t. (845) 429-7085
f. (845) 429-8667
e. rockland@cornell.edu
w. rocklandcce.org

Small Steps, Big Benefits Speakers

Bill Madden As Director of External Affairs for Suez, Bill Madden is responsible for the company’s government, media and community relations and communications in Rockland, Westchester and Orange counties.
Charmaine Cigliano  Charmaine Cigliano is the Section Manager for Customer Energy Services at Orange and Rockland Utilities where she has been employed for over 29 years. Charmaine speaks at events around the County about O&R’s energy efficiency programs that help residential and commercial customers save money and energy.  She is a member of the Rockland Business Association’s Green Council, a Board member of the Association of Energy Services Professionals, and a Board member of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rockland. 
Chelsea Wulff Chelsea Wulff, the Conservation Communications Specialist with Suez, is responsible for managing the Company’s customer conservation rebate program to encourage residents to reduce water consumption in Orange and Rockland counties. She works closely with community, business and environmental leaders in promoting and encouraging participation in the program.
Dr. Emma J. Rosi,  As an Aquatic Ecologist, Dr. Rosi's research focuses on how human activities affect aquatic life and water quality in diverse ecosystems around the world. She is particularly interested in novel and emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, and also studies the effects of nutrient enrichment. In addition to water quality, her work examines aquatic food webs (invertebrates and fishes), and the role of the hippopotamus in nutrient cycling. Her research seeks to inform sound stewardship of freshwater resources, and she often speaks to the public and policymakers. She serves on the Ecological Processes and Effects Committee of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Science Advisory Board. 
Harriet Cornell Harriet Cornell has been a County Legislator for 34 years. She is the only woman to be elected Chair of the Legislature and its longest serving—9 years. Her priorities s have included the protection of our environment, enhanced educational resources, improved health services for women and children, providing much-needed assistance to Rockland’s aging population; homeland security, Rockland’s transportation system and the future of the Tappan Zee Bridge-I87/287 corridor. She now chairs the Legislature’s Environmental Committee. She has led numerous environmental initiatives, among them air monitoring efforts, establishing the Citizens’ Commission to Close Indian Point, calling for safety measures to prevent environmental catastrophes resulting from unsafe transport of Baaken crude oil by rail or ship, and studies to improve and create mass transit options for Rockland residents, including Bus Rapid Transit on the new Tappan Zee Bridge. Her recent focus has been on adequacy of supply of the County’s drinking water and the creation of Rockland’s Task Force on Water Resources Management.
Kathy Galione  Kathy Galione has been Program Coordinator for Rockland Conservation & Service Corps, a program of the Rockland County Youth Bureau, since 2001. Through outreach and programming for children, youth and families, she strives to show others the abundant natural, cultural and historical assets of the Rockland region, creating a conscious, active community that is vested in preserving and enriching the environmental integrity of Rockland County
Kerri Scales Kerri Scales has served as the Education Coordinator for the past 20 years at the Rockland County Solid Waste Management Authority. Kerri has a background in education and a passion for the environment. She oversees the Education and Outreach Department, which targets a wide variety of audiences, educating them on the Authority’s waste management programs and services. Residents learn about the impact and benefits of recycling, composting, hazardous waste, waste disposal and resource management.
Kim Eierman Kim Eierman is the Founder of EcoBeneficial. She is an Environmental Horticulturist specializing in ecological landscapes and native plants. Based in New York, Kim teaches at the New York Botanical Garden, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, The Native Plant Center in NY, Rutgers Home Gardeners School and several other institutions.  Kim is an active speaker nationwide on many ecological landscape topics, presenting for industry conferences, "green events," Master Gardener groups, garden clubs, nature centers, Audubon Society chapters, beekeeping groups, and other organizations interested in environmental improvements.  Kim also provides horticultural consulting to homeowners and commercial clients.
In addition to being a Certified Horticulturist through the American Society for Horticultural Science, Kim is an Accredited Organic Landcare Professional, a Steering Committee member of The Native Plant Center, and a member of The Ecological Landscape Alliance and the Garden Writers Association.
