Board of Trustees
Scott Barnett, Trustee
Scott and his wife Kris are long-time residents of Simsbury (both SHS '83). He has always loved the outdoors and became involved with SLT in 2010 when his son chose trail improvements on the Owen-Mortimer property as his Eagle Scout project. As an Assistant Scoutmaster for Simsbury's Troop 76, he organized many camping, hiking and backpacking trips locally, in the Presidentials, and two, 10-day treks at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. In 2015 he became a Steward / Easement Monitor for both George Hall and Pharos Farms, a role in which he continues to serve. Scott has also served on the Town's Zoning Commission and Design Review Board, both focused on preserving Simsbury's history and character. Scott is a banker specializing in commercial lending and is also an Adjunct Professor of Finance at CCSU.
Tom Crawford, Trustee
As a resident of Simsbury since 1990, Tom and his wife Patty raised two children in this beautiful community. In 2012 Tom took on an active role as a Land Steward to the Bog and later in 2015 also became a co-Monitor to the Hall Farm property. Recently Tom has taken on the additional task of collecting and organizing the SLT Property Steward Reports. Tom is busy running a Computer Systems Consulting Business with clients in the manufacturing and distribution industry. When Tom is not working, he enjoys spending time with his family, playing golf, working in his yard, and hiking the many SLT trails with his two dogs.
Danielle D'Ermo, Secretary
Danielle moved to Simsbury in 1983 after being raised in Washington DC, and having lived in Boulder Colorado. In Boulder, Danielle began to appreciate the beauty and importance of open space when backpacking and hiking in the Rocky Mountains.
Danielle loved the natural beauty of Simsbury with the abundant wildlife when she relocated here.
After raising her daughter and retiring from a busy corporate career, Danielle became interested in wildlife photography. She traveled extensively to many remote and pristine wilderness areas in order to photograph the species she was interested in observing. She has received National and International recognition for her photography.
She has worked as a volunteer photographing the natural beauty of the Simsbury Land Trust properties, which has given her an appreciation of their importance to the Town.
Danielle has appreciated and valued the open space in Simsbury and has joined the Board of Trustees so she can contribute to the legacy of the Simsbury Land Trust for future generations.
Hanni Dinkeloo, Trustee
Hanni moved to Simsbury in 2021. She grew up in Hamden, CT where her interest in biology, the environment and conservation started in her teens. She has lived in many different parts of the US always hiking and exploring beautiful natural areas. Hanni has a Master’s degree in biology. After several years working as a field biologist she decided that she wanted to pursue environmental law. When she finished her law degree she spent much of her career working as an environmental lawyer for the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program before moving to southern California.
Hanni is happy to be back in Connecticut and feels lucky to have ‘landed’ in Simsbury. She loves that Simsbury has a long history in preserving natural open space and appreciates all of the hard work that the Simsbury Land Trust has done to protect and manage these areas. Since moving to Simsbury she has spent many hours hiking the Simsbury Land Trust properties and adjoining conservation lands. Hanni is retired and enjoys traveling and hiking around the world as a way to learn about other cultures and natural habitats.
Fred Feibel, Past President
Fred is currently one of the longest serving members of the SLT board. He is a local veterinarian who lives in West Simsbury with his family Hannah, Sam and Hallie. When he has free time he is usually outdoors hiking, fishing or gardening, always with a couple of dogs at his side. Fred also serves as president of the Board of Trustees for the Simsbury Land Trust.
“Simsbury is blessed with a wealth of beautiful vistas, unique geological features and diverse habitats. There are samples of each that are accessible and preserved for the future in large part due to the vision and effort of the Land Trust. I appreciate being part of such an active and effective group.“
Katie French, Trustee
Katie French is a Simsbury native who enjoys a successful real estate career in the Farmington Valley with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. One of her favorite aspects of this job is introducing relocating families to the beauty of Simsbury and the many resources the town has to offer. Katie spent time growing up here exploring the woodlands and trails in the area on foot, bike and horseback. She has served on the Board of Trustees since 2002.
