Long Island Sound Study Core Program Staff

The core work of the Long Island Sound Study is conducted by staff from EPA (Region 1 and Region 2), the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP), NEIWPCC, and the New York and Connecticut Sea Grant Programs. The non-EPA staff are funded through the Long Island Sound Study with funds authorized by the Federal Clean Water Act, with the exception of the LISS New York Program Coordinator, who is funded directly by NYSDEC.

EPA

Name, Title, Email, Phone	Description of Responsibilities/Activities
Mark Tedesco, Director, EPA Long Island Sound Office Tedesco.Mark@epa.gov 203-977-1542	Direction of office and program
Leah O’Neill, Deputy, EPA Long Island Sound Office ONeill.Leah@epa.gov 617-918-1633	Overall budget, grants and program policy, nitrogen strategy
Ashley Desrosiers, EPA BIL Coordinator  Desrosiers.Ashley@epa.gov  617-918-1574	Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Program; environmental justice; Project Officer: MA State, Community Impact Fund
Melissa Duvall, EPA Research and Modeling Lead Duvall.Melissa@epa.gov   203-977-1545	Research, modeling, and data analysis; Climate Change and Sentinel Monitoring Workgroup Project Officer: Sea Grant research;
Kristen Laccetti, EPA BIL Coordinator  Laccetti.Kristen@epa.gov  203-977-1544	Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Program; Sustainable and Resilient Communities Project; Officer: NY State; Ecosystem targets and indicators
Esther Nelson, EPA Federal Partnerships Coordinator Nelson.Esther@epa.gov 212-637-3783	Federal partner coordination; Watershed & Embayment Work Group; Project Officer: USFWS and Dept. of Agriculture/NRCS interagency agreements
Evelyn Spencer, EPA Monitoring and Reporting Coordinator Spencer.Evelyn@epa.gov 617-918-1176	Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Program; Sentinel Monitoring for Climate Change, LISS Tracking and Reporting Tool; Project Officer: CT State
Cayla Sullivan, EPA Habitat and Reporting Coordinator Sullivan.Cayla@epa.gov 212-637-3607	Habitat and Seagrass Lead; Marine Debris; Indicators Review Team; LISS Tracking and Reporting Tool; Project Officer: University of Connecticut/CT National Estuarine Research Reserve
Nicole Tachiki, EPA Strategic Planning and Environmental Justice Coordinator Tachiki.Nicole@epa.gov 212-637-3779	Congressional Reporting; Sustainable and Resilient Communities; Environmental Justice Project officer: CT & NY Sea Grant Programs, Interagency Agreements
Elizabeth Tanzi, EPA Community Monitoring Coordinator Tanzi.Elizabeth@epa.gov 212-637-3778	Community science; Water Quality Monitoring Work Group; Project Officer: Save the Sound, IEC; Communications, Outreach and Engagement Work Group
Bessie Wright, EPA Community and Tribal Coordinator Wright.Bessie@epa.gov 617-918-1679	Environmental Justice; Tribal liaison; Project Officer: Long Island Sound Futures Fund

Note: The project officers also provide support to grantees preparing Quality Assurance Project Plans (QAPPs)

Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP)

Name/Title, Email	Description of Responsibilities/Activities
Timothy Hunter, Environmental Analyst Timothy.Hunter@ct.gov	Coordinates overall Long Island Sound Study programs for CT DEEP
Kathleen Knight, Environmental Analyst Kathleen.Knight@ct.gov	Water quality modeling lead
Matt Lyman, Environmental Analyst Matthew.Lyman@ct.gov	Conducts the Long Island Sound Water Quality Monitoring Program
Katie O’Brien-Clayton, Environmental Analyst Katie.Obrien-Clayton@ct.gov	Conducts the Long Island Sound Water Quality Monitoring Program
Kelly Streich, Environmental Analyst Kelly.Streich@ct.gov	TMDL and technical support lead
Harry Yamalis, Environmental Analyst Harry.Yamalis@ct.gov	Coordinates habitat restoration plans and projects in CT

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC)

Name/Title, Email	Description of Responsibilities/Activities
Christopher Eagler, Division of Water Coordinator¹ christopher.eagler@dec.ny.gov	Coordinates Division of Water programs with focus on Long Island Nitrogen Action Plan
Kimarie V. Yap, Bioextraction Coordinator¹ kimarie.yap@dec.ny.gov	Coordinates Bioextraction Initiative activities
Sara Cernadas, NY Habitat Restoration and Stewardship Coordinator sara.cernadas@dec.ny.gov	Coordinates habitat restoration and stewardship plans/projects in NY
Samarra Scantlebury, LISS New York Coordinator² Samarra.Scantlebury@dec.ny.gov	Coordinates overall Long Island Sound Study program in NY
Mark Shuster, Real Property Coordinator mark.shuster@dec.ny.gov	Coordinates acquisition of land in the Long Island Sound

¹NEIWPCC staff collocated with NYSDEC/ ² Funded directly by NYSDEC

New York Sea Grant

Name,Title, Email	Responsibilities/Activities
Lillit Genovesi, Western Long Island Sound Outreach Coordinator lg543@cornell.edu	Develops and coordinates communications, outreach, and engagement programs in NYC and Westchester County
Elizabeth Hornstein, Sustainable and Resilient Communities Extension Professional eeh78@cornell.edu	Coordinates and implements sustainable and resilient community activities in Suffolk County
Jimena Perez-Viscasillas, New York Outreach Coordinator jbp255@cornell.edu	Develops and coordinates communications, outreach, and engagement programs in Nassau and Suffolk Counties
Sara Powell, Sustainable and Resilient Communities Extension Professional slp285@cornell.edu	Coordinates and implements sustainable and resilient community activities in Westchester County
Sarah Schaefer-Brown, Sustainable and Resilient Communities Extension Professional scs292@cornell.edu	Coordinates and implements sustainable and resilient community activities in Nassau County

NEIWPCC

Name, Title, Email	Responsibilities/Activities
James Ammerman, Science Coordinator jammerman@longislandsoundstudy.net	Coordinates LISS science and research program
Alex DuMont, Environmental Analyst adumont@neiwpcc.org	Overall LISS coordination and support
Robert Burg, Communications Coordinator rburg@longislandsoundstudy.net	Coordinates the LISS communications program, ecosystem targets and indicators
Anya Grondalski, Science Communicator agrondalski@longislandsoundstudy.net	Develops content for the LISS website, newsletters, and social media

Connecticut Sea Grant

Name, Title, Email	Responsibilities/Activities
Deborah Abibou, Sustainable and Resilient Communities Extension Professional deb.abibou@uconn.edu	Coordinates and implements sustainable and resilient community activities in CT
Margaret Cozens, Connecticut Outreach Coordinator margaret.cozens@uconn.edu	Develops and coordinates communications, outreach, and engagement programs in CT
Sarah Schechter, Sustainable and Resilient Communities Extension Professional sarah.schechter@uconn.edu	Coordinates and implements sustainable and resilient community activities in CT