Our Board
Roy Najecki, Glocester
President
roy@najecki.com
Roy is a Rhode Island native originally from Warwick. He’s held many titles: Eagle Scout, former budget manager for the Leviton Mfg. Co, former Board President of the Rhode Island Land Trust Council, Trustee of the Glocester Conservation Commission and Glocester Land Trust. Roy lives in West Glocester where he shared 25+ happy years with his late wife Debra, and continues to enjoy time with their Yellow Labrador Retriever ‘Daisy’.
Roy holds a BS in Accounting from Bryant College, joined the WRWC board in 2010 and became Board President in 2014.
Scott Geller, Smithfield
Vice President
geller6980@gmail.com
Scott Geller works with DXC Technology, driving data and analytic strategy for Rhode Island Medicaid. He is a resident of Smithfield, is an active adult leader for Boy Scout Troop 1 Greenville, and spends his free time fishing in the rivers he helps steward.
Scott holds a BS in Marketing & Management from Northeastern University, a Masters in Decision Sciences from Georgia State University, and he joined the WRWC board in 2014 and became Board Vice President in 2018.
Christopher Riely, Providence
Treasurer
christopher.riely@gmail.com
Christopher Riely is a forester and watershed manager for Providence Water, the public utility from which most Rhode Islanders get their drinking water. He is also Board President of the Rhode Island Land Trust Council and a Senior Fellow of the Environmental Leadership Program. Christopher lives on the West Side of Providence only a short distance from the Woonasquatucket River.
Christopher holds a BA from Tufts University, a Masters in Forestry from Yale, and an MBA from URI, and he joined the WRWC board and became Board Treasurer in 2015.
Zane Silva, Providence
Secretary
zaneula@my.uri.edu
Zane was born and raised in Providence, RI and continues to live just a short distance from the Woonasquatucket River. They have worked with the WRWC since 2010 starting as a Junior River Ranger, then as a Senior River Ranger, and now contributes through their board membership.
Zane is active in the community through the music and arts scene. They can be found drumming with the Providence based band, What Cheer? Brigade.
Zane has a BS in Environmental Natural Resource Economics from URI, joined the WRWC board in 2016 and became Board Secretary in 2018.
Steve Bautista, Narragansett
Marketing Specialist
Steve is an award-winning, independent creative director and writer with extensive experience in developing marketing campaigns for some of the world’s best-known brands. He is expert at creating high-level strategies and translating them into marketing tactics that get actionable results. Most recently, Steve has worked with climate scientists at NOAA and NASA in Washington D.C., to devise awareness campaigns that deal with the implications of climate change and how it affects all of us.
He has created television and print campaigns for Timberland, Cannondale, Stihl, Ocean Spray, Fidelity, FootJoy, and the Boston Globe, among others. Previously, Steve served as an Executive Creative Director at Arnold Worldwide and as a VP at Mullen Advertising, both in Boston.
Steve joined the WRWC board as an at large member in 2017.
Donald T. Burns, Smithfield
At Large
Don Burns and his wife Joan built a house in Smithfield, RI on Georgiaville Pond in the Woonasquatucket Watershed in 1966. He soon started his involvement with efforts to improve water quality in Smithfield including forming a group to bring sewers to the town. He joined the Smithfield Conservation Commission in 1977 and has been its chair for over 30 years. That led to helping to start a land trust in Smithfield and joining the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council (WRWC) in the mid-1990s.
Don joined the WRWC board in 2001 and served as Board President from 2005 to 2015. Don is now happy to be just a member of the board of the WRWC and watch newer members take the leadership and add to the achievements of our group.
John Flaherty, North Smithfield
At Large
John is Deputy Director of Grow Smart RI, a statewide nonprofit founded in 1998 that provides policy research, development and advocacy to advance urban revitalization and sustainable economic and community development. John’s policy work is focused on the synergies of land use, economic development and public transportation as well as incentives that drive private investment to achieve public goals. A resident of North Smithfield, he served for several years on the North Smithfield Planning Board and Ordinance Review Committee, chaired the town’s Redevelopment Agency and was elected Town Council President in 2012.
John joined the WRWC board as an at large member in 2018.
John P. Hake, Franklin, MA
Fishery Biologist
John is retired from Fidelity Investments where he was VP of Systems Analysis. John started his career as a Fisheries Biologist working for the Cooperative Fisheries Research Unit at UMASS Amherst and then at Ichthyological Associates in Delaware working on environmental impact of the Salem, NJ nuclear power plant.
After changing his career to technology, then retiring, John is going back to his roots and volunteering at the WRWC. John currently runs the WRWC spring migratory fish count and electrofishing assessment programs for the WRWC.
John holds a BS in Fisheries Biology from UMASS Amherst. John joined the WRWC board in 2014, served a term as board Vice President and now serves as an at large member.
Brian Platt, Johnston
At Large
Brian is Director of Annual Giving at Moses Brown School, a Nursery-12 independent school in Providence. He has been a fundraising professional since 2006, and has worked in the nonprofit arts and education sectors in a variety of roles since 1994.
A resident of Johnston, he has served on the Boards of Wilbury Theatre Group, the Pawtucket Arts Festival, and the Pawtucket Lions Memorial Foundation.
Brian joined the WRWC Development Committee in 2021, and joined the Board in 2022.
Laureen Ratti, Exeter
Development Committee Chair
Laureen joined the WRWC board October 2013 and leverages her extensive corporate financial services experience to support the organization’s sustainability and mission. Laureen is a retired Fidelity VP, past small business owner, and an active WRWC event volunteer.
Laureen joined the WRWC board in 2013, has served two terms as Secretary and has sat as Development Committee Chair since its creation June 2016.
Tina Shepard, Providence
At Large
After 25 plus years working in the nonprofit sector in Providence, Tina now works as the Community Engagement Specialist in the Providence Police Department’s Community Relations Bureau. After serving as the Director of Community Initiatives at ONE Neighborhood Builders in Olneyville, Tina found herself passionate about “All Things Olneyville”, and now serves on the board of three Olneyville service organizations, including WRWC.
She credits WRWC with educating her around environmental issues and the importance of green space. Tina is an Olneyville resident and enjoys walking her dog Flex daily at Riverside Park.
Tina received a B.A. in History from Rhode Island College and a M.S. in Nonprofit Organizational Management from Springfield College. Tina joined the WRWC board as an at large member in 2018.
Douglas A. Stephens, Johnston
At Large
Doug retired from the commercial insurance industry as a safety and loss control consultant. He actively volunteers for various local environmental/conservation organizations, including: Audubon Society of RI; Neutaconkanut Hill Conservancy; URI Watershed Watch Program; and the Johnston Historical Society.
Doug joined the WRWC board as an at large member in 2016.
Jack A. Gold, Providence
In Memoriam 12/2017
Board members may also be contacted via Alicia Lehrer, WRWC Executive Director.