Commission Staff
Commission Staff : (518) 456-0655
Lisa Anthony
Director of Operations and Finance (ext. 1219)
Email: lanthony@albanypinebush.org
Lisa is the Director of Finance & Operations for the Commission. Lisa manages the fiscal, human resources and grant operations for the organization. She received a Bachelor’s of Science in Finance from the University of Albany and has more than 15 years of experience in the financial management field. Lisa lives in Guilderland with her husband and two daughters and enjoys spending time outdoors with her family.
Kelly Batchelder
Discovery Center Reception (ext. 1250)
Email: kbatchelder@albanypinebush.org
Growing up in the Town of Colonie, the Pine Bush has always been a part of Kelly’s life. She worked for two local animal hospitals assisting veterinarians and veterinary technicians with a variety of animals, everything from cats and dogs to bald eagles and foxes. She has also worked as a receptionist for a large assisted living facility. She attended Maria college of Albany for several years where she majored in nursing, gerontology, and business management. Here at the Discovery Center she maintains the gift shop, schedules programs, and assists visitors of the Albany Pine Bush Preserve.
Jacqueline Citriniti
Environmental Educator (ext. 1227)
Email: jcitriniti@albanypinebush.org
Jackie has worked as environmental educator at the Pine Bush for several years now. She has been involved in education for 25 years starting in the medical field, and then moving to more formalized classroom education with learning disabilities/gifted & talented. For the past 15 years she has found her passion as a naturalist and environmental educator and truly enjoys exciting all individuals, young and old, to connect with the natural world around them.
Brandon Clifford
Fire Management Specialist (ext. 1220)
Email: bclifford@albanypinebush.org
Brandon, a native of New York State’s Southern Tier, received his graduate degree from Boise State University and comes to the Commission with more than 19 years of firefighting experience. He has been an active volunteer fire fighter, and has worked in wildland fire for the US Forest Service since 2002. His most recent Forest Service duty stations were at the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area in Northeastern Utah and the Lassen National Forest in Northern California where he was employed as an Assistant Fire Engine Operator. With his education and experience, the Commission’s fire management program will continue to safely use prescribed fire to meet management goals of restoring a healthy pine barrens and reducing the risk of wildfire to the Preserve and its neighbors.
Wendy Craney
Communications and Outreach Director (ext. 1211)
Email: wcraney@albanypinebush.org
With a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biology and Chemistry, Wendy began her conservation career with the Pine Bush in 1995 as a Conservation Science Technician and Prescribed Fire Crew Member. She later moved into the Administrative and Outreach department where she headed up the Volunteer program to match volunteers up with ongoing education, conservation, and research projects in the Preserve. Wendy also spent more than ten years as the president of the Wildlife Institute of Eastern NY, a non-profit that brings live wildlife and natural science based education together in a classroom like setting. Today, Wendy enjoys using her science background and creativity to encourage people to visit and support the Pine Bush through public relations, outreach and marketing to the Capital District.
Amanda Dillon
Field Ecologist and Environmental Educator (ext. 1226)
Email: adillon@albanypinebush.org
Growing up in farm country in northern central New York, Dillon has always been an outdoors girl, catching salamanders and collecting cicada skins. Her love of nature carried over into her career earning her a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Natural History and Interpretation and a Master’s of Science degree in Entomology. Dillon has conducted research in many areas but her specialty is insects including dragonflies and damselflies, and native solitary bees and wasps. At Albany Pine Bush Preserve she has continued her work with insects studying Karner blue butterflies and inland barrens buckmoth while fostering her newfound love of birds. As both an ecologist and educator at the preserve, Dillon gets to marry her two favorite things in life: learning about the natural world and sharing that knowledge with others.
Blake Etchison
Education Program Assistant (ext. 1222)
Email: betchison@albanypinebush.org
Blake Etchison has been with the Commission since the spring of 2008. She graduated from Earlham College with a BA in Biology. Blake has worked on many important research and education projects across the country including Spotted owl research, Palila restoration project, Mad Science, Raptor Inventory Nesting Survey, Indiana Dunes Environmental Learning Center and most recently as the Education Program Assistant for the Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission. Most of the time you can find her supervising the animal care program, managing two volunteer programs: the Docent and Jr. Docent and coordinating and leading public and school education programs for the APBPC Discovery Center.
