Chair, Lake Committee, Lake Waubeeka

Jonathan is a resident of the Lake Waubeeka community.  He holds an M.S. in Computer and Information Science from University of New Haven and a B.A. in biology from the State University of New York.  more than 30 years of success across the information technology, financial, retail, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, chemical, and aerospace industries.

Jesse Uhrman, Co-Chair, Lake Committee, Lake Waubeeka

Jesse Uhrman is a resident of Lake Waubeeka for 69 years.  He worked for the Legal Aid Society of New York City for 40 years as a social work administrator.  He has been a member of the Lake Waubeeka Board of Directors for 15 year, and served as President for 5 years.  He is currently the Lake Committee Co-Chair.