Board of Directors

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Linda Baker

Retired Educator

Lives in Wilton, NY

A previous chair of the Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park Board of Directors, Linda Baker is a native of Wilton and a long-time community volunteer serving in a wide range of roles. Much of her recent effort has been with the Boy Scouts of America, where she is a local troop committee chair as well as a national volunteer, most recently serving as National Commissioner Facilitator for the BSA Territories in the eastern half of the U.S. Professionally, Linda was a high school English teacher and staff development consultant before completing a Ph.D. at the University at Albany and becoming an educational researcher focusing on studying best practices in New York State schools. Right now, Linda is particularly excited to be helping lead the effort to develop the new campus-wide Larry Gordon Outdoor Education Center at the Town of Wilton’s Camp Saratoga.


Bradley Birge

Retired, Regional and Urban Planning

Lives in Wilton, NY

Bradley, holder of a Master Degree in Urban and Regional Planning, recently retired following more than 32 years of public service including 25 years with the City of Saratoga Springs Office of Planning and Economic Development. His duties ranged from grant writing and administration to long-range planning, short-range project development, oversight of local land use boards, and lots of relationship-building.  Projects of particular pride include the Geyser Road bike-hike trail, the Railroad Run bike-hike trail, the Saratoga Waterfront Park and the Downtown Wayfinding program. Currently, also a Steward for the Kalabus-Perry Trail, Bradley can be found either on foot, or on two wheels, exploring nature trails and country roads both near and far.


Larry Dana, Co-Chair

Psychologist

Lives in Wilton, NY

Larry has been an active volunteer for WWPP for over seven years, serving as a trail steward and as part of the Fire Tower Crew. When there is an opportunity for him to help, he shows up.  He holds a Ph.D. in psychology and is certified as a Health Services Psychologist by the American Board of Professional Psychology.  He has served as Chief Psychologist with New York State, and has recently retired as Regional Director for a national mental health company.  He currently serves as a consulting psychologist to agencies caring for persons with Developmental and Intellectual disabilities.


Jennifer Ferriss

Assistant Director, Saratoga Springs Public Library

Lives in Wilton, NY

Jennifer Ferriss has dedicated much of her adult life to the outdoors and sustainability. Living in close proximity to Wilton Wildlife, she spends a lot of time running, walking and maintaining the trails. As the Assistant Director at the Saratoga Springs Public Library, she combines her professional expertise with her commitment to sustainability, which consists of practices that are environmentally sound, economically feasible, and socially equitable. Jen currently serves on the Saratoga Springs Climate Smart Task Force, Sustainable Libraries Initiative Advisory Board, and as a Councilor for the Sustainability Round Table for the American Library Association. Jen also has a compulsion to hear live music and to participate in functional exercise so can be found volunteering at Caffe Lena and on the Adirondack 46er trail crew hauling buckets of rocks.


Jaclyn S. Hakes, AICP

Associate and Director of Planning Services at MJ Engineering and Land Surveying, P.C.

Lives in Wilton, NY

Jackie has assisted communities for over 22 years in balancing land use, transportation, environmental and quality of life issues through consensus-based planning. She has experience in comprehensive planning, complete streets, public engagement, resiliency planning, and waterfront and downtown revitalization. She is a graduate of the Binghamton University Environmental Studies and Geography programs and the University at Albany Masters in Regional Planning Program She is a 2013 graduate of Leadership Saratoga, serves on the Leadership Saratoga Advisory Board and is a Saratoga PLAN Emeritus Board member. Jackie enjoys hiking, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing.


Howard Lester

Retired Business Manager

Lives in Gansevoort, NY

Howard has an M.A. Ed. in Counseling & Guidance from Idaho State University, and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Bridgeport, CT, with advanced studies in psychopathology at the University of Arizona.  His 30-year career at the University of Arizona was as a business manager in the astronomy department, specifically the MMT Observatory. Having returned to the Northeast for retirement, he soon after discovered Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park in 2013 — in the dark — at the Preserve’s first ever star party, and has embraced the Preserve ever since. He has been an active volunteer at the Preserve since 2014, with emphasis on astronomy and the Preserve’s astronomy star parties. His other very-long-term interests are in landscape photography, amateur radio, birding, and jazz. He occasionally plays bass in jazz jam sessions around the region.



Kim Marsella, Treasurer

Associate Director, Center for International Education, Empire State College

Lives in Wilton, NY

Kim has an MS in Geology and spent 23 years at Skidmore College teaching geoscience and environmental studies as well as in various administrative positions, including Program Coordinator for the Environmental Studies Program. During her time at Skidmore she also ran a summer science institute for 6th and 7th grade girls in addition to overseeing internship and experiential learning programs. She has had the great pleasure of introducing WWPP to countless students, colleagues and friends over the years. Kim continues to work in higher education and is passionate about conservation. Kim is an avid cross-country skier and spends as much time as she can on the trails at WWPP (snow or not, but she prefers snow!). She resides in Wilton with her husband, also an environmental scientist, and their two active sons. 


Matthew Miczek; Co-Chair

Software Engineer

Lives in Saratoga Springs, NY

Matthew is a Software Engineer who has developed applications for various automated processes in the manufacturing industry. He has enjoyed being a volunteer and parcel steward for the Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park since 2006. He is an avid snowshoe and trail runner and can frequently be found out on the preserve trails at all times of the year.  He is a member of the Saratoga Stryders running club and also helps the group put on their summer 5K trail race series and 8K snowshoe race at Camp Saratoga.


Candice Murray

Executive Director, Tannery Pond Community Center

Lives in Wilton, NY

Prior to Candice’s current position at Tannery Pond, she worked in college athletics for 24 years, most recently as Commissioner of the North Eastern Athletic Conference and previously as Director of Athletics at The Sage Colleges and Trinity (DC) University.  Candice earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Bates College and a Masters of Public Health in Exercise Science from the George Washington University.  Candice has been active in the local community serving on the board at the Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs and the Saratoga-Wilton Soccer Club, and advisory committee member at Firestorm FC.  Candice, her husband, and two daughters enjoy the outdoors and frequently visit Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park for trail races, hiking, visiting the Fire Tower, snow shoeing and cross country skiing.


Marne Onderdonk; Co-Secretary

Attorney

Lives in Halfmoon, NY

Marne works as attorney and is a past President and current member of the Saratoga County Bar Association; a member and serves on the Board of the Adirondack Women’s Bar Association; chair of the statewide Committee for Bar Leaders of the New York State Bar Association; member of NYSBA’s Executive Committee; and member of NYSBA’s House of Delegates for the Fourth Judicial District. She is a 2013 graduate of Leadership Saratoga and served as a Board member and past secretary with the Franklin Community Center. An avid birder, she has volunteered as a citizen scientist for the Vermont Center for Ecostudies’ annual Landbird Breeding Monitoring Survey at Saratoga National Historical Park.  Marne enjoys hiking, cross-country and downhill skiing, snowshoeing, gardening, cooking, traveling, photography and spending time with friends.



Nina Russo, Co-Secretary

School Psychologist at Queensbury Union Free School District

Lives in Wilton, NY

Nina has been a fan of the Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park since first discovering it 10 years ago. She is Trail Steward for Camp Saratoga North and also regularly assists with the Preserve’s recreational, educational and parcel maintenance activities. Nina loves trail running and snowshoeing at the Preserve, even in wet weather! Nina has a PhD in Educational Psychology from the University of Minnesota, and her career supporting children, families and organizations has evolved into keen interests in conservation, sustainability and animal welfare. Nina is also part of the Social Media Team at The Feline Connection, a volunteer-based feline rescue agency located in Vermont.


Joe Sporko,

Founder and President, LA Group; Landscape Architect

Lives in Wilton, NY

As a founder and longtime President of the LA Group, Joe is a licensed Landscape Architect with 43 years of experience in all phases of site design form master planning through construction documentation. He has designed large scale master plan projects for federal, state, educational, and private clients and was involved with assisting the Town of Wilton in the initial stages of the Wilton Wildlife Preserve and Park and the Town of Wilton Recreation Plan. Joe has been recognized by the NY Chapter of ASLA as the Distinguished Practitioner of the Year in 2017 and has written articles and lectured at colleges on design. He has served on the Wilton Recreation Commission, the Board of the American Red Cross, and is current President of the Saratoga Springs Lions Foundation.  
Joe is an avid outdoorsman whose activities include running, cycling, hiking, kayaking, and skiing.


Steve Wilcox, Vice Chair

Senior Civil Engineer, Mott MacDonald

 Lives in Wilton, NY

Steve comes to Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park to fulfill a life long interest in environmental conservation, wildlife protection and outdoor recreation.  A civil engineer with an collegiate focus in Environmental and Water Resources he spent nearly thirty nine years with NYSDOT as a bureau director in Maintenance and as the Asset Management lead for the agency.  During his time at NYSDOT he created the Maintenance Environmental and Drainage programs, managed the maintenance and operations budget, oversaw the facilities capital and operations program, was a member of the capital programming committee, and oversaw the development and implementation of enterprise asset management planning systems.  He now works for Mott MacDonald, a global civil engineering firm based in the UK providing asset management expertise with a current interest in optimization software aimed at minimizing risk, improving asset resilience, establishing investment strategies that are environmentally sustainable, and establishing treatment strategies that minimize carbon production.  Steve is an avid hiker, road and mountain biker.  


Emeritus Board of Directors

  • Robert D'Andrea

  • Pieter Litchfield

  • Roy McDonald

  • Bob Rice

Members of the Board of Directors of Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park have the responsibility to determine and manage the policies and business of the Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park 501(c)(3) organization in accordance with its By-Laws.  The Governance Committee is charged with identifying and recruiting new board members.  Members of the community are welcome to contact the committee to learn more about the Board of Directors by emailing us.