The volunteer, working members of the board of directors at Mohonk Consultations initiate programs and collaborations with organizations that share similar interests.
Brad Berg, Secretary has managed various human service programs in the medical and mental health fields and lives near Mohonk. He has been involved with wholesale food cooperatives, human potential initiatives, and local environmental issues.
Kristin Brown helped found the Wallkill Valley Land Trust in 1987 and served as its second president. She is a member of the board of the New York State Greenway Conservancy, appointed by the New York State Assembly. Kitty was elected to three terms on the New Paltz Town Council and served as special projects director for Unison Arts & Learning Center for 18 years.
Louisa Finn, Chair is a fourth-generation Smiley family member. She grew up in the Hudson Valley, frequently visiting Mohonk where her grandmother lived. She is committed to preserving the land, philosophy, and ideals of her Smiley ancestors. She is a practicing speech and language pathologist, a reading tutor, and a published poet.
Martin Irwin, developed and managed affordable housing for seniors, including assisted living. Since retiring and moving to New Paltz, Marty has supported the conservation work of the Town of New Paltz Clean Water & Open Space Protection Commission (former chair), including its efforts to create the Mill Brook Preserve. Marty serves on the Wallkill Valley Land Trust Conservation Committee, the Wallkill River Watershed Alliance, and as a councilman for the Town of New Paltz.
Cara Lee has enjoyed a 40-year career in conservation as an advocate, land manager, policy developer, and educator. She was environmental director for Scenic Hudson before joining The Nature Conservancy in 2001 to work on ecological management in the Shawangunks. She lives in New Paltz with her husband and has two grown daughters.
Patty Matteson is a fourth generation Smiley family member raised as a Quaker at Mohonk. She also spent three decades living, studying and teaching literature in Colorado and Utah, observing many ways that we treat the earth, the animals, plants and each other. In the West, water took on the significance of an essential metaphor for the balance and sustainability of all life: spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and biological.
Robert Michel joined the Board as Treasurer in 2018. Rob was manager for AECOM Technologies’ New York City environmental consulting operations where he oversaw the remediation, natural resource, air/noise analysis and environmental impact assessment practices. He retired in 2017 after 30 years in environment and land use planning. He currently volunteers for ship restoration at the South Street Seaport. He previously held the position of treasurer for the board of UrbanGlass in Brooklyn, where he served for over a decade.
Katie Naplatarski grew up in the Hudson Valley and recently returned “home” after 40 years in Brooklyn, where she championed open space and greening causes for more than 25 years, most recently as co-creator of “Stop the Plastic Park” and “Our Voices Seen and Heard: 50 Years of Protest.” A former NYC teacher, Katie still spends time in Brooklyn where her daughter resides. Katie lives in Accord, is a member of High Falls Conservancy, and relishes the marvelous nature and cultural offerings of the area.
Avanti Peters
Lisa Schulte, a retired Associate Professor of Nursing, shares a 40-year history as a neighbor and friend of Mohonk Mountain House and the Smiley family. Having devoted her professional life to healthcare and nursing education, Lisa now directs her expertise toward supporting initiatives that contribute to the health of the environment and society at large. She is an advocate for promoting diversity and social justice, both within the nursing profession and through her work with Mohonk Consultations.
Jason Taylor, Program Coordinator, is a former communications executive has been a principal at two small business-to-business advertising agencies and spent 15 years as a senior member of the communications team at Scenic Hudson. In 2022, Jason established Bridgehook Communications to provide consulting services to small nonprofits. He is a longtime volunteer for the Mohonk Preserve and enjoys running and cycling throughout the Shawangunks.
Sarah Underhill’s love of the Hudson Valley began in the 1980s when she worked on the Hudson River Sloop “Clearwater” as an environmental educator, activist, and sailor. A singer and song collector, her love of music and the arts combines with her dedication to community building. Sarah serves on the Wawarsing Environmental Commission, and on the boards of Clearwater, SeedSong Farm Center, and the NAACP, Ellenville Branch and the Ulster County Environmental Management Council. She worked at Hudson Valley Hospice for many years and is now employed as an RN at the Eastern NY Correctional Facility. Her Quaker heritage, with its emphasis on justice and mercy, informs her work.
Advisors
Chris Bernabo
Ron Brand
Kevin Cahill
Donald Christian
Heriberto Dixon
Paul Kellar
Sandra Smiley