Winds, Water and Wildfires Summits – Northeast Region – Day 2
05/26/2021 @ 9:30 am - 2:00 pm
Join NACD for the upcoming Winds, Water and Wildfires Virtual Summits this coming May. Disasters such as high winds, wildfires and flooding cause significant damage to natural resources in the South, North, East and West.
Conservation districts are uniquely positioned to assist communities with planning and preparedness before, during, and after disasters. Our sessions will allow you to see how conservation districts are working together with all community members to conquer the challenges facing private landowners. Success happens when landowners and agencies come together to meet the needs of our local communities.
These needs are identified in the three goals of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy.
For questions, please contact NACD’s Natural Resource Policy Specialist Mary Scott at mary-scott[at]nacdnet.org.
Click here to view the agenda. Click here to register for the Northeast Region’s summit on May 25 & 26 (two half-day events).
Speaker Profiles (click name to read more)
LARRY MASTIC
NORTHEAST REGION COORDINATOR, WILDLAND FIRE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL
May 2012 to present, serving under contract with the Northeast-Midwest State Foresters Alliance (NMSFA), as the coordinator for the Cohesive Strategy’s Northeast Region of the Wildland Fire Leadership Council (WFLC).
Retired in 2010 from the US Forest Service with over 35 years of service.
Last served as Deputy Area Director of the USFS Northeastern Area State & Private Forestry in Newtown Square, PA.
larry[at]northeasternwildfire.net
website: northeasternwildfire.net
Lindberg Ekola is the Forest Stewardship Planning Coordinator for the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources. In this role, he is managing the development of watershed-based landscape stewardship plans across the forested regions of the state. These plans are designed to provide guidance on forestland protection and private forest management in ways that can support the integration of forestland protection into the development and implementation of comprehensive local water plans (1W1Ps)
In his career over the past 34 years, Lindberg has worked in a variety of public and private sector positions with an emphasis on integrating the planning and management of natural resources and land use, with community development. Lindberg served on the US FS Northeastern Area’s Landscape Stewardship Planning Committee and was a lead author of the US Forest Service document, “Landscape Stewardship Guide.”
District Biologist, National Wild Turkey Federation (MN,WI, ND, & SD)
As the District Biologist for the four-state area, Clayton works primarily with public resource agencies and other non-profit conservation organizations to provide technical advice as well as funding and project planning for projects on public lands. Clayton formerly worked for the Crow Wing Soil and Water Conservation District as a forester and district technician. He has also worked for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission as a private lands biologist as well as the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as a wildlife technician and NAWCA biologist.
First Vice President, Kim LaFleur, is the state advisor and program director for the Massachusetts FFA Association. LaFleur has served as president and vice president of the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Districts, an NACD board member, and an NACD executive board member. In 2012, she was the recipient of the NRCS/NACD Olin Sims Conservation Leadership Award.
LaFleur, along with her husband Jeff and two sons Cameron and Logan, reside in Plympton, Massachusetts, where they own and operate Mayflower Cranberries, a 112-acre cranberry farm and agri-tourism business. LaFleur also breeds and shows World Grand Champion miniature horses and serves as the chair on the Plymouth County Conservation District’s board. She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in wildlife and fisheries biology from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst.
Karl Honkonen
Watershed Forester
Durham, NH
Karl Honkonen joined the US Forest Service/Northeast Area, State and Private Forestry Program in March 2014 as a Watershed Forester. Karl is responsible for improving water quality in forestry operations in six New England States and New York. He provides technical direction and leadership for best management practices in non-point source pollution control and also provides expertise in silviculture and natural resource management.
Karl earned his B.S. in Environmental Conservation from the University of New Hampshire in 1981 and an M.S. in Education from the University of New England in 2008.
Prior to joining the Forest Service, Karl worked in a variety of positions, including jobs as: an Environmental Specialist at FEMA; a Forensics Specialist during Hurricane Sandy recovery; a High School Science Teacher in Maine and Surrey, UK; and an Environmental Consultant. Much of his expertise in watershed management came from his 20-year career with Massachusetts environmental agencies. During this time he served in a variety of positions, including Director of Water Policy, Watershed Manager, and as Chief of the Bureau of Interpretive Services for Massachusetts State Parks.
karl.w.honkonen[at]usda.gov 339-788-1150 cell
John Ehret is a 35-year fire service veteran who retired as fire chief from South Metro Fire Department in 2013. John has continued his career with the Minnesota State Fire Marshal Division as a supervisor for the Fire Service Support Team.
Since 2006, he has served on the Eastern Area T2 National Incident Management Team, Gold Team, and recently departed from the Great Basin T1 National Incident Management Team #2.
John graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a degree in Fire Protection and the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program in Emmitsburg, Maryland. He also holds certificates from multiple entities, including from the Centers for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston, Alabama, and the National Fire Academy in Maryland.
Denise Savageau
Environmental Planner
Denise Savageau has worked in the environmental field for over 30 years including 20 years as Conservation Director for the Town of Greenwich until her retirement in 2018. During her tenure in Greenwich, she worked closely with the other land use departments on water supply protection, watershed management, habitat restoration, open space management, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. She assisted with the development and implementation the Hazard Mitigation Plan, FEMA grants, and was member of the Emergency Operations Center during major storm events including Superstorm Sandy. She previously worked for the Hartford County Soil and Water Conservation District, providing technical assistance on soil and water conservation to the 29 towns in the county, including conducting flood audits in neighborhoods along the CT River and assisting with NRCS PL 566 and EWP projects.
Denise is now active at the local, state, and national level on soil and water conservation including serving as the President of the CT Association of Conservation Districts representing NACD on the national board and, also as the Northeast Region Chair. She currently is chair of the CT Council on Soil and Water Conservation. She is a member the Long Island Sound Study Citizens Advisory Committee and serves on the State Water Plan Implementation Workgroup, working on drought management and source water protection. She recently helped draft the Governor’s Council on Climate Change Working and Natural Lands report focusing on mitigation, adaptation, and resiliency benefits of our farms, forests, and wetlands and is a member of UConn’s Resilient Connecticut Collaborative.
She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and holds a B.S. in Agricultural Economics with a concentration in Environmental Economics and Natural Resource Management.
David J. Hojsak, AICP, PP
Hazard Mitigation Planner
FEMA Region 2, Risk Analysis Branch
One World Trade Center, 53rd Floor
New York, NY 10007
(202) 805-9714 (cell)
David J. Hojsak, AICP, PP is a hazard mitigation planner with FEMA Region 2, which encompasses New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. He has over 30 years of experience in smart growth, hazard mitigation, disaster recovery, and transportation planning at the federal, state, regional, and county levels in New Jersey, New York and Maryland.
David’s experience at FEMA has been varied, but is primarily focused on the review of state and local hazard mitigation plans for consistency with the hazard mitigation requirements outlined in the Stafford Act and Title 44 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §201.6. The FEMA experience has also provided David with the opportunity to undertake disaster recovery work in Georgia and New Jersey, with the highlight being the management of a multi-year, long-term disaster recovery planning exercise with four communities along the Delaware Bay in New Jersey following Hurricane Sandy.
David’s smart growth planning experience has included the management of a multi-jurisdictional planning effort in northwestern Burlington County, NJ, and as a long-term area planning manager for the former New Jersey Office of State Planning, which pioneered a statewide growth management strategy that resulted in the adoption and re-adoption of the New Jersey State Development and Redevelopment Plan, in 1992 and 2001 respectively, by the New Jersey State Planning Commission.
David is a licensed Professional Planner (PP) in the State of New Jersey and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). He is also a past-president of the New Jersey County Planners Association. David holds a Masters degree in City and Regional Planning (MCRP) from what is now the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University, and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Urban Studies from Lehigh University.
DJH 2021-05-19
Casey McCoy is the Fire Prevention Supervisor with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources where he leads a team of five in the management of fire prevention and wildfire risk reduction programs and outreach. From his first days as a volunteer firefighter in northwest Nebraska 30 years ago, his career has included a wide variety of experience, including light/heavy engines in Oregon with the US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, fire program management with the Kansas Forest Service and training program management with the Nebraska Forest Service.
Recognized as the 2013 Instructor of the Year by the Nebraska Society of Fire Service Instructors, he has presented thousands of hours of training and presentations since 1999.
Casey holds a Bachelor’s degree in Forest Management along with an Associate degree in Fire Protection Technology.
Amanda Swenson, Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal
Minnesota State Fire Marshal Division
Amanda Swenson joined the fire service in 2010 as a volunteer firefighter in Braham, Minnesota. In 2014, she joined the State Fire Marshal Division staff as a Fire and Life Safety Educator and has since been in the role of Supervisor and currently Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal.
Amanda holds a Master degree in Education from the University of Minnesota.
Terrell Erickson, Regional Conservationist – Northeast BIO
Terrell Erickson has been with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) since 1996 and since April 2018 as the Regional Conservationist of the Northeast Region. She oversees 14 Northeastern States: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia. The work includes delivering over $400 million of program funding for agricultural and forest lands across the Northeast, ensuring practices are implemented, and building relationships with agriculture and conservation interests.
