MEET THE ADVISORS NARRAGANSETT BAY

Meet the Advisors

The Envision Resilience Narragansett Bay Challenge plans to work very closely with the communities in each selected study area and has assembled an advisory committee for the spring 2022 design studio to engage with faculty and student teams. Our advisors are experts in their field, leaders within the community and business owners who can speak to local priorities, cultural resources and values and historical context. We are incredibly grateful for their time, insight and interest.

Teresa A. Crean, AICP
Chair, Envision Resilience Narragansett Bay Challenge Advisory Committee
Director of Planning, Building and Resiliency for the Town of Barrington, R.I.

Teresa Crean is an AICP-Certified Planner who joined the town of Barrington, RI as Director of Planning, Building, and Resilience in January 2022. Before joining the town of Barrington, she served for 14 years as a community planner and coastal management extension specialist with the University of Rhode Island's Coastal Resources Center and Rhode Island Sea Grant. In this role, Teresa facilitated both state and municipal-scale projects that addressed mapping coastal hazards and communicating risk related to climate-related coastal change: storm surge, coastal erosion, and rising seas. This work employed a research and planning process that integrated the best available science with engagement among a broad range of stakeholders, decision makers and the public. Teresa also worked for non-profit regional planning commissions and for planning/design firms in the private sector. She earned a Master of Landscape Architecture (M.L.A.) from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry at Syracuse, a B.S. in Environmental Policy/Natural Resource Management from the University of Michigan.

Mary Dondero
Exhibition Curator, Artist, Professor

Mary Dondero is an artist who earned her B.F.A. at Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island where she concentrated in Graphic Design, Printmaking and Photography. Mary holds an M.A.T. from the Rhode Island School of Design and an M.F.A. from UMass Dartmouth. She is currently a full-time tenured faculty member in the Department of Art and Art History at Bridgewater State University, in Massachusetts. During her 2011 sabbatical, Mary was awarded “Artist in Resident” at Zion National Park in Utah. This resulted in a body of work titled “Perception, Time & Memory,” with one of the resulting paintings now held in the permanent collection at Zion Human History Museum in Springdale, Utah.

Mary’s artwork is regularly exhibited at Atelier Gallery in Newport, Rhode Island. Her artwork is also exhibited both nationally and internationally, and is held in several collections, including the permanent collection of Naestved International Print Studio in Denmark, Bridgewater State University, Newport Art Museum Rhode Island, Healing Arts at Rhode Island Hospital, the Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion in New Hampshire, and the Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, Colorado. In 2016, the Newport Art Museum presented Dondero’s “Small Points in Time” as a solo exhibit.

David Everett
Principal Planner, City of Providence

David Everett grew up in Providence and has worked for the Department of Planning and Development for the past 17 years. Focusing primarily in long-range planning and special projects, with an environmental, resiliency and water resources focus. Prior to that, he was a small-town planning director in Massachusetts and Connecticut, a speechwriter, a planning consultant and an environmental advocate, writing a citizens’ land use manual, local comprehensive plans, news articles and harbor management plans. His current responsibilities and projects include stormwater management planning, flood zone management, resilience planning, brownfields grant management and chairing the Providence Port/Community Working Group. David has a Master’s of City Planning from MIT, where he concentrated in environmental design and development. He is also a painter, primarily of landscapes in varying degrees of abstraction.

Dawn Euer
State Senator Rhode Island

Senator Dawn Euer represents Jamestown and Newport in the Rhode Island Senate where she is Chair of the Environment & Agriculture Committee. During her time in office, she has advocated on issues related to the environment, economic justice and women's rights. Representing a district on the front lines of climate change, Senator Euer advocates for substantial investments in renewable energy and resiliency. In 2021, she succeeded in passing the “Act on Climate,” the most comprehensive climate legislation in Rhode Island’s history. As the lead sponsor, Senator Euer developed an actionable plan to create mandatory and enforceable emissions reduction goals that chart a course to a safer future. She was honored as an Environmental Champion by Senator Whitehouse and also by Clean Water Action for those efforts.

Dawn holds a J.D. from Roger Williams University School of Law and is currently a Masters in Marine Affairs candidate at URI. She served on the boards of the Environmental Justice League of Rhode Island and Bike Newport. She also served on the Newport’s Energy & Environment Commission, advising the City Council on renewables, sustainable planning and other environmental matters. She recently participated in COP26 in Glasgow to help show the world that American climate leadership is back.

