Catherine Rawson is the executive director of Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy, chair of the Connecticut Land Conservation Council, commissioner of the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, council member of the Land Trust Alliance Conservation Defense Advisory Council, and a Greenprint Steering Committee member. A graduate of Bates College and Vermont Law School, where she studied environmental law, Catherine also has a master’s degree in environmental management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Prior to joining Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy, she served as an assistant attorney general for the State of Connecticut.

Paul Elconin is the director of land conservation at Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy where he oversees acquisitions and stewardship.  Paul has a BS in environmental biology from Yale University and an MS in forest resources management from the State University of New York-College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF).  While at ESF, Paul researched landowner motivations for granting and satisfaction with their conservation easements, and his findings were published and distributed to land trusts nationwide.

Amanda Branson is the director of operations and finance at Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy where she oversees business operations and planning, as well as the partnership program of NCLC.  Amanda was formerly the executive director of Naromi Land Trust in Sherman, CT.  As Naromi’s first executive director, Amanda led the organization through accreditation in 2018 and 2020 merger with Weantinoge Heritage Land Trust. Amanda also led all of Naromi’s numerous stewardship initiatives and all acquisition projects completed between 2016 and 2019.  Amanda is co-chair of Connecticut Land Conservation Council’s Accredited Land Trusts working group and chair of the governance sub-committee; co-chair of SALT (Small Area Land Trusts); and a member of the CLCC Conference planning committee.

Matt is the director of philanthropy and engagement for Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy. Matt earned a BA from Vassar College in philosophy and an MA from New York University in nonprofit management. While at NYU he led student and volunteer groups throughout New York’s five boroughs, as well as across the country, and wrote his master’s thesis based on his community engagement experiences.

Matt has been a fundraising professional for the past 15+ years, serving as director of development for both the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater and Bard College. While at Bard College he helped launch their 150th Campaign to raise $500 million. He brings to NCLC extensive experience in major gift cultivation, capital campaigns, development communications, and community engagement.

Carrie Davis is the assistant director of land conservation at Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy. Carrie graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges with a bachelor’s degree in environmental science. Since that time, Carrie has devoted her career to various environmental conservation efforts. Following college, she worked for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation’s Environmental Management Bureau in Albany, New York where she led a water quality monitoring program, sampling and testing lakes and ponds at over 60 state parks. Most recently, at the Watershed Agricultural Council, Carrie managed the Croton Watershed office, where she spent over 12 years working with agricultural landowners on developing and implementing pollution prevention plans for the protection of New York City’s drinking water supply.

Kate Losey is the conservation easement manager at NCLC. Kate has a BS in wildlife ecology and French from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and an MS in conservation and landowner relations from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst. Over the past nine years, she has worked with conservation organizations including the Aldo Leopold Foundation in Wisconsin, Audubon’s California Starr Ranch, the Little River Wetlands Project in Indiana, and most recently at the Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust in Massachusetts. She specializes in invasive species management and finding drill holes. Connecting landowners and the public to methodical and science-based approaches to land management is her passion.

Elizabeth Schrang is the program administrator at Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy. Elizabeth has a BS in environmental science from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Studying environmental science sparked an interest in the connection between water quality and land use, as well as science writing. After graduating, Elizabeth interned at America Farmland Trust’s Farmland Information Center and then worked as a production editor for Wolters Kluwer Heath, Inc., a publisher of medical journals, in Baltimore, Maryland. Elizabeth has also worked on stream geomorphic surveys in Vermont. Elizabeth returned to school to study the connection between surface water and groundwater and has an MS in hydrogeology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Dawn Burdick is the bookkeeper at Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy.

Dawn brings a depth of bookkeeping experience for a wide spectrum of corporate, individual, small business, and non-profit entities to our financial stewardship.

Dawn’s personal connection to land preservation and protection is evidenced by her 14 years as Director-Administrator of integral fundraising and event capacities at the Bridgewater Land Trust. Dawn lives with her family in Bridgewater.