A Very Fond Farewell and Welcome!

Dear Friends,

It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to serve as the President of NYSACC for the last 30 years. I want to welcome Simon Skolnik, Chair of the Town of Bedford Conservation Board and former NYSACC Vice President, into his new position as President of our fine organization. For 25 years, he has been my steadfast supporter. We are lucky to have him, with his fresh ideas and clear vision for NYSACC. He will bring us a wonderful Conference this year in Westchester. The NYSACC Board of Directors has bestowed upon me the honorable title of President Emeritus. I am glad to continue in this new role.

I’ve become sentimental about my time with NYSACC, especially as I look over old editions of NYSACC News. Here, you can see my first President’s Message, from January 1990.

I was surprised to read that many of the environmental issues that plagued New York State in 1990 remain equally concerning today. But now we have added a bigger issue: climate change.

Our country isn’t where I’d like it to be environmentally, and I wish we were making a positive impact on the world’s environment. We must continue to do our part in our municipalities and hope to see an impact in our backyard. And when we are given the opportunity, we must be loud and be seen because, as we all know, the stakes are too high to fail. We are the eyes and ears of the environment in New York State.

I’m proud of the wonderful people who devote their time and talents to NYSACC. I especially want to thank….

Peter Rizzo, NYSACC Advisor. Peter deserves a debt of gratitude for all of the time and expertise he has afforded NYSACC. He designs, formats, and distributes our newsletter and maintains our informative website. Even when he moved out of New York State, he still continued to support our organization. We love you Pete!
Arlene Kaufman, former Office Manager & Andrea Martone, Office Manager. For many years, NYSACC has had wonderful Office Managers. Arlene was with NYSACC for 25 years. Andrea has been with us for six years. They always did more than was required, as they were committed to NYSACC just as much as our members. I have always enjoyed working with them and am deeply grateful for their unfailing good temper, efficiency, and for caring about NYSACC’s success.
NYSACC Board of Directors. Finally, I thank our Board of Directors for their unending commitment and support. They are the backbone of NYSACC, and their involvement in every NYSACC activity, especially our annual Conferences, has been invaluable. Together, we have made a difference.

I look forward to seeing and meeting you at our 2020 Conference on the Environment in Westchester County!

Happy New Year!