Grover Fugate
Former Executive Director of Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council
Current President of Fugate Consulting

Grover Fugate was Executive Director of the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC). In his role of 34 years, Fugate was responsible for overseeing the development of all policies and programs for the state’s coastal program. He recently was the project manager of the Council’s new Shoreline Change Special Area Management Plan (SAMP), which is a forward-looking plan at how climate change is impacting Rhode Island's shoreline and developing appropriate responses to this threat and protecting the state’s coastal infrastructure.

Due to his leadership with the Ocean SAMP project and other coastal planning efforts, Fugate has earned many significant awards, including the 2018 Regional Adaptation Leadership Award from the American Society of Adaptation Professionals; two prestigious international 2017 Peter Benchley Ocean Awards: one as winner for ‘Excellence in Solutions’ for Rhode Island Ocean Special Area Management Plan and the second for New England Regional Ocean Plan. He has also been awarded the 2017 New England Environment Business Council, Ira W. Leighton, Jr. Outstanding Environmental – Energy Technology Achievement Award for the Block Island Wind Farm Project; the 2016 Congressional Service Award for the Ocean SAMP; the 2010 Susan Snow‐Cotter Award for Excellence in Ocean and Coastal Resource Management from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Fugate is also the recipient of the 2010 Regional Sea Grant Outstanding Outreach Award, the 2008 Coastal America Award for Habitat Restoration and the 2008 Rhode Island Sea Grant Lifetime Achievement Award.

Anjelica S. Gallegos
Architectural Designer AOS Architects, Inaugural Envision Resilience Nantucket Challenge Designer

Anjelica S. Gallegos (Jicarilla Apache Nation/Pueblo of Santa Ana) focuses her architecture practice on advancing design and functionality in threatened places like the Southwest and Arctic. Gallegos works in Santa Fe, New Mexico at Atkin Olshin Schade Architects, an award-winning architecture, interiors and planning firm that is dedicated to environmental and cultural stewardship for tribal communities. She recently served as an inaugural resident at the Center for Architecture Lab where she expanded her academic research on Indigeneity and relational aspects to nature.

Anjelica is a co-founder of the Indigenous Society of Architecture, Planning and Design, with work featured in Architectural Digest, ByDesign Magazine, Landscape Architecture Magazine and Metropolis Magazine. Gallegos served as an ambassador of President Obama’s Generation Indigenous initiative, advocating for Indian and environmental priorities at the national level, including at the White House Tribal Nations Conference and United State of Women Summit. Prior, Anjelica served in public relations for the Jicarilla Apache Nation and the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad. Gallegos graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Cum Laude) in Architecture from the University of Colorado Denver. She graduated with her Master of Architecture degree from Yale School of Architecture as an Alpha Rho Chi Medal recipient.

Kimberly Korioth
Stormwater and Resilience Analyst, Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank (RIIB)
Program Manager, Municipal Resilience Program

Kimberly Korioth is a Program Manager for the Municipal Resilience Program and leads other stormwater and resilience initiatives throughout the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank (RIIB). Before joining the Bank, Kimberly completed work as a Fellow with the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council, assisting with implementation of CRMC’s Shoreline Adaptation, Inventory and Design project. She has also completed aquatic invasive species work with New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation. Kimberly holds a Master of Landscape Architecture, specializing in Ecological Design, from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and a B.A. from Boston University.

Nicole LaFontaine
Director of Planning and Development, Town of North Kingstown

Nicole LaFontaine is the Director of Planning and Community Development for the Town of North Kingstown where she has worked since 2008 (Director since 2015). Nicole has a Master of Community and Regional Planning from Clemson University and a B.S. in Environmental Design from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Nicole’s work in North Kingstown includes planning and design projects, long-range planning and land use policy initiatives, management of the town’s regulatory review process, local open space conservation and acquisition, climate adaptation and hazard mitigation planning, and economic development, marketing, and revitalization efforts. The Planning Department, under her lead, provides staff support and technical guidance to the Town Council, Planning Commission, Historic District Commission, Technical Review Committee, Economic Development Advisory Board, Conservation Commission, Wickford Advisory Committee, and Wickford Design Guidelines Overlay Committee.

