Commission Members

Hours of Operation

Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 9 am to 1 pm.

Meeting Information

When:

Generally every two weeks on Mondays unless otherwise noted. If Monday is a holiday, meetings are held on Wednesdays.

Where:

Large 1st Floor Conference Room, Town Hall Annex (66 Prospect Street)

Time:

7:00 pm

Erik Keller is a retired horticulturist and therapist at Ann’s Place, a not-for-profit facility that helps those with cancer. He is also the author of the recently published book, A Therapist's Garden.  Prior to this, he ran a management consulting business, Wapiti LLC, where he advised software companies and investors. For over a decade, he worked at Gartner, in Stamford, as a Research Fellow and Vice President. He has lectured at major corporations around the world and as an adjunct at Yale University. At the beginning of his career, he worked as a journalist and editor for a variety of publications. 

Erik has lived in Ridgefield since 1991. He has coached children’s sports teams, volunteered at the Boys & Girls Club and designed/built sets for the Ridgefield High School’s annual Spring musical. He joined the Commission in 2019. Erik has a Bachelor’s in Engineering Science from SUNY at Stony Brook. He also has received certification from the University of Connecticut as a Master Gardener and from The New York Botanical Garden in Horticultural Therapy.

Allan Welby has been a Ridgefield resident since 2006 and is a systems administrator for a Greenwich, CT, trading firm. Allan grew up in the Midwest, where days wandering the family farm in southwest Wisconsin instilled a deep appreciation of nature and the outdoors. Past president of the Chicago Ornithological Society and editor of their monthly magazine, The Undertail Covert. 

Allan is an avid (he would say "obsessed") birder. He leads bird watching trips and workshops for a number of Connecticut and New York nature organizations, and particularly enjoys introducing newcomers to the wonders of the bird world. Allan graduated from Drake University with a degree in English and was named to the Commission in 2019.

Matt Sharp Matt has lived in Ridgefield since 1997 and joined the Commission in 2020. He was a Scout Troop Leader for Ridgefield’s Troop 116 from 2006 to 2019. While in scouting, Matt served as Advancement Chair, Committee Chair and High Adventure Chair. 

He planned and led backpacking trips to the Adirondacks, Appalachian Trail CT & NY, Yosemite, John Muir Trail, High Sierra Trail Sequoia/ Mt. Whitney, Teton Crest Trail, Rocky Mountain National Park and North Cascade National Park. In 2019, Matt became a Trail Maintainer for the CT Appalachian Trail. Matt has a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from Fordham University.

Roberta Barbieri has 30 years of experience in corporate environmental sustainability and is currently Vice President of Global Sustainability for PepsiCo. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Conservation from the University of New Hampshire and two Master’s degrees, both from the University of New Haven, in Environmental Engineering and in Environmental Science. 

Roberta is an avid hiker and gardener and currently serves on the Board of Directors for The Woodcock Nature Center. She is also active in the Norwalk River Watershed Association and The Ridgefield Action Committee for the Environment (RACE). Roberta is a life-long resident of Connecticut and has lived in Ridgefield for 6 years. She joined the Commission in July 2021.

Jana Hogan has lived in Ridgefield since 2002. She has been involved with conservation-related organizations throughout her time in Ridgefield. She served on the Board of Woodcock Nature Center as President; she is a founding member of the Pollinator Pathway and currently serves as the Vice President. She is a member of the Ridgefield Garden Club, volunteers for the Norwalk River Watershed Association and the ecotype project at the Hickories, and is a Scout Merit Badge Counselor for Connecticut Yankee Council. 

After graduating from the University of Vermont with a degree in Nuclear Medicine, Jana worked at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA. After leaving Massachusetts General, Jana ran a Healthcare IT conference before becoming the Executive Director for IBM’s Healthcare and Life Sciences Advisory Board.

