Staff & Board

Currently Executive Director of HHLT, Katrina has been with the organization for more than a decade. In her previous role as Director of Conservation, she was responsible for overseeing our acquisition and stewardship program.

Katrina holds a Masters of Science in Environmental Policy from Bard College and a Masters of Science in Environmental Science from Pace University.

Her Environmental Science degree focused on land and natural resource management. Her Environmental Policy degree focused on Hudson Valley land trusts and their adoption and implementation of the Land Trust Alliance’s Standards and Practices for land acquisitions and stewardship.

Katrina used her knowledge of Land Trust Alliance Standards and Practices to co-lead HHLT’s original accreditation application in 2008 and renewal application in 2013. In 2016-2017, Katrina served as a member of the Land Trust Alliance Standards Advisory Committee, providing guidance and advice on the 2017 Standards & Practices revision.

Before joining HHLT, she worked in several roles at the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, including implementing environmental recommendations and projects at parks and historic sites across the Taconic region.

Carmela is currently completing her PhD in biology (ecology, evolution, and behavior) at Binghamton University. Her dissertation work focuses on whether natural systems are resilient to human disturbances, like land use change and invasive species, and how restoration efforts can be improved. In her final year, she received a graduate fellowship from the Center for Integrated Watershed Studies to develop the first annual Binghamton University EcoBlitz, an environmental outreach event designed to bring together the local community and campus to celebrate biodiversity and the environment. Before her graduate degree, she served as an AmeriCorps Watershed Ambassador with the New Jersey DEP and Raritan Headwaters Association.

Mona joined HHLT in October 2018 to expand our fundraising efforts with a focus on foundation and government funders. Before joining HHLT, Mona managed her own consulting practice to provide Hudson Valley nonprofits with board and fund development as well as strategic communications services.

She previously worked with HHLT in a consulting capacity, in addition to local organizations like the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, Glynwood, The College of Westchester, and ETHEL’s Foundation for the Arts.

Before becoming a consultant, Mona held positions at CUNY/Kingsborough, the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Information & Culture (BRIC), Pearl Theatre Company, and Second Stage Theatre. She is a former newspaper reporter, a published author, a produced playwright and screenwriter, and a member of the national Dramatists Guild.

Jonathan joined the HHLT staff in 2014 as Program and Database Associate and is now our Operations Coordinator, supporting outreach and development efforts, in addition to managing land project data.

Jonathan was originally an HHLT volunteer for over a year, during which he became an integral part of the HHLT team.

Before volunteering with HHLT, Jonathan worked in pre-award research administration at Purchase College. Prior to that, he was Land and Development Assistant at Teatown Lake Reservation in Ossining. He has an undergraduate degree in rural sociology from Cornell and graduate degrees in sociology from the University of Wisconsin.

Ted joined HHLT in March 2022 as Public Policy Coordinator and is responsible for engaging with municipal boards, conservation committees, and community organizations within the HHLT mission area on matters of conservation planning and land use. Having grown up in the Hudson Valley and seeing the many changes that have occurred in the region, Ted has a special interest in helping municipalities preserve their vital open spaces through effective planning and zoning, coupled with collaborative community engagement.

Before moving back to the Hudson Valley, Ted lived and worked in Philadelphia where he was involved for more than two decades in clinical education and public policy in the field of internal medicine, as well as community organizing, zoning, and neighborhood beautification. Ted continues to be interested in the intersection between nature and medicine, and how exposure to natural elements in one’s environment can aid in physical healing and mental well-being.

In addition to his work for HHLT, Ted currently serves on the Cornwall Conservation Advisory Council where he has been active in the creation and implementation of numerous conservation and land use planning projects.