Lee Streisfeld-Leitner Senior Solar Consultant 
Lee has been a solar professional since 2004 and is one of the most experienced solar experts in the region.  He is also a certified Renewable Energy Professional by the Association of Energy Engineers and has done development work with a variety of early-stage renewable energy technologies, including geothermal electric, biomass, pyrolysis, waste-to-ethanol and torrefaction.  A solar and environmental advocate as well, he has served on the Cortlandt Solar Task Force, the Village of Croton Sustainability Committee, and the Conservation Advisory Committees for several Westchester municipalities. In addition, he has served on the boards of several environmentally focused nonprofits.  He has represented the industry to the Westchester County Board of Legislators on two occasions, helping the County to pass two separate pieces of pro-solar legislation.  Prior to solar Lee spent nine years owning and managing a green-focused retail business in Mamaroneck.
Nicole Laible  Nicole Laible is the District Manager for the Rockland County Soil & Water Conservation District and Environmental Management Assistant for the Rockland County Division of Environmental Resources, the lead natural resources agency for the County of Rockland.  She has worked for the County for nearly 4 years, managing four environmental boards and coordinating 10 seasonal science research programs including community science initiatives and environmental education programs with local, state and federal partners.  Related to the Task Force, she assists the Coordinator with local water resources projects such as the SIT Feasibility Study, RCC Rain Garden and Columbia University GI Brochure.  She is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Public Administration and Public Policy from American University and has a B.S. degree from SUNY Stony Brook University in Marine Sciences and Coastal Environmental Studies.  
Nina Orville  Nina Orville is the founder and principal of Abundant Efficiency LLC, which assists governmental, nonprofit and corporate clients develop and implement innovative clean energy programs. Current programs, in partnership with Sustainable Westchester, include Solarize Westchester, Solarize Our Congregation, Westchester Community Solar and Westchester Clean Heat. Abundant Efficiency is also a partner in the Mid-Hudson Streetlight Consortium. Nina chairs the Dobbs Ferry Sustainability Task Force, made up of resident volunteers, which promotes energy efficiency and renewable energy use, waste reduction and recycling; sustainable transportation; and appropriate land use. The Task Force has helped the Village reduce municipal GHG emissions by over 40% to date through implementation of energy efficiency measures and the installation of solar panels.
Rebecca Finnell  Rebecca Finnell, a CCE Master Gardener with a certificate in Horticultural Therapy from NYBG, helped start Bluefield Farm, a cut-flower farm in Blauvelt that sells bouquets at the Nyack Farmers Market, among other places. Prior to that, Rebecca worked at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC, where at the time of her retirement was executive editor of Natural History magazine. Along the way, Rebecca’s interest in gardening has evolved from wanting a neat and pretty garden to trying to create a habitat with plants that provide food and shelter for native pollinators.
Rob Maher Robert Maher has been the Executive Director of TOUCH for the past eighteen years. TOUCH provides a Medical Nutrition Therapy program for people living with chronic illness that includes Medical Case Management, Nutritional Counseling with a registered dietitian with client choice medically tailored healthy food items to assist the improvement of health outcomes. Since 2009 TOUCH has run a food recovery program to obtain and distribute healthy food to all of Rockland Counties food pantries and feeding programs. To date over 3,000,000 pounds of food has been distributed by TOUCH’s food recovery program.
Sean Welsh Sean Welsh, Resource Educator, Community Energy Advisor with Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan County. His main areas of focus over his 15 year career have been Energy, Financial and Consumer Education, helping the residential community through educational programming and resources.
Soňa Mason  Soňa Mason, a NY-NJ Trail Conference Program Coordinator, is an ardent champion of biodiversity and conservation, and hence native plants. She draws on her background in ecology from Columbia and Rutgers to inform on her personal and work life decisions, where she preserves land for trails and wildlife. She has restored her acre garden into a native wildlife habitat and flower garden.

Fact Sheets are often shared between counties. Please contact your local Cooperative Extension for more information on this topic.