Before 2018, Terrell was the Director of the Ecological Sciences Division at Headquarters for over seven years, leading the NRCS’ top science discipline leaders, such as the National Agronomist, National Grazing lands Specialist, National Forester, and National Plant Materials Specialist. Before that, she was the NRCS National Biologist, Acting Associate Deputy Chief for Management, Acting State Conservationist in Maine, Acting Associate Deputy Administration for USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, O&E Internal Auditor, and State Biologist (for 9 years in Hawaii).
Prior to USDA, Terrell worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Navy, a private Environmental Consulting Firm, and numerous Washington State agencies, including internships and fellowships. She has worked in Montana, Washington State, Hawaii, Guam, Palau, Maryland, Maine, and Washington, D.C.
Terrell grew up in Missoula, Montana, has her Master’s in Environmental Science (Limnology emphasis) and studied in Washington State, American University in D.C., and the University of London, England.
Chris French is currently the Acting Deputy Undersecretary for Natural Resources and the Environment at the United States Department of Agriculture. His permanent position is Deputy Chief of National Forest System for the U.S.D.A. Forest Service Washington D.C. Chris accepted this appointment in July 2019 after serving as Acting Deputy Chief since October 2018. In this role, Chris is responsible for policy, oversight and direction for the natural resource and public service delivery programs across the 193 million acres of National Forests and Grasslands that comprise the National Forest System. He reports to the Chief of the agency and is a part of the agency’s Executive Leadership Team.
Prior to his current position, Chris served as Associate Deputy Chief of National Forest System, Director of the Ecosystem Management Coordination (EMC) Staff, Deputy Director of Forest Management, and Assistant Director for Planning. In these positions, he has led the agency’s implementation of forest management, range management, land management planning, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), administrative reviews, land management litigation, monitoring, timber sales, stewardship contracting, reforestation, and nursery programs.
Chris began his career in Arizona on the Coronado National Forest in 1991 and has worked in recreation, fire, fuels, wildlife, NEPA, forest planning, and wilderness. He has served in a variety of leadership positions on agency districts, forests, and now at the national headquarters.
Megan Fitzgerald-McGowan is a program specialist with the National Fire Protection Association’s Wildfire Division and the primary contact for the Firewise USA® program. Megan has a deep belief that a collaborative approach from all stakeholders is the best way to create a world safer from wildfire and other fire and life safety threats.
She has been working in and around wildfire since 2003 and has held operational and dispatcher wildland fire qualifications. Before joining NFPA in 2017, Megan worked for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, serving as their Firewise state liaison for a year and a half. Megan holds a master’s degree in Natural Resources from the University of Idaho and a certificate in Fire Ecology, Management and Technology.
Bob Reif
Deputy State Fire Marshal
Fire and Life Safety Educator/YFPI Specialist
Minnesota State Fire Marshal Division
Before joining the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Division in 2019, Bob retired after nearly 19 years of service as a New Brighton, MN, firefighter and as a North Suburban HazMat Response Team Technician.
He continues to work part-time as a Fire & Life Safety Educator for the Spring Lake Park/Blaine/Mounds View Fire Department, and as contracted evaluator for the MN Fire Service Certification Board.
Office: 651.201.7206 Cell: 612.590.8218 Fax: 651.215.0525
Email: robert.reif[at]state.mn.us
Benjamin Benoit is a Leech Lake Tribal Citizen who has worked for the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Division of Resource Management for Six years in several roles related to environmental regulatory, wildlife and fisheries management. He currently serves as Environmental Director which includes oversight of:
- Environmental regulatory programs
- Summer youth experience program
- Tribal Liaison to the Chippewa National Forest
- Sustainability & climate change
Ben is regarded by peers and employers as a talented person who is committed to the growth and well-being of the Leech Lake Reservation and Native American Communities.
Ben can be reached by email: ben.benoit[at]llojibwe.net
Linda Brownson is a forest landowner in Wentworth, New Hampshire, managing a mixed hardwood and conifer forest of 200 acres in the western foothills of the White Mountains. She obtained her BA at the University of Minnesota in international relations and her Ph.D. at Boston University in the fields of sociology of culture and intercultural communication. Soon after settling in New Hampshire in 2003, she became a supervisor for the Grafton County Conservation District and later, President of the New Hampshire Association of Conservation Districts. Linda also chaired the New Hampshire State Conservation Committee for several years until 2019.
She is currently the Executive Board member of the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD), representing the 12 states of the northeast region. She is also the Northeast Region member of the NACD Forestry Resource Policy Group, which advises NACD leadership on forest issues relevant to conservation districts and their partners. In addition, Linda joined the New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association in 2005 and became President of the organization in June of 2020.
Linda Brownson
603-764-5576
brownson[at]sacredpaw.org
All times are in EST.