board  & committees

Audubon volunteers make a difference for birds, other wildlife and habitats. Photo: SMRAS/Anne Swaim.
Audubon volunteers make a difference for birds, other wildlife and habitats. Photo: SMRAS/Anne Swaim.

To contact our board of directors or committee chairs, contact the office of Saw Mill River Audubon.

As a not-for-profit organization, Saw Mill River Audubon relies on the talents of our volunteer board of directors to help our organization thrive.

Board members bring a broad range of personal and professional experience to Saw Mill River Audubon. The board oversees the financial well-being of our organization, develops long-range planning, and maintains overall vision.

Board Officers

President: Erik Andersen
Vice-President: Suzanne Kavic
Treasurer: Lynn Salmon
Secretary: William Kellner
Past President/Board Chair:
Valerie Lyle

SMRA-Logo-Rectangle-TM-Aug2020

board members

Board Members

Listed by Term Expiration

2025
Mitchell Goldfarb
Rik Kaufman
Valerie Lyle
Thomas McEnerney
Lynn Salmon
Jean Sparacin
Jennifer Stern

2026
Cary Andrews
Ginger Bernardin
Suzanne Kavic
Mark Magel
Kenneth Novenstern
Thomas Ruth
Richard Saravay
Kathleen Williamson

2027
Erik Andersen
Philip Heidelberger
William Kellner
Michael Madias, Jr.
Kara Mason
Steve Rappaport
Larry Trachtenberg

One third of the board positions are up for election each year. Terms of office are three years. The board officers are elected annually.

committees

Audubon staff and volunteers repairing Pruyn bird blind roof. (L to R) Sanctuary Worker Danny Ferguson, SMRA Board Member Phil Heidelberger, Pruyn Sanctuary Lead Maintainer David Watson. Photo: SMRA/Nick Fischer
Audubon staff and volunteers repairing Pruyn bird blind roof. (L to R) Sanctuary Worker Danny Ferguson, SMRA Board Member Phil Heidelberger, Pruyn Sanctuary Lead Maintainer David Watson. Photo: SMRA/Nick Fischer

Volunteers are our strength.

Many members and friends volunteer at special events, during fund drives, at sanctuary work days, on committees, and in many other ways during the year.

Our dedicated committee members are the real story behind our effectiveness. From membership to field trips to finance, committees help us carry out our mission and achieve our goals.

Major Committee Chairs

Advocacy: Tom Ruth

Finance: Phil Heidelberger

Newsletter Mailing: Jean Sparacin

Seed Sale: Ken Novenstern

Sanctuaries: Michael Madias, Jr.

Trail Maintainer Coordinator:
Phil Heidelberger

Trail Walkers & Maintainers
* Lead Maintainer

Brinton: Michael Madias, Jr.*, 
Rudy Fasciani, Erik Brodsky

Choate: Phil Heidelberger*, Kathy Elliot

Pinecliff: Lynn Salmon*

Pruyn: David Watson*, Rhys Healy

(Pruyn Arboretum: Tom McEnerney
(Pruyn Garden: Mark Magel

Graff: Mark Magel & Nina Romanoff*, Terry Mcgarty

Haas: Phil Heidelberger*, Lindsay Korotkin, Jonathan Sorkowitz

volunteer with SMRA