Jim Coyle is an environmental engineer with over 45 years of experience in environmental management. He has worked for the New York City EPA where he was the Director of the Office of Environmental Impact and several engineering consulting firms directing environmental programs and studies for both government agencies and private industrial companies. He is a former Associate Professor at the Pratt Institute Graduate School of Architecture and Planning where he taught a course in environmental impact assessment. 

Jim has lived In Ridgefield since 1992. He was a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission for several terms. He is currently the Chairman of the Commission where he has been a member since 2016. He has a BS in Chemical Engineering from Columbia University, an MS in Applied Mathematics from NYU, and an MA in Urban Studies from Hunter College.

Jack Kace was Vice President of Environmental and Safety Affairs for Hoffmann La Roche, Inc. and led its sustainability efforts. His responsibilities also included energy conservation, industrial hygiene, radiation safety and hazmat transport. He was a member and/or chairman of several national organizations of the most environmentally proactive U.S. corporations. Prior to joining Roche, he was an environmental engineer for two other large companies. 

Jack has lived in Ridgefield since 2008 and joined the Commission in 2013. He currently serves as the Vice Chairman and Assistant Treasurer. Jack has a Doctor of Engineering Sciences from Columbia University in 1972. He was the first graduate of an interdisciplinary program in environmental engineering administered by the chemical engineering department.

Jean Linville is a visual artist, educator, writer and native plant farmer at The Hickories Organic Farm in Ridgefield, CT. In all of her endeavors, she aims to raise people's awareness and appreciation of their local ecosystems and thereby encourage participation in ecological restoration projects. For over 33 years, Jean was a visual arts educator in New York State. She has lived in Ridgefield since 2007. Currently, Jean is a member of the Caudatowa Garden Club. She became a member of the Commission in 2020. 

Jean holds a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Union Institute and University, a MA in Fine Arts and Arts Education from Vermont College of Norwich University and a BS in Art Education from SUNY Buffalo State College.

Jim Liptack has been a Ridgefield resident since 1990. He teaches AP and College Prep Physics as well as Physical Science and Chemistry at Wilton High School. He moved into education shortly after receiving a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology. He studied further, earning a MS in Education from the University of Bridgeport and a C.A.S. from Southern Connecticut State University in Secondary Science Education. Jim has spent the last 32 years teaching science at Wilton High School. 

Jim has been actively working with the Appalachian Mountain Club, as trail crew since 1978 and trail section manager since 1984. He has been a trail maintainer for the Connecticut Forest and Parks Association since 1984. For the last ten years, he has also been the overseer of trails for the Connecticut Appalachian Mountain Club, scheduling and overseeing all maintenance and construction on the trails. Jim has been an open space ranger for the Conservation Commission since 1990 and has worked as a volunteer sawyer under the direction of Mr. Cronin and Mr. Sharp since 2019.

Pete Nichols grew up in Ridgefield and went through the Ridgefield schools and graduated from RHS in 1975. He then went to the University of Rhode Island and graduated with a BS in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies. He came back to his hometown and got his Connecticut teaching certification from West Conn. and taught Biology and Earth Science at RHS for 35 years as well as coached the RHS girls and boys ski teams for 29 years. 

He is currently a member of the Land Conservancy of Ridgefield, the Ridgefield Parks and Recreation Commission, the Ives Trail and Green-way committee, the Community Emergency Response Team, and the Ridgefield Old Timers Association, among other groups.

Tony Markert has lived in Ridgefield since 1975. He completed the Connecticut Master Woodland Manager 12-month certificate program sponsored by the USDA Forest Service. Tony is presently pursuing a Graduate Certificate in Restoration Ecology from Auburn University. Prior to his retirement, he was an associate professor in the Division of Justice and Law Administration at Western Connecticut State University. Tony previously worked as a senior financial or administrative officer for several natural resources companies. He also worked as a full-time police officer. 

Tony holds a Ph.D. in criminal justice from CUNY, an MBA from UConn, and a BS degree from Manhattan College. Tony also volunteers with the Connecticut Audubon Society where he works on forestry projects. He is also an avid birder, hiker, fisher, and hunter and is a member of several conservation organizations.