Fun Fact:  Linda loves to travel and counts among her best wildlife experiences a safari in South Africa where she says, “We got close enough to hear the breath of the lions!”

Click below to watch a video from the Princeton YWCA Tribute to learn about Linda Mead’s passion for the work of D&R Greenway Land Trust.

Deb Kilmer
Executive Assistant to the President & CEO
Manager of Business Partners in Preservation and Special Events

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Fun Fact:  Ask Deb about her interests in eagles, antiques and dancing!

Deb came to D&R Greenway Land Trust in 2011 because she is committed to D&R Greenway’s mission of preserving and protecting natural lands, farm lands, and open space in New Jersey.

Deb’s responsibility for D&R Greenway’s Business Partners in Preservation grew from her former work of 18 years with the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce where her ultimate role was Director of Communications. Deb began her professional career as a Tax Examiner for the Internal Revenue Service. She has subsequently held positions at JDK Restorations; Jones New York; AA Matulay, Inc. and Ethix-Mid Atlantic.  She is an accomplished business writer, publicist and editor, as well as skilled in greenhouse management. She studied Business and Photography at Bucks County Community College and later enhanced her skills at the Cittone Institute of Business and Technology.

In her spare time, Deb is the Sole Proprietor of an Antique business with the motto of Recycle, Restore, Relove.  Deb maintains a close relationship with the outdoors and nature and enjoys dancing, swimming, gardening, birdwatching, walking and traveling. She is a volunteer for the NJDEP Division of Fish & Wildlife’s Wildlife Conservation Corps, providing updates on the eagles’ nest situated on the transmission tower on the D&R Canal in Lambertville and is a member of the Colonial Sportsmen’s Club in the Sourland Mountains and the Lambertville-based Kalmia Club.  On any Saturday morning, you can find Deb with her camera and binoculars watching the wildlife on the canal or perusing local yard sales and antique markets in search of that very special find.

Fun Fact:  Ask Deb about her interests in eagles, antiques and dancing!

Deb came to D&R Greenway Land Trust in 2011 because she is committed to D&R Greenway’s mission of preserving and protecting natural lands, farm lands, and open space in New Jersey.

Deb’s responsibility for D&R Greenway’s Business Partners in Preservation grew from her former work of 18 years with the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce where her ultimate role was Director of Communications. Deb began her professional career as a Tax Examiner for the Internal Revenue Service. She has subsequently held positions at JDK Restorations; Jones New York; AA Matulay, Inc. and Ethix-Mid Atlantic.  She is an accomplished business writer, publicist and editor, as well as skilled in greenhouse management. She studied Business and Photography at Bucks County Community College and later enhanced her skills at the Cittone Institute of Business and Technology.

In her spare time, Deb is the Sole Proprietor of an Antique business with the motto of Recycle, Restore, Relove.  Deb maintains a close relationship with the outdoors and nature and enjoys dancing, swimming, gardening, birdwatching, walking and traveling. She is a volunteer for the NJDEP Division of Fish & Wildlife’s Wildlife Conservation Corps, providing updates on the eagles’ nest situated on the transmission tower on the D&R Canal in Lambertville and is a member of the Colonial Sportsmen’s Club in the Sourland Mountains and the Lambertville-based Kalmia Club.  On any Saturday morning, you can find Deb with her camera and binoculars watching the wildlife on the canal or perusing local yard sales and antique markets in search of that very special find.

Fun Fact: Danielle is an avid baker; for the past three years she has baked cookies for an annual historic tractor parade in Burlington County. Last summer, she baked over 500 cookies!

Danielle oversees land preservation for D&R Greenway’s properties where she partners with the state, counties and townships to preserve lands for open space and farmland. Danielle has been preserving farmland for almost 15 years in Burlington County, NJ and Montgomery County, PA. She is a Penn State Extension Rural-Urban Leadership Program (RULE) graduate. She has negotiated with landowners, worked with appraisers and technical consultants, monitored easements, administered a county program, and created farm-to-table outreach events and marketing materials. She received a Bachelors of Science degree from the Stockton University. When not walking around on farms, she’s chasing after her little superhero, her son Brandon.

Fun Fact: In college, Tina hiked the Adirondacks, Catskills, and the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge surveying trees.