Rebecca Lamond
Supervising Planner, Town of North Kingstown

Rebecca Lamond, AICP, is a Supervising Planner for the Town of North Kingstown, Rhode Island. She brings over 20 years of experience in land use, holding various roles in the Planning Department. As a supervising planner, she is responsible for facilitating the land development and subdivision review process; managing the municipal comprehensive planning efforts; coordinating grant writing and implementation; overseeing the open space preservation program; and managing special projects. From a hazards and resilience perspective, Ms. Lamond is responsible for coordinating the town’s participation in the Community Rating System program, crafting and monitoring the implementation of the hazard mitigation plan, and managing special projects with flood-related and resiliency components. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Vermont and a master’s degree in community planning from the University of Rhode Island.

Alyssa Lozupone
Director of Preservation, Newport Restoration Foundation

Alyssa Lozupone currently serves as the Newport Restoration Foundation’s Director of Preservation. Prior to this role, she worked at the Connecticut State Historic Preservation Office as a Grant and Tax Credit Manager and as the Preservation Policy Research Specialist for the Preservation Society of Newport County. In addition to these positions, Alyssa also serves as the Chair of Preservation Action’s Nominating Committee and, since 2017, has periodically taught as part of Roger Williams University’s Historic Preservation undergraduate and graduate programs.

Linda Megathlin
Photographer and Mixed Media Artist

Linda Megathlin is a photographer and mixed media artist who lives and works in a neighborhood in Warren, Rhode Island already impacted by sea level rise. A former newspaper reporter and editor and corporate communications director, she has focused her artwork in recent years on metaphorical landscapes, the ethereal nature of water and most recently, an interpretation of projected sea level rise caused by climate change in Bristol County, Rhode Island. A founding artist member, past president and currently vice president of Imago Foundation for the Arts in Warren, Rhode Island, Megathlin exhibits her work at IMAGO Gallery in Warren and in regional and national juried competitions.

She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Smith College and a Master of Science degree in Communications from Simmons College. She currently serves as a member of the Warren Arts and Cultural Commission and trustee of the Warren Preservation Society. She was chosen as a Rhode Island State Council on the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship Finalist in Photography in 1986 and participated in the National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship Program for Journalists at the University of Michigan during the 1979-80 academic year and Leadership America, Class of 1994.

Kate Michaud
Town Manager, Town of Warren

Kate Michaud is the Town Manager of the town of Warren, Rhode Island. In her capacity she manages the day-to-day operations of the municipality, including coordinating all activities of town departments, offices, committees and boards. She is also responsible for preparing and administering the annual budget and capital plans. Kate directly oversees all wastewater management operations, including the recently completed $21.7 million treatment facility upgrade project designed to reduce nitrogen discharge and create flood resilience with up to three feet of sea level rise. Kate holds a degree from Providence College and has served in municipal government since 2001. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). Kate has completed studies at the URI Institute for Housing and Community Development and participated in RISD’s Innovative Design and Public Policy Institute and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University Creating Collaborative Solutions Program.

Sofía Páez
Architect, designLAB architects
M.A Adaptive Reuse License architect in Costa Rica

Sofía Páez has been a licensed Architect in Costa Rica since 2017. It was there, when she worked on building her own studio for three years on a wide range of projects, that she found her passion for adaptive reuse in architecture. This led her to get a master’s degree in adaptive reuse in the Interior Architecture Department at the Rhode Island School of Design. She joined DesignLab architects after that. For her master’s project; incentivized by Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, she developed a project that aims to connect the cities of Newport and Jamestown by creating a pedestrian and bicycle addition using the current structure of the Claiborne Pell bridge with the intention of generating a positive impact on the community which is currently segregated. This project was presented to the communities and as a tool for the senator to allocate federal funds to improve the infrastructure of Rhode Island. The experience was shown using virtual augmented reality tools.

James Phyfe
Chief Resource Officer, Safe Harbor Marinas

James Phyfe is Chief Resource Officer at Safe Harbor Marinas where he oversees risk management and human resources. With 11 locations on Narragansett Bay, Safe Harbor is invested heavily in the health and sustainability of the Bay and its coastline. As part of his responsibilities, James oversees the company’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy and its environmental compliance department. Prior to his current role, James was a Vice President at Brewer Yacht Yard Group, a position he worked up to after starting as a bottom painter in the early 1990’s. James received his Bachelor Science from the United States Merchant Marine Academy in 1999 and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 2008. In addition to marina and boat yard work, James spent five years crewing aboard ocean-going tugboats moving oil barges along the U.S. east coast. Along with his wife and three children, James lives in Cranston and sails actively in Narragansett Bay each summer on their J/44.

