Tristan Lundgren is currently employed by the Massachusetts Division of Water Supply Protection at the Wachusett Reservoir as an Enviromental Analyst. Tristan has a BS in Geography from Bridgewater State University ’91, MS in Environmental Science from Johns Hopkins University ’96. Resides In Sterling and formerly a Cranberry farm worker. Tristan is an avid gardener who also enjoys hiking, camping and kayaking.

Joe Smith is an Environmental Consultant and Massachusetts Licensed Forester living in Phillipston. He has been a Worcester County District Supervisor for over 20 years and first became involved through volunteering for the annual seedling sale back in 1984. Joe served as the chairman of the State Commission for Conservation of Soil, Water and Related Resources from 2008 to 2017. He is currently the President of the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Districts. He also serves as the Northeastern US representative on the National Association of Conservation District’s Forestry Resource Policy Group.

Hannah Lipper is a ceramicist and Assistant Town Clerk for the Town of Paxton. In addition to serving as an Assistant Supervisor with WCCD, she is also a member of the Holden Conservation Commission where she works to preserve wetlands and conservation space in her town. She holds a Masters of Public Health from BU School of Public Health and enjoys integrating conservation work with environmental health and health equity. She lives in Holden.

Joshua currently works as an Urban Forester, helping to plant trees across the commonwealth, he has a degree in Forestry from UMass and grew up working on his grandfather’s farm and enjoys gardening and woodworking

Steve La Rivee is from Fitchburg Ma. He is the President of Worcester County League of Sportsman‘s Clubs, Conservation Secretary for the Worcester County League of Sportsman Clubs, Board member of the Massachusetts Junior Conservation Camp and Associate Supervisor of Worcester County Conservation District. Steve is a Trees and Safety Instructor and Trainer; and the State Coordinator for the Tree Stand Manufacturer's Association. Steve's outdoor interests are hunting, fishing, conservation, and he is learning to trap.

William “Tom” Ashton is a Massachusetts Licensed Forester, qualified Technical Service Provider (TSP) for the NRCS, and a certified Tree Farm Inspector for the American Tree Farm System, living in Leominster. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Forestry from UMass Amherst. Previously, Tom worked for the Department of Conservation and Recreation for 15 years, the last 8 of which as a full-time State Forest Supervisor. Tom has a professional background in land stewardship, including wildland firefighting, forest road repair, sawmill operation, and trail design and construction. He served as an active member of the DCR’s Encroachment Policy Working Team, as well as the Statewide Trails Committee. Tom is an Eagle Scout and developed an enjoyment for the outdoors through his time at summer camp. In his free time, Tom enjoys working on vintage Honda motorcycles, playing music, collecting records, and touring local playgrounds with his daughter.

Dakota-Rae Westveer has worked across urban agriculture, nonprofits, and natural product companies for over a decade. She holds a degree in Communication and has helped build environmental education and outreach programs, managed marketing and creative teams, and led sustainability and community impact reporting. In her current role at Sunday, a natural lawn and garden company she collaborates with experts in science, technology, and design to develop experiences that engage and empower people to take actions that enrich their lives and the land. She moved to Holden from Colorado in 2021 and has enjoyed building community around gardening, beekeeping, hiking, yoga, and local food and farms.

Susan Phinney (Phinney) has been involved with the agricultural community in New England for over 25 years. She has been involved in a variety of topics including beginning farmers, farmland access, farmland preservation, conservation practices to improve water quality and sourcing local products for a large grocery retailer. Phinney works as a consultant for farmers, farmland preservation and food related organizations. Moving to Worcester County in 2008, Phinney started raising goats on part of a former dairy farm and has been raising goats on Locust Knoll Farm since 2009.

Lisa Trotto, has been a part of the WCCD team since 2002, starting out as Seedling Coordinator until 2005, then moving to Administrator, and now an Associate Supervisor. Lisa is also a contractor for the state for more than ten years, monitoring lands in Central and Western Massachusetts, with Agricultural Preservation Restrictions easements. She enjoys being a local beekeeper and managing hives for Wachusett Honey in the towns of Holden, Princeton and Sterling.

Kathryn has been a part of the WCCD team since 2019. Kathryn has over 20 years of experience in land management and conservation. She also works as a private consultant, doing a variety of environmental projects. Her work includes agricultural easement monitoring, property baseline assessments, and farmland restoration plans. Kathryn served as a Soil Conservationist with NRCS for over 17 years in Massachusetts. She worked directly with farmers and landowners guiding them through the planning process and Program opportunities to help each reach their conservation goals. She enjoys hiking and biking; and sitting at the outdoor patio, built during the first weeks of Covid, considering what to plant next.

Wayne Roger Jordan is a life-long dairy farmer following in the footsteps on his father and grandfather. In 1943 his father Howard Jordan moved from Holden where he had operated Cleighton Farm with his brother Sumner to Rutland, to establish Jordan Dairy Farm and raise his family. Wayne grew up on this farm, attended Rutland and Wachusett District schools, and later ran Jordan Dairy Farm with his brother Warren. In addition, Wayne served as an on call Rutland fire fighter for 35 years, a County Farm Bureau Director for 28 years, and a WCCD Supervisor for 36 years. With operations now turned over to sons Randy and Brian and expanded to a second farm in Spencer, Wayne continues to work at Jordan Dairy Farms. Four grandchildren are in line to be fifth generation dairy farmers and carry on the Jordan family tradition.

Edward Himlan, Director of MA Watershed Coalition: The mission of the Massachusetts Watershed Coalition is to protect and restore streams, lakes, and water supplies. MWC Executive Director Ed Himlan has thirty five years’ experience in watershed management and education. Ed has expertise in water protection planning; public policy; grassroots groups; local assistance; and public presentations. He has served on many state and federal advisory groups, as well as the boards of local conservation organizations.
Ed has a Master’s degree in Natural Resources Planning from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Ed has helped town officials, businesses, homeowners, contractors and community groups to create more than eighty rain gardens and other stormwater solutions. The educational materials and runoff remedies created by these activities offer practical examples and guidance that can help people to improve the health of local streams and lakes.

Bethany Nichols is a Massachusetts-born environmental educator who loves working outdoors and connecting people with nature. She has a Master’s of Science degree in Outdoor and Environmental Education from Alaska Pacific University. After years of working and living abroad as well as in Alaska, she returned to Massachusetts to be closer to family. She loves going on adventures with her dog, reading about them with her cat, and exploring with her loved ones.

Jennifer Mason, has recently joined the WCCD team as the new Administrator! Jennifer lives in Sterling, with her husband and two active boys. She enjoys exercise, running and watching her kid's sports games.