BOARD & STAFF

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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Carl Costanzi, President - Norway

Carl got a B.S. in Microbiology from Penn State and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Hahnemann University in Philadelphia (now Drexel) and worked as a research molecular biologist for twenty years, most recently for ten years at University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine where he studied chromosome packaging and gene regulation.  In 2004 he and his family moved to Norway. Carl learned carpentry working in construction for a couple of years before co-founding and teaching at Ganderia Middle School.  There he developed an integrated, project-based curriculum grounded on a sense of place and community engagement.  Carl currently works in population health for Western Maine Health.  He loves growing and cooking real food, spending time with his three grown sons, Ben, Nick and Dan, and exploring the natural world with a camera.
 

Mikko Liimatta, Vice President - Norway

Mikko grew up locally in West Paris where he spent much of his time outdoors, taking in all the sights of Western Maine. Mikko had the opportunity to work at Robert's Farm during the summers of 2012 and 2013, tending to the gardens and working with the school district's summer programs. In 2017, Mikko received his BS in Business Administration from the University of Maine. Upon graduating, he was drawn back to Oxford Hills. He currently enjoys spending his time outdoors with his wife and volunteering as a coach for West Paris Recreation.

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Nathaniel Liu, Secretary - Waterford
Nathaniel is a student at Oberlin College. He grew up in Washington, D.C., but returns home to Western Maine during school holidays and the summer. He enjoys running on land trust preserves, taking photos of landscapes and people, and making music. When he isn't in Maine, Nathaniel helps maintain the website and stays involved with the board.

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Beth Calhoun, Director - Oxford
With degrees from University of Maine and Georgetown University, Beth is a lawyer practicing in the areas of securities litigation and is also the Oxford County Treasurer.  Originally from Windham, she now lives with her son in Oxford.  She is active in the community, not only with WFLT, but also with the Friends of Norway Memorial Library and PTO with the school.  She is an avid genealogist, reader, and crafter.

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Robert Van Nest, Director - Norway

With a M.A. from Columbia University, Bob spent his career teaching French and coaching Nordic skiing in the Oxford Hills schools. An avid birder, cyclist, and gardener, Bob is completely committed to land conservation and is a founding member of WFLT.  Bob and his wife, Mary, live on a historic farm in Norway and placed a conservation easement on the property back in 1975.

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Sarah Timm, Director - Norway

Sarah is the nature-based outdoor classroom teacher for MSAD 17.  a fourth-grade teacher at the Agnes Gray School in West Paris. She and her husband, Aaron, have two children. When not teaching, Sarah helps Aaron at their shop, Green Gardens in South Paris.

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Sienna Tinsley, Director - Norway

Sienna grew up in West Paris, where she developed an appreciation of nature and a love of Western Maine. Sienna started volunteering for WFLT in 2013 because she wanted to help conserve the resources and landscapes that make Western Maine beautiful, vibrant, and special.  Sienna has been delighted to make use of her background in science (B.A. in geology, M.S. in crop and soil sciences) and her eagerness to listen and learn while serving as a WFLT board member since 2015.

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Richard Sousa, Director - West Paris

Rich is retired after a 32-year career at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery.  A lifelong outdoorsman, Rich began getting involved in conservation and recreational organizations in the early 1990s and with WFLT more than a dozen years ago. Rich has served on the forestry committee and now as a board member and is a champion of WFLT’s Twin Bridges preserve.

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Roger "Skip" Green, Director - Waterford
Skipp is an explorer at heart, having hiked the North Slope, the Inca Trail, and the English Coast-to-Coast.  Skipp brings a love of trees and forests, useful knowledge about land boundaries and lines, and a keen sense of humor to our meetings and trail work days. Skipp has had a long career in nursing.  He and his wife, Judy, live in Waterford.

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Sara King, Director - Greenwood

Sara received a B.S. in Elementary and Special Education from Salve Regina University and currently works for UMaine Cooperative Extension as the 4-H Professional in Oxford County. Sara is working towards her M.Ed. from UMaine Farmington in Educational Leadership with a Nature-Based Education concentration. She is a Registered Maine Sea Kayak and Recreational Guide, a Registered Yoga Instructor (RYT 200) and children's yoga instructor. She spends her free time with her husband and dog enjoying all things outdoors.

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Joseph Zilinsky, Director- Otisfield

BA, Bowdoin College, MA, PhD. University of Indiana in Microbial Physiology. Retired with his wife Callie to Maine after 30 years teaching microbiology and biology at the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh. Joe enjoys languages and works his forest and farm lands with a pair of draft horses. Joe and Callie placed a conservation easement on their farm in 2011.

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STAFF

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Lee Dassler, Executive Director - Otisfield - lee@wfltmaine.org

Lee has been with WFLT since 1994. She holds an MS from Columbia University in Historic Preservation, and has a background in theater, carpentry, and architecture. She is also the founder and former Executive Director of the McLaughlin Garden in South Paris, Maine. When not writing grants, Lee enjoys riding, triathlons, yoga and working on her historic home.
 

Kacy Bailey, Deputy Director, Bethel - kacy@wfltmaine.org

Kacy comes to WLFT with over ten years of experience as a real estate and land use lawyer with firms in Portland and the Boston area.  She holds a J.D. from Northeastern University, a M.S. in Urban and Regional Planning (with concentration in environmental planning) from Florida State University, and a B.A. from Vassar College.  In her early career, Kacy spent several years delivering environmental education and outdoor leadership programming for several organizations in the northeast and spent several seasons skiing the mountains of Utah and Colorado.  Kacy and her husband moved to Maine (for the second time) in 2018 and she is eager to use her skills and knowledge to advance WFLT’s conservation goals.
 

Alyssa Andrews, Stewardship Manager - Norway - lands@wfltmaine.org

Alyssa grew up in Norway, and then graduated from Colby College in 2017 with a degree in sociology. She then worked as the Natural Resource Steward for another land trust in Maine for 5 years, where she learned good stewardship practices. She is excited to return to her hometown and be the Stewardship Director for WFLT. In her free time, she enjoys Nordic skiing, hiking, paddling, and finding places to explore with her dog Sampson.

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Kelli Shedd, Community Engagement Director - Stoneham - kelli@wfltmaine.org

Kelli joined WFLT in October of 2019 to support marketing and development.  She has over 20 years of experience in the outdoor recreation and non-profit world. Her previous experience as Membership Manager at Loon Echo Land Trust brings a great familiarity of the Trust and it's needs. Kelli holds a B.F.A. from the University of Connecticut. In her spare time, she likes to hike, ski, create fine art as well as mother her three energetic children.

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Heather Rorer, Lands Associate - heather@wfltmaine.org
Heather is WFLT’s conservation easement guru. She holds a M.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Michigan and has worked in the environmental field for twenty-four years, twenty-one of those in land trust related work. Heather helps WFLT prepare and update the baseline documentation necessary for ensuring perpetual protection of the easements WFLT holds and is an invaluable resource for the WFLT team.

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