Leadership
Professional Staff
Rochelle Thomas
Executive Director
Rochelle is a mission-driven conservation and nonprofit leader, with more than a decade of experience advancing conservation and land stewardship, fundraising, strategic planning, and community engagement. At her prior position as director of the Greenwich Center for the National Audubon Society, she oversaw seven wildlife sanctuaries totaling nearly 700 acres, led a team of staff and seasonal educators, and directed major land restoration, fundraising, and public engagement initiatives. Rochelle holds a Master of Arts in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology from Columbia University, as well as a second master’s degree in American Studies from Columbia University.
Chris Nagy, Ph.D.
Director of Research & Education
Chris Nagy has studied urban conservation and ecology in the New York Metro area for over 20 years. He started working at Mianus River Gorge part-time while a graduate student in 2003, and became Director of Research and Education in 2013. Chris oversees MRG’s research and student research programs. His work focuses on protecting and restoring native biodiversity in urban/suburban areas, ecology of eastern coyotes and other urban wildlife, white-tailed deer management, and student mentorship
Budd Veverka
Director of Conservation and Stewardship
Budd has been at Mianus River Gorge since 2016. Previously, Budd spent over 10 years working as a wildlife biologist in several states across the South and Midwest; most recently in Indiana where his research focused on farmland wildlife and he authored the National Wildlife Pheasant Conservation Plan. Today, Budd focuses his work on invasive species management, northeastern forest restoration, suburban black bear activity, white-tailed deer management, and student mentorship. He is the organizational representative to the Lower Hudson Partnership for Invasive Species Management and the New York State Hemlock Initiative, and is an active member of The Wildlife Society.
Jean-Luc Plante
Preserve Steward
Jean-Luc started as a volunteer at Mianus River Gorge in 2018 and has been working with us as the Preserve Steward since 2019. He studied Biology at Western Connecticut State University before acquiring his master’s degree from the University of Connecticut in Biodiversity and Conservation Biology. His primary interests include forest restoration and invasive species management. Jean-Luc spends most of his time assisting Budd and Chris with various research projects, but you can also often find him out working on the trails.
Leslie D. Zachary
Director of Development
Leslie joins Mianus River Gorge with over 20 years of development experience, most of it with environmental and educational organizations in Connecticut and Texas. Prior to arriving at Mianus River Gorge, she served as the director of development at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, TX, where she managed all fundraising and membership activities. Leslie honed her development skills at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School and Austin Speech Labs in Austin, TX, and at The Long Ridge School in Stamford. She served on the Board of the Stamford Land Conservation Trust for six years and participated in fundraising for the Trust for Public Land’s Campaign to Save Treetops.
Administration
Kristin Annon
Communications & Grants Manager
Tina Barrett
Bookkeeper
Alison Kelly
Office Manager & Database Admin
To contact MRG staff, please call (914) 234-3455 or info@mianus.org
Board of Trustees – 2026
Officers
Timothy W. Evnin, Chairman
Christopher du P. Roosevelt, Vice Chairman
Andre A. Hunter, Vice Chairman
John S. Needham, President
Kathryn Hoenig, Treasurer
Nicki Dugan Pogue, Secretary
Trustees
Jayni Chase
Nicholas Firth
Lloyd Gerry
Alexandra Kotur
Gerardo Mendez
Happy Menocal
Robert R. Morse
Daniel T. Ryan
Sarah Schwarzschild
Martin Torres
Sam Vallely
Heather V. Wolf