BOARD OFFICERS
Veronica Berounsky, Ph.D., President
Marine Ecologist, URI Graduate School of Oceanography
Veronica focuses on science, education, and state level conservation issues. She is an active volunteer at NRPA’s educational events and is a dedicated water quality monitor with NRPA’s River Watch program.
Craig Wood, Vice President
Environmental Scientist
Craig’s interests are land management and public access around Sprague Bridge and Salt Marsh Restoration. Craig also leads our Osprey education program for local fourth graders.
Kathy Byington, Treasurer
Finance and Administration Consultancy Services for Higher Education, KBYInsight Consulting
As Treasurer, Kathy oversees NRPA’s financial accounting and organizational budgeting processes. Kathy also leads Narrow River Cleanup events in the spring and the fall.
Paula Santos, Secretary
Business Consultant and Event Planner
As a resident of the watershed, Paula is concerned about the health of the river and appropriate utilization of its resources. She wants to educate and engage the local community in NRPA’s work.
BOARD MEMBERS
Christine Ariel
After retiring from the private practice of law in 2020, Christine W. Ariel, Esq. has now turned her time and attention back to environmental preservation, drawing on both her legal expertise and her biologist experience in freshwater and coastal wetlands biology and management for the benefit of several non-profit organizations.
Peter Gelhaar, Lawyer at Donnelly, Conroy & Gelhaar, LLP, Boston, MA
Peter is interested in continuing the NRPA’s success in preserving the water quality of the Narrow River and also understanding the effect that naturally occurring events at the mouth of the River have on water quality.
Andrew Neil, Assistant Director Sustainability, The Ohio State University
Andrew’s work focuses on the balance between environmental health, economic prosperity, and equity. He is excited to give back to the watershed, and help protect and enhance it for the benefit of everyone.
Sally Sutherland, Ocean Engineer, Naval Undersea Warfare Center
Sally coordinates NRPA’s Annual Lesa Meng Scholarship Awards to local high school seniors.
Nathan Vinhateiro, Science Director, URI Coastal Institute
Nate is a coastal geologist who focuses on water quality, dredging, and public access to the river.
James Vogel, Founder and Director, The BioProcess Institute and Adjunct Professor in Chemical Engineering at URI
Jim hopes to help preserve the naturally occurring biodiversity of the Narrow River and to assess the impact of events, both natural and man made, on the river.
CONTRACT STAFF
Shirley Freitag, NRPA Administrative Coordinator
Shirley leads office administration and program operations while keeping stakeholders and the public informed about watershed issues
Marianne Chronley, NRPA Events Coordinator
Marianne coordinates NRPA’s many events.
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS:
- Jason Considine
- Annette DeSilva
- Barry Devine
- Sarah Gaines
- Richard Grant
- Chris Hubbard
- Alison Kates
- Rob Leeson
- Catalina Martinez
- James McGregor
- Ken McShane
