Abbott tapped as HVA’s new executive director

The Cornwall-based Housatonic Valley Association has named Timothy B. Abbott as its new executive director. He succeeds Lynn Werner, who retired on July 1.
Provided
The Cornwall-based Housatonic Valley Association has named Timothy B. Abbott as its new executive director. He succeeds Lynn Werner, who retired on July 1.
CORNWALL — Following a six-month national search, the Board of Directors of the Housatonic Valley Association has selected Timothy B. Abbott, a well-known conservation leader in the region, as its new executive director.
Abbott, 57, succeeds Lynn Werner, who retired on July 1 after 42 years with the Cornwall Bridge-based organization and 30 years as its executive director.
Abbott, who has been a resident of North Canaan since 2002, has focused on conservation leadership for 27 years in western Connecticut and eastern New York, with national and regional nonprofits, including 17 years at HVA, where he most recently served as conservation director.
James H. Maloney, search committee chair and president of the HVA board of directors, said Abbott was selected from a field of about 60 applicants from all over New England and one from the West Coast.
“We actually narrowed the field down to Tim and one other. Tim became the clear choice when it became clear that no one had a stronger background,” said Maloney. He noted that the process of utilizing a formal search committee “was done deliberately, looking at the highest standards.”
The committee, he said, narrowed candidates down to a dozen, and from that, five were selected for interviews, then the field was narrowed down to two, Abbott and one other. “The board really did think over this decision very carefully,” Maloney explained. “We are convinced that Tim is the strongest candidate and the best candidate for us.”
The HVA Board of Directors, said Maloney, is highly confident that Tim will make a “dramatic and substantial contribution” to the wellbeing of the tri-state Housatonic River Watershed as HVA’s new leader.
“It is going to be an exciting time working with Tim and making, we hope, very significant progress. He has huge experience in environmental conservation and in the work that an organization like HVA does. He also has a tremendous network of people that he knows in the community at large. It’s a great and unique combination of professional skills and personal relationships that are so valuable.”
Referring to the overwhelming response from applicants, Maloney said HVA is a very well-regarded organization in the environmental community. “It’s not a position that comes up very often, so there was a lot of pent-up interest.”
Abbott said he is grateful that, in the end, the board was enthusiastic about his candidacy. “Now there is no question in their minds. They had a chance to kick the tires,” he said of the search committee’s full vetting and national search.
“It allowed the board to think hard about what they want in Lynn’s successor, and for the organization, and it has allowed me to present a strong case for my vision of HVA, said Abbott. “I am very grateful that in the end, the board was enthusiastic about my candidacy.”
Land protection work began with the Nature Conservancy
Abbott is a well-known and respected conservation leader who grew up in Dutchess County, New York, and began his land protection work with The Nature Conservancy in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts.
He is an appointed member of Connecticut’s Natural Heritage, Open Space and Land Acquisition Review Board and a member of the Steering Committee of The Nature Conservancy’s Staying Connected Initiative.
During his long tenure with HVA, Abbott championed the federal Highlands Conservation Act, and he represents HVA as Connecticut’s nonprofit member of the four-state Highlands Steering Committee.
A skilled fundraiser, effective advocate and creative problem solver, Abbott created and led HVA’s Litchfield Hills Greenprint Collaborative, an innovative regional conservation partnership among northwest Connecticut’s land trust community. He holds an M.A. in International Development from Clark University and a B.A. in English from Haverford College. He was the winner of a J. William Fulbright Scholarship in 1997.
Abbott said this is a time of tremendous opportunity for HVA and conservation urgency for the region. “The climate crisis is a paramount concern, and HVA’s Follow the Forest and Clean, Cold & Connected conservation programs represent vital and effective ways to make an impact at local and regional scales.”
He noted that he is excited to work closely with his HVA colleagues, its board, supporters and conservation partners to advance these and other conservation initiatives across the watershed and beyond.
“I have been working in conservation within this tri-state region and focused on this geographical region since 1995. I have institutional knowledge and fully recognize the conservation goals. I am ready for this level of leadership.”
Vast watershed impacts tri-state region
The 1,248-million-acre Housatonic River watershed encompasses parts of 83 communities in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York and contributes 11% of the fresh water that enters Long Island Sound. It includes habitats as ecologically diverse as fens and seepage swamps, extensively forested uplands and a tidal estuary.
Some of its villages have fewer than 2,000 people, while more densely populated areas and significant cities include Danbury, Waterbury and Pittsfield. The intersection of human communities with natural ones is at the core of HVA’s work and the organization specializes in strategic, collaborative conservation action with a wide range of partners.
“HVA’s strategic plan for climate adaptation and resilience,” said Abbott, “recognizes the need to adapt bridges and culverts to accommodate both increased water flow and wildlife, to protect and connect forest habitat and allow for safer wildlife passage between them, to enhance riparian area and wetland conservation and to ensure that everyone has access to nature, wherever they live in the watershed.”
HVA has always been solution-oriented, said Abbott, “and that will serve us well as we and our conservation partners advance this vital work.
‘An essential partner’ for NW Corner land trusts
John Landon, committee chair for the Salisbury Association Land Trust, said he feels Abbott is “the perfect choice” to lead HVA and advance its goals.
“I have known Tim for many years. Over that time, he has been razor focused on preserving the important ecosystems in the Northwest Corner and beyond. He has always been available to assist local land trusts in identifying the most important parcels in need of protection and then helping secure necessary funding,” said Landon, who noted that Abbott’sstrong connections with state and federal agencies has frequently helped overcome bureaucratic obstacles.
“He can be very persuasive in a friendly, non-confrontational way that advances the region’s conservation objectives. Without Tim’s help,” said Landon, “the Salisbury Association Land Trust would not have been able to protect several important parcels.
Shelley Harms, co-president of the Norfolk Land Trust, executive director of Cornwall Conservation Trust and Conservation Director of the Salisbury Association, said she is thrilled to hear about Abbott’s appointment.
“Tim is an essential partner for the land trusts of the Northwest Corner. His relationships with the state and other important funders brigs grant dollars to our area for land conservation,” said Harmes. “He has a deep understanding of the ecology and the history and the economy of our towns and the Housatonic River Watershed.”
Waterlily (8”x12”) made by Marilyn Hock
It takes a lot of courage to share your art for the first time and Marilyn Hock is taking that leap with her debut exhibition at Sharon Town Hall on Sept. 12. A realist painter with a deep love for wildlife, florals, and landscapes, Hock has spent the past few years immersed in watercolor, teaching herself, failing forward, and returning again and again to the page. This 18-piece collection is a testament to courage, practice and a genuine love for the craft.
“I always start with the eyes,” said Hock of her animal portraits. “That’s where the soul lives.” This attentiveness runs through her work, each piece rendered with care, clarity, and a respect for the subtle variations of color and light in the natural world.
After painting in oils earlier in life, Hock returned to art when she retired from working as a paralegal with a goal: to learn watercolor. It wasn’t easy.
“Oils and watercolor are opposites,” she explained. “With oils, you build your darks first. In watercolor, if you do that, you’re in trouble.” She studied online, finding instructors whose approach clicked, and adapted to the delicacy of the medium.
“When I’m working, everything else falls away,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what’s going on in life. While I’m painting, time disappears.”
Her studio, formerly a home office, is now her sanctuary and the pieces in this exhibition are the result of three years of that devoted studio work. While this is her first full public show, Hock previously tested the waters at a small fundraiser at Noble Horizons, where one of her pieces sold. That experience — and the consistent encouragement from her family, especially her husband — pushed her to pursue a full exhibition. With gentle encouragement from her husband and family, Hock reached out to the Town Hall’s curator, Zelina Blagden. “My husband kept saying, ‘You’re as good as all those other people out there, why not show your work?’” And so, here it is.
All paintings in the show are for sale, though Hock admits a few are priced high — not because of their size or complexity — but because she’s not quite ready to let them go. “There are a couple I’ve priced high because I’m not sure I want to part with them. But we’ll see,” she laughed. “It would be nice to support the habit a little bit.”
As for aspiring artists or anyone hesitating to begin something creative, Hock’s advice is simple: “Go for it. If it fails, toss it in the basket and start over.”
The exhibit will be on view at Sharon Town Hall through Oct. 31 with an opening reception on Sept. 12 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.
Carissa Unite, general manager of Oblong Books in Millerton.
Carissa Unite of Millerton, began working at Oblong Books 16 years ago as a high schooler. She recently celebrated her eight-year anniversary as the general manager.
Unite’s journey at Oblong began even before she applied for her first position.An avid reader from a young age, she was a frequent customer at the store. During those years, Unite bonded with a former employee who encouraged her to apply for a position after connecting over their shared love of reading.
As a teenager, Unite enjoyed reading Ellen Hopkins, John Green and Ann Brashares. With the busyness of adulthood, she now favors the convenience of audio books. In the past year, however, she has made it a point to read more physical books.
With a preference for contemporary fiction, she raved about “Atmosphere” by Taylor Jenkins Reid. The story, set in the 1980s, follows two women who become astronauts at a time when women were not widely accepted in the field. A beautiful love story emerges between the two characters. Unite described the writing as sensational and commended Reid’s ability to tackle complex themes without them being muddied.
Unite has developed a deep appreciated for classic literature. Her two favorites are “Giovanni’s Room” by James Baldwin and “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde. She was amazed by the philosophical nature of both words and the way their dialogue challenged her perspective.
In an effort to read beyond her preferred genre, she recommends the following:
“Some Desperate Glory,” by Emily Tesh, “Midnight Rooms,” by Donyae Coles and “Clear” by Carys Davies.
For Unite, the beauty of reading lies in its power to develop perspective, empathy, and compassion. Through books, readers learn that everyone is fighting different battles and no two stories are the same. She encourages people to choose kindness because you never know what someone else is facing.
Above all, reading brings Unite peace. If offers transcendence to another world, a pause from outside noise, and for Unite, it is where she feels most at home.
For anyone hesitant to being reading, Unite suggests: just do it! Read 10 pages a day and find the book that speaks to you. Any Oblong staff member would be happy to offer recommendations.
Oblong is located at 26 Main St., in Millerton and 6422 Montgomery St. in Rhinebeck.
Photographer Sarah Blodgett displayed her prints on canvas at the Souterrain Gallery of The Wish House during the Open Studio Tour in Cornwall.
The weather was perfect on Saturday, Aug. 30, for the 19th annual Artists’ Studio Tour in Cornwall, held each Labor Day weekend.
Organizer David Colbert said, “It has become quite a tradition.”
Colbert’s studio was one of 10 on this year’s tour.His large geometric works line a sculpture walk near the studio, which those on the tour were welcome to enjoy.
Another stop was at Tim Prentice’s barn and studio. Prentice is famous for his kinetic sculptures, which were on display in the barn and surrounding fields.Now in his 90s, Prentice held court in his nearby studio.With his eyesight failing due to macular degeneration, he has turned to drawing.
Prentice recently completed “a series of trees before the leaves come out and obscure the structure.I do them from memory.” Drawings on display in his barn were being snapped up by tourgoers, with profits going to help fight macular degeneration.
At the Souterrain Gallery of the Wish House, first-time tour participant and basket maker Tina Puckett sat outside demonstrating her art. Inside the gallery, her unique baskets were on display. “I think the studio tour is great for the public and for us,” she said.
Also, at Souterrain, another first-timer, photographer Sarah Blodgett, showed her work. Photographs printed on canvas were vibrant with colors.She said she works on these in the winter when she can’t be outside doing wildlife photography which, is “near and dear to my heart.”There were samples of that as well.
Other artists on the tour included