Tina oversees the stewardship of D&R Greenway’s preserved properties where she manages reforestation efforts along with the Stewardship Team. Previously, Tina founded the Office of Sustainability at Drew University, where she spent over a decade tracking and working to reduce the carbon footprint. She also managed trees on the extensively forested campus, as well as the creation of native no-mow areas and meadows and managed the annual fern restoration event with student and faculty involvement. She has worked extensively with contractors and coordinated grants with the development office. Tina regularly presents to the local community to educate about conservation and sustainability.  Tina received a Bachelors of Science degree from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

Richard is our Land Steward and has a background as a Rutgers Master Gardener, Certified Rutgers Environmental Steward, and was the trail coordinator for the Abbott Marshlands trail network.

Fun Fact:  Laurie divides her time between New Jersey and Upstate New York where she and her grown family are restoring a 1912 Adirondack Foursquare on Lake Champlain.

Laurie joined D&R Greenway Land Trust in May of 1995.  With more than twenty-five years of financial experience and certification in non-profit management, Laurie is responsible for financial and facilities management, office administration, and compliance.  Laurie’s responsibilities are multi-faceted, including managing rentals and scheduled events at the Johnson Education Center.  She supports the land preservation process and general operations by providing document review and paralegal expertise.  Formerly, she was a partner in a family business, Tri-Boy Beverage, Inc.

Active in her local community, Laurie has facilitated the preservation of more than 200 acres in Lawrence Township, NJ.   She currently serves as Treasurer for Lawrence Township Conservation Foundation, ex-Chairperson of the Lawrence Township Open Space & Stewardship Advisory Committee, ex-Treasurer for Sustainable Lawrence, and is a voting member of the Mercer County Agricultural Development Board.

Fun fact: Goat Hill Overlook is Nancy’s go-to vista for inspiration and strength.

Nancy Faherty is a public relations consultant with more than 30 years experience working with organizations in the areas of marketing, communications, programming and development. A 1989 graduate of the College of New Jersey, Nancy was presented with its Humanitarian Award in 2005 for her work with Angel’s Wings, a non-profit organization she co-founded in 1999 to care for children in crisis while developing foster families. She built upon that work from 2012-2018 as Director of Advocacy & Development at YWCA Princeton. Born in Trenton, Nancy currently lives along the Delaware River in Lambertville with her husband, Flip. They recently took up kayaking as they learn more about the 2020 River of the Year and the lands surrounding it. Nancy was a participating artist in the 2020 Jim Hamilton Memorial Shad Fest Poster Auction which funded two local scholarships despite the challenges of the pandemic.

Fun Fact:  During Zoom calls, Sharon’s parrots sometimes…usually participate!

Sharon comes to D&R Greenway with an extensive background in business management and administration through her long-time involvement as a senior vice president and founding member of several area community banks.  She is happy to be contributing to D&R Greenway’s mission in her role as Database Manager and Website Wizard, drawing on her previous experience in marketing, administration, and new product development to bring consistency to donor data collection, maintenance and reporting, as well as developing new content and improving functionality of the D&R Greenway website.  She has also served on the board and as Chair of a number of local nonprofit organizations.

Kirsten Clerico is a recent graduate from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey where she studied Environmental Policy, Institutions, and Behavior with a minor in Sustainability. Kirsten will serve as D&R Greenway’s Outreach and Program Steward where she will work on developing constant contact announcements, assist with the kayak program, and be a friendly face when visitors come to the Johnson Education Center. Kirsten will utilize the leadership and communication skills she has gained from being a lifelong Somerset County 4H Member to further D&R Greenway’s mission. Kirsten has also worked at Round Valley Recreation Area in Lebanon, NJ as a Visitor Service Assistant.

Kirsten notes: “I am very excited to be working with D&R Greenway as they are such an amazing organization that truly promotes environmental stewardship and well-being. I wanted my first job to make me feel like I was truly having an impact on the environment and people’s experiences and attitudes toward it, and I feel like this position will be perfect to reach that goal!”

Fun fact: Susan is the author of AMC’s Best Day Hikes Near Philadelphia

Susan Charkes has been assisting D&R Greenway with various communications projects since 2010. A writer and poet, she is the author of AMC’s Best Day Hikes Near Philadelphia and Outdoors With Kids–Philadelphia. She works in easement stewardship with Brandywine Conservancy, a Pennsylvania-based land conservation organization. She is a long-time volunteer with community environmental organizations in Pennsylvania, has worked as an attorney and in information management, and has been in the nonprofit environmental field since 2006, with prior positions at New Jersey and Maryland organizations. She has served on the Stewardship Council of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Susan holds a BA from The University of Chicago, a JD from Columbia University, and an MLS from Rutgers University. She leads hikes and is a volunteer Appalachian Trail maintainer.  See more on her website, www.susancharkes.com.