“I find it amazing that we have accomplished such a wonderful balance of protected land in conjunction with residential and commercial development. This dedicated group on the land trust is educated, forward thinking and sensitive to our environment. I enjoy learning from them and sharing our mutual interests in this endeavor.”
Justin Gullotta, Trustee
Justin has been a member of the SLT Board of Trustees since 2021. Having recently moved into Simsbury from central Vermont, Justin is fond of open spaces and enjoying nature. Before he and his family moved to Simsbury, Justin volunteered with the Upper Valley Land Trust in Hanover, NH starting in 2011, and held a seat on its Board of Trustees from 2018 until 2021. He is currently a product design engineer at Coherent Inc. in Bloomfield CT, and holds 7 US and international patents from his 20+ years in the field of industrial, commercial, and military product design. When Justin isn't working, he enjoys running, biking the local trails, and backcountry skiing.
Paul Henault, Trustee
Paul joined the Board of Trustees in 2014. Paul is senior vice president of The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection & Insurance Company with responsibility for reinsurance assumed and the client company acquisition team. He also serves as the company’s industry relations officer. Paul was elected three times to the Simsbury Board of Finance and was Chairman for 15 years. During that time he was an active participant in many of the decisions the Town of Simsbury made regarding financial contributions to land acquisition.
Paul and his wife Terry have owned a house in Simsbury since 1984, and Terry has been a resident of the town since 1966. Both are very active in their community and walk the woods and open spaces weekly with their two dogs. They have three grown children.
Michele Knierim, Trustee
Growing up in Litchfield with the trails of White Memorial nearby, Michele has had an interest in the outdoors and hiking since a young age. That love was further cultivated throughout her teenage years and beyond after having the opportunity to participate in multiple mountaineering trips to the Colorado Rockies, canyons of Utah, and Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Michele moved to Simsbury with her husband (a Simsbury native) in 2014 where they continued to explore the many local trails within town and throughout New England. Michele initially became involved as a Steward for the Simsbury Land Trust at Rosedale Farms where she was able to monitor the trail with her two young children in tow. She later became involved with helping to plan and lead family hikes so she could continue to share the same love for hiking with her own children and other young families in town. Michele is hoping to encourage and share this love for the trails and open space in Simsbury with others through involvement with the SLT.
Karen Langlois, Treasurer
Karen has recently joined the SLT Board of Trustees, and serves as the organization’s Treasurer. She is a certified public accountant with CohnReznick LLP since 2001. Karen moved to West Simsbury in 2018 with her husband and is thrilled with the area and all it has to offer. When not working in the accounting field, she enjoys kayaking, hiking, biking, and spending time with her two grown children. A passion of Karen’s is visiting National Parks, and she has been to several throughout the country. She is excited to serve on the Board of Trustees in the town she now calls home.
Diana Moody, Trustee
Diana spent her earliest years in Jacksonville, Florida before moving to Colorado. It is among the Rocky Mountains that she fell in love with the natural world. Diana also enjoyed her work there managing a natural foods restaurant, which revealed the important linkage to land and farm preservation.
Diana and her husband Jim moved to Simsbury in 1987 and fell in love with its bucolic landscapes, farms and open space. Diana looked for involvement in conservation and open space protection. By chance, in 1996, she was asked to help the grass roots organization Keep the Woods. She worked doggedly with a dedicated team that successfully preserved the Ethel Walker Woods; an accomplishment she says was the most fulfilling of her life. Diana joined a SLT committee in support of efforts to preserve George Hall’s farm. She joined the Board of Trustees in 2014.
Along with gardening, hiking and alpine skiing, cycling is one of Diana’s favorite activities. Furthering her efforts to build a better community, Diana is a member of Simsbury’s bicycle/pedestrian advisory committee and is a key contributor to town’s efforts to elevate its status as a Bicycle Friendly Community. She also volunteers for Simsbury Free Bike and the Farmington Valley Trails Council.
Diana remains passionate about land preservation and is proud to be a Trustee for the Simsbury Land Trust. Her membership allows an expanded involvement in the SLT’s preservation efforts and stewardship of the land.