Arnold Robinson
Regional Director of Planning, Fuss & O’Neill

Arnold Robinson has been practicing in the fields of historic preservation and community planning for over 30 years and is currently Regional Director of Planning for Fuss & O’Neill. His areas of focus include community planning, climate adaptation and resilience, public process design and facilitation and historic buildings and community preservation. Prior to joining Fuss & O’Neill, Arnold was Dean of Community Engagement at Roger Williams University and Director of the Community Partnerships Center, the University’s hub for community-engaged teaching and learning. He also served as Visiting Assistant Professor in RWU’s School of Architecture, Art and Historic Preservation. Arnold has also worked with Newport Collaborative Architects, focusing on managing historic preservation projects and community planning. Previously, he was Executive Director of the Providence Preservation Society, and also served as Assistant Director with responsibilities in architectural design review and assistance to neighborhood organizations and property owners. Arnold also served as Preservation Planner for the City of New Bedford, Massachusetts and as an independent preservation consultant. Arnold holds his M.A. in Preservation Studies from Boston University and his B.A. in American Studies from Bates College. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and holds certifications from the National Charrette Institute and the Waterfront Alliance.

Rachel Robinson
Director of Preservation, Providence Preservation Society

Rachel joined Providence Preservation Society in August 2017 as director of preservation. She is the former executive director of the Vieux Carré Commission Foundation and Felicity Redevelopment Inc., both located in New Orleans. Rachel holds a master’s degree in urban and environmental planning and a certificate in historic preservation from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in historical and sustainable architecture from New York University—London. She serves on the board of Preservation Action and the New England Chapter Society of Architectural Historians and is a member of the Providence Community Library Facilities Committee.

Bob Rulli
Director, Office of Planning & Community Development, Town of Warren

Bob is responsible for all planning, land use and development activities for the Town of Warren. He serves as Administrative Officer for the Warren Planning Board, provides staff assistance to the Zoning Board of Review, and provides project management and coordination for all Town projects, grant writing and grant administration. Additionally he provides staff assistance to the Economic Development Board, Voluntary Historic District Commission and Arts & Cultural Commission. He is the Town's lead on the Market to Metacom Climate Resilience and Economic Development Plan. Bob is the Board Chair for the Warren Affordable Housing Trust Fund and is responsible for the preparation of RFQ/RFPs for a wide variety of town projects and needs. He coordinates and works with other Department Heads on funding requests, purchasing requests and project management. He secured a $2 MM Congressional Directed Appropriation (Sen. Reed) for the new Fire/EMS Station. He has active interaction with state and federal elected officials, business community, business organizations and the public.

Emily Skeehan
Grant Program Manager, 11th Hour Racing

Emily spent 15 years working on coastal ecosystem restoration, climate change adaptation, and policy development at the local, state, federal, and international levels of government, as well as in the private and non-profit sectors. Experiences as a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Knauss Marine Policy Fellow and Virginia Sea Grant Fellow allowed her to focus on protecting and restoring our nation’s diverse coastal communities and resources in the face of climate change. She holds a B.A. in Environmental Policy from Middlebury College and an M.S. in Marine Science from College of William and Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

Curt Spalding
Principal, Spalding Environment/Climate Strategies

Curt Spalding is the Principal Consultant for Spalding Environment/Climate Strategies. He recently served as the Professor of the Practice for the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society. Previously, Curt served the Obama Administration as USEPA New England Region 1 Administrator and from 1990 to 2008 was Save The Bay’s Executive Director. He has extensive experience in the environmental protection field as an advocate, policy analyst and administrator. Some of his accomplishments include the development of the EPA Phoenix Award winning Save The Bay Center in Providence Rhode Island and advancing work to restore and protect New England’s iconic inland and coastal waters, most especially Narragansett Bay. Research on urban resilience was Curt’s primary area of focus at the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society. Most recently he facilitated the development of the Providence Resilience Partnership (PRP) — A non-governmental organization, the PRP convenes, collaborates and communicates regarding the impact of climate change and promotes social and infrastructure investments that build resilience and address risks and vulnerabilities associated with climate change.

