Ranger Scott Gausen grew up in the mountains of Northern California and Southern Oregon. During and after college he worked for nine summers as a firefighter with the US Forest Service. After graduation, Scott decided that it was time for a change and went back to school to earn a master’s degree in education from Southern Oregon University. He taught business and economics for two years at Ashland High School where he worked closely with the local Ashland Rotary. Scott missed knowing what the weather was like outside of his classroom and decided that the National Park Service was a good combination of education and the outdoors. He worked for two seasons as a park ranger at Oregon Caves National Monument before finding a seasonal position at Springfield Armory NHS in 2016. Scott packed his car and told his mom that his stuff would only be in her garage for six months. While he was there, a permanent position opened up and he was able to parley his experience and education into a permanent position as the Education Specialist at Springfield Armory National Historic Site. Several years later he purchased a house and, after several forceful hints, rented a U-Haul and moved his worldly possessions to the East Coast. He hasn’t looked back since.

Annual DG visit and discussing the new Rotary Year.

Please join us in learning more about the status of our river, as well as the current initiatives and vision for the future! We will also be discussing the Source to Sea Cleanup Project.

Nina joined CRC’s staff in December 2023 after assisting with CRC’s water quality monitoring program during the summer of 2023. She moved to the Connecticut River Valley from northern California where she spent the past decade working across the water industry including regulatory and monitoring work for the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, teaching a high school field course on natural and human-made water systems, and designing and installing professional greywater reuse projects. Before leaving CA, Nina walked 240 miles along the Mokelumne River to trace where her drinking water came from and feels passionate about connecting humans to their water sources. 

She holds an M.Sc. in Wastewater Reuse from Ben Gurion University, completed a Fulbright Scholarship in Israel and Palestine researching the fate of endocrine disrupting compounds in Palestinian wastewater treatment, and earned her B.Sc. in Environmental Science with a minor in Marketing from the University of Southern California. In her free time, you’ll find her dipping in local rivers (all year round!) and hiking with her dog Petey.  

ngordonkirsch@ctriver.org

413-772-2020 ext. 216

[From the Springfield Public Schools Website]

Joesiah Gonzalez serves as a principled leader, dedicated to transformation in education, human services, and government.

Mr. Gonzalez was born and raised in the City of Springfield and is a proud graduate of Springfield Public Schools. He received a Master of Business Administration from Fitchburg State University, carrying a burning passion to see transformation in the city and region.

[Quote from BusinessWest]

In his current role, he handles fundraising and communications strategies for Home City, with a primary focus, on the philanthropy side, of raising funds to support resident-service programs that assist the more than 400 families housed in Home City’s multiple affordable-housing sites, work he finds very rewarding.

“Being at the table and also at the helm of certain initiatives, especially around resident engagement, allows me to drive impact in a way that’s meaningful, especially being from the city and living in the city,” Gonzalez said, adding that he gets involved at a truly grass-roots level. “There are a lot of folks doing a lot of social-impact programs, but if we don’t check the pulse on what’s happening in our community and our neighborhoods, there can sometimes be a disconnect between well-intended efforts and true impact.”

Karen Blanchard is the Executive Director of the Michael J. Dias Foundation, where she has led the organization for nearly four years with a focus on supporting individuals and families impacted by substance use disorders. With over 30 years of nonprofit leadership experience, Karen has secured millions in grant funding, overseen strategic initiatives, and developed impactful programs addressing recovery, housing, and food insecurity.

A graduate of Springfield College with a Master’s in Human Services Administration, Karen is deeply committed to creating sustainable solutions for community challenges. She is an active member of several professional organizations and is passionate about fostering partnerships that drive meaningful change.