Bob Palmer, Vice President
Bob is a long-time supporter of the Simsbury Land Trust and started volunteering in 2018, along with his partner Brett, as trail stewards for the Tulmeadow Farm and Woodlot property. In 2021, he joined the Board of Trustees and became Vice President in 2022 with a focus on fostering landowner relations. Bob’s interest and enjoyment of the outdoors began in his childhood with family vacations focused on camping, hiking and fishing and developed further in his young adult life when he began seasonal employment with the state parks in Simsbury and surrounding towns. As a result, Bob has long recognized the value and importance of the amazing natural resources available to the Simsbury community and enthusiastically assists in trail maintenance and other projects on SLT properties as needed to help preserve, protect and enhance public access. He is currently the Director of Plant and Facilities for the Town of West Hartford and the West Hartford Board of Education.
Katie Piccirillo, Trustee
Katie Lauder is a local physical therapist, avid hiker, and backpacker. Katie first became enamored with the outdoors as a child when her parents took her on road trips to National Parks. After college, Katie found a love for hiking and backpacking - luckily this is a love that she also shares with her husband Rocky and dog. Katie moved to Simsbury in 2014 in part due to the wonderful trails and open space that Simsbury has to offer. Katie is passionate about taking care of Simsbury’s land for aesthetic, recreational, and environmental reasons.
Camilla Thompson, Trustee
A loon’s eerie, wavering call is one of Camilla’s earliest memories. Growing up on a lake in Central Maine, she was surrounded by the habitats of great blue heron, osprey, and common loons. Long after she left the area, she witnessed the environmental changes of this habitat and the challenges its decline presented to local plant and animal life. Fast forward to 1997 when she and her husband, Paul, relocated from inner-city Pittsburgh to a Simsbury home abutting acres of park a stone’s throw from the Metacomet Trail,. Her interest in and awareness of Open Space and natural habitats reemerged and she experienced first hand the incredible legacy of the Simsbury Land Trust.
Between raising a family and teaching at Northwestern Connecticut Community College, she became involved with the SLT as a steward and volunteer. She enjoyed the mentorship of Jim Ray in identifying and removing invasive species as well as the company and leadership of many who led hikes on the trails in Simsbury and the Farmington Valley. She remains involved in many town organizations and looks forward to supporting the mission of creative land conservation solutions for present and future generations. When not on the Metacomet Trail, you can find her on the golf course, the platform tennis courts, or kayaking the Farmington River.
Susan Van Kleef, Trustee
Susan’s interest in nature was nurtured when she was a young child living in Cleveland. She would beg her parents to take her to the Cleveland Zoo and Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Many years of summer camp out in the country, looking for signs of wildlife and sleeping under the stars, immersed her in nature and cemented her appreciation for the value of open natural spaces. Susan has been a science educator for over 25 years. During that time she has taught science to ages pre-school through college. She presently teaches 8th grade at the Middle School of Plainville. She joined the SLT Board in 2012.
Susan chose to move to Simsbury in 1996 because of all the open space. Susan started working with the Simsbury Land Trust because they have been so effective in preserving open space and she wanted to be part of the effort in the future. She was involved in preserving the Ethel Walker Woods with Keep the Woods and is a member of the Simsbury Clean Energy Task Force.
Margery Winters, President
Margery and her family moved from Chicago to Simsbury in 1986 and she brought with her training in geology, hydrology, and soils and prior work in environmental impact assessment at Argonne National Laboratory. In Simsbury, Margery raised her children and became active in a variety of organizations including the Simsbury Garden Club and the founding of the Simsbury Educational Enhancement Foundation. Margery worked for many years on water management issues with Rivers Alliance of Connecticut and has served on the Simsbury Inland Wetlands Commission since 2000. She has found her ideal job as Assistant Director of Roaring Brook Nature Center where she is delighted to be able to share her passion for science and nature with students of all ages. Margery believes the Simsbury Land Trust has a vital role in bringing a better appreciation of the importance of our natural areas to the entire community. She currently serves as vice-president of the SLT Board of Trustees.