Our Board

Roy is a Rhode Island native originally from Warwick. He’s held many titles: Eagle Scout, former budget manager for the Leviton Mfg. Co, former Board President of the Rhode Island Land Trust Council, Trustee of the Glocester Conservation Commission and Glocester Land Trust. Roy lives in West Glocester where he shared 25+ happy years with his late wife Debra, and continues to enjoy time with their Yellow Labrador Retriever ‘Daisy’.

Roy holds a BS in Accounting from Bryant College, joined the WRWC board in 2010 and became Board President in 2014. ×

Scott Geller works with DXC Technology, driving data and analytic strategy for Rhode Island Medicaid. He is a resident of Smithfield, is an active adult leader for Boy Scout Troop 1 Greenville, and spends his free time fishing in the rivers he helps steward. Scott holds a BS in Marketing & Management from Northeastern University, a Masters in Decision Sciences from Georgia State University, and he joined the WRWC board in 2014 and became Board Vice President in 2018. ×

Christopher Riely is a forester and watershed manager for Providence Water, the public utility from which most Rhode Islanders get their drinking water. He is also Board President of the Rhode Island Land Trust Council and a Senior Fellow of the Environmental Leadership Program. Christopher lives on the West Side of Providence only a short distance from the Woonasquatucket River.

Christopher holds a BA from Tufts University, a Masters in Forestry from Yale, and an MBA from URI, and he joined the WRWC board and became Board Treasurer in 2015. ×

Zane was born and raised in Providence, RI and continues to live just a short distance from the Woonasquatucket River.   They have worked with the WRWC since 2010 starting as a Junior River Ranger, then as a Senior River Ranger, and now contributes through their board membership.

Zane is active in the community through the music and arts scene, and co-founded the Providence Bicycle Collective.

Zane has a BS in Environmental Natural Resource Economics from URI, joined the WRWC board in 2016 and became Board Secretary for 2 terms in 2018. ×

Steve is an award-winning, independent creative director and writer with extensive experience in developing marketing campaigns for some of the world’s best-known brands.  He is expert at creating high-level strategies and translating them into marketing tactics that get actionable results. Most recently, Steve has worked with climate scientists at NOAA and NASA in Washington D.C., to devise awareness campaigns that deal with the implications of climate change and how it affects all of us.

He has created television and print campaigns for Timberland, Cannondale, Stihl, Ocean Spray, Fidelity, FootJoy, and the Boston Globe, among others. Previously, Steve served as an Executive Creative Director at Arnold Worldwide and as a VP at Mullen Advertising, both in Boston.

Steve joined the WRWC board as an at large member in 2017. ×

Don Burns and his wife Joan built a house in Smithfield, RI on Georgiaville Pond in the Woonasquatucket Watershed in 1966.  He soon started his involvement with efforts to improve water quality in Smithfield including forming a group to bring sewers to the town.  He joined the Smithfield Conservation Commission in 1977 and has been its chair for over 30 years. That led to helping to start a land trust in Smithfield and joining the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council (WRWC) in the mid-1990s.

Don joined the WRWC board in 2001 and served as Board President from 2005 to 2015.  Don is now happy to be just a member of the board of the WRWC and watch newer members take the leadership and add to the achievements of our group. ×

John is Deputy Director of Grow Smart RI, a statewide nonprofit founded in 1998 that provides policy research, development and advocacy to advance urban revitalization and sustainable economic and community development.  John’s policy work is focused on the synergies of land use, economic development and public transportation as well as incentives that drive private investment to achieve public goals. A resident of North Smithfield, he served for several years on the North Smithfield Planning Board and Ordinance Review Committee, chaired the town’s Redevelopment Agency and was elected Town Council President in 2012.

John joined the WRWC board as an at large member in 2018. ×

John is retired from Fidelity Investments where he was VP of Systems Analysis.  John started his career as a Fisheries Biologist working for the Cooperative Fisheries Research Unit at UMASS Amherst and then at Ichthyological Associates in Delaware working on environmental impact of the Salem, NJ nuclear power plant.

After changing his career to technology, then retiring, John is going back to his roots and volunteering at the WRWC.  John currently runs the WRWC spring migratory fish count and electrofishing assessment programs for the WRWC.

John holds a BS in Fisheries Biology from UMASS Amherst.  John joined the WRWC board in 2014, served a term as board Vice President and now serves as an at large member. ×

Laureen joined the WRWC board October 2013 and leverages her extensive corporate financial services experience to support the organization’s sustainability and mission.  Laureen is a retired Fidelity VP, past small business owner, and an active WRWC event volunteer.

Laureen joined the WRWC board in 2013, has served two terms as Secretary and has sat as Development Committee Chair since its creation June 2016. ×

After 25 plus years working in the nonprofit sector in Providence, Tina now works as the Community Engagement Specialist in the Providence Police Department’s Community Relations Bureau. After serving as the Director of Community Initiatives at ONE Neighborhood Builders in Olneyville, Tina found herself passionate about “All Things Olneyville”, and now serves on the board of three Olneyville service organizations, including WRWC.

She credits WRWC with educating her around environmental issues and the importance of green space. Tina is an Olneyville resident and enjoys walking her dog Flex daily at Riverside Park.

Tina received a B.A. in History from Rhode Island College and a M.S. in Nonprofit Organizational Management from Springfield College. Tina joined the WRWC board as an at large member in 2018. ×

Doug retired from the commercial insurance industry as a safety and loss control consultant. He actively volunteers for various local environmental/conservation organizations, including: Audubon Society of RI; Neutaconkanut Hill Conservancy; URI Watershed Watch Program; and the Johnston Historical Society.

Doug joined the WRWC board as an at large member in 2016. ×