Jordan M. Stone
Principal, Peregrine Group

Jordan is Peregrine Group's lead partner in the physical conceptualization, planning, budgeting, and delivery of projects. Jordan has broad experience in real estate development, construction, and project management, including successful projects throughout the United States and Mexico over the past 20 years. Some of the previously completed projects include The Ocean House, a $150 million replication of a historic beachfront hotel in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, the $56 million dollar mixed-use renovation/new construction of the former Rumford Chemical Works in East Providence, Rhode Island, the completion of The Parkside on Adams apartment building in Roslindale Square, Massachusetts and 1943 Dot Ave apartment building in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Current projects include numerous multi-family, mixed-use, medical, and hospitality projects throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Jordan has been a guest lecturer on real estate development at Harvard Law School, The Graduate School of Design at Harvard, Mass College of Art and Design and Roger Williams University. Jordan graduated from The Northfield Mount Hermon School (PG) and The University of Rochester (B.A. in Political Science). He currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras, The Rhode Island Builders Association and is a trustee at Hebrew Senior Life serving on various committees.

John Torgan
State Director, The Nature Conservancy Rhode Island

John is the State Director of The Nature Conservancy in Rhode Island. Prior to becoming State Director, John served as Director of Ocean and Coastal Conservation for The Nature Conservancy in Rhode Island and southern New England where he worked on living shorelines and other nature-based coastal resilience and erosion control strategies.

Paula Christina Viala
Urbanist/Engineer

Inaugural Envision Resilience Nantucket Challenge Designer

Paula Christina Viala is passionate about helping cities become more sustainable, resilient and equitable. Her passion for sustainability blossomed in her undergraduate years in the pursuit of her civil engineering bachelor’s, and throughout her professional career. A certified LEED GREEN Associate professional, Christina is constantly expanding her repertoire of sustainability and resilience practices. She holds a master's degree in Urban Sustainability and Resilience from the University of Miami. Her interests include sustainable development in the developing world, effective urban governance and affordable housing.

Chris Waterson
General Manager, Waterson Terminal Services

Chris has been involved in the Blue Economy for his entire professional career, starting with Waterson Stevedoring in 2003 as an equipment and facilities maintenance tech, supporting stevedoring activities at ProvPort while also attending Bentley College. After graduating in May of 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing, Chris started full time for the newly formed Waterson Terminal Services as Assistant Operations manager. Now, as General Manager, Chris is responsible for all day-to-day activities at the ProvPort facility, as well as heading up WTS’s marketing and business development programs. Chris has also expanded WTS’s operation to the Ports of Davisville and New Bedford with a focus on servicing new vehicle OEMs and the emerging U.S. Offshore Wind industry.

Placing a priority on responsible growth, Chris has developed WTS’s sustainability program through partnership with Green Marine, an industry-backed environmental certification program, including active participation in the EPA’s Port/Community Working Group and the Providence Resilience Partnership. Chris recently earned his MBA from Bryant University, graduating in May of 2017 with a concentration in Supply Chain Management and is a board member of the Propeller Club of Narragansett Bay.

Jennifer West
Coastal Training Program Coordinator, Narragansett Bay Research Reserve

Jennifer West has been the Coastal Training Program Coordinator with the Narragansett Bay Research Reserve since 2005. In this position, she develops and delivers training events and technical assistance programs for municipal officials and other decision-maker audiences on topics related to water quality, habitat protection and climate change. Jennifer has expertise in program design, management and evaluation; communicating science to diverse audiences; meeting facilitation; and planning and implementing collaborative methods for engaging stakeholders in successfully addressing environmental issues. She provides facilitation assistance to a variety of groups, from municipal advisory committees vetting and adopting new zoning ordinances to strategic planning for conservation groups, and is a trainer for NOAA Office for Coastal Management’s Planning and Facilitating Collaborative Meetings course. Prior to her position at the Reserve, Jennifer worked as an environmental educator for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, was a Marine and Environmental Teaching Fellow through URI’s Office of Marine Programs, and held positions at RI Sea Grant/URI Coastal Resources Center and the Audubon Society of Rhode Island. Jennifer has a M.S. in Environmental Sciences from the University of Rhode Island and a B.S. in Environmental Biology from the State University of New York College at Oneonta.

Camila Zablah
Urban Planner
Inaugural Envision Resilience Nantucket Challenge Designer

Urban planner with a background in traditional architecture currently pursuing a Master of Professional Science in Urban Sustainability and Resilience '22 from the University of Miami.

Rebecca Lamond
Supervising Planner, Town of North Kingstown