Neil Gifford
Conservation Director (ext. 1214)
Email: ngifford@albanypinebush.org
Conservation Director Neil Gifford is a “Swampy” from Paul Smith’s College (AAS 1989) as well as a graduate of Plattsburgh State University (BA 1991;MA 1994). A volunteer and seasonal APBPC employee in 1994 and 1995, he’s been a full time Commission employee since 1997. As Conservation Director he provides supervision and oversight for all aspects of biological research and management in the preserve. He’s served on the NY State and Federal recovery teams for the endangered Karner blue butterfly since 1997, coordinates Commission review of development projects within the 13,000 acre Pine Bush Study Area and is an accomplished Field Ornithologist.
Christopher Hawver
Executive Director (ext. 1218)
Email: chawver@albanypinebush.org
Chris Hawver has been the Executive Director of the Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission since 2000. He started with the Commission as a seasonal ecologist in 1993. As Executive Director, Chris is responsible for all fiscal, legal and administrative aspects of the Commission and its staff. He implements the decisions of the board and conducts the day-to-day business of the Commission. He works closely with Commission members and counsel, state, county and local government agencies, elected officials, conservation groups and landowners to raise and promote support for the management and protection of the Albany Pine Bush. Chris holds a BA in Environmental Science and MA in Natural Resources from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh.
Joel Hecht
Stewardship Director (ext. 1213)
Email: jhecht@albanypinebush.org
Joel coordinates on-the-ground management of the Preserve. Management includes oversight of all wildlife habitat restoration and all public use. This includes coordination of contracts for wildlife enhancement habitat work such as invasive plant treatments, boundary surveying and archeological work. Specific areas of responsibility also include all public use such as multiuse trail design and maintenance, Preserve regulations and enforcement, and hunting, trapping and fishing in the Preserve. Wildlife habitat management includes restoration planning and planting, boundary posting and monitoring, management equipment and facilities maintenance oversight, GIS mapping and participation in the prescribed fire program. Joel has served with the Pine Bush Preserve Commission since 1994 and has a background in biology and earth sciences as well as environmental education and land management.
Jesse Hoffman
Preserve Steward (ext. 1225)
Email: jhoffman@albanypinebush.org
Jesse has a Bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources from Cornell University where he focused on applied ecology. He is a lifelong botanist and is in charge of much of the on the ground conservation and recreation work at the Albany Pine Bush. Jesse supervises seasonal staff and coordinates several groups of long and short term volunteers who help him in ensuring that the trails system is maintained, boundaries are posted, native seed is collected, invasive species are located and eradicated, and habitat is restored throughout the Pine Bush.
Erin Kinal
Education Program Director (ext. 1212)
Email: ekinal@albanypinebush.org
Erin coordinates all aspects of the Commission’s Education Program including educational programming for the public, schools, community groups and special interest groups. She also supervises three education staff, a team of education volunteers and participates in the operation of the Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center. Erin earned her Bachelor’s degree with a concentration in natural resources from Cornell University and a Master’s degree in secondary science education from the State University of New York at Albany. Since the start of her career with the Albany Pine Bush Preserve in 1998, Erin has worked to create a variety of opportunities for people to discover Albany’s unique inland pine barrens.
Sara Poggi
Environmental Educator (ext. 1228)
Email: spoggi@albanypinebush.org
Sara Poggi earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Marine and Freshwater Biology from the University of New Hampshire before serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Bulgaria for three years. She has worked as an environmental educator in a variety of locations, including on the coast of New Hampshire, on whale watching boats in the Gulf of Maine, in schools in Bulgaria and in nature centers in Southern Oregon. She went on to receive a Master’s of Science in Environmental Education from Southern Oregon University and is dedicated to exploring, learning and teaching in nature. She is excited to be working as one of the Environmental Educators at the Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center.
Margaret Stein
Office Manager (ext. 1215)
Email: mstein@albanypinebush.org
Margaret is the Office Manager and helps with finance and office administration. She is proud to come from a family of ecologically conscious people and have a Master’s of Science in Environmental Management from Antioch New England. Her passion for protecting and promoting the Albany Pine Bush has grown especially in more than ten years of employment. Her favorite things to do with her partner and child are singing, hiking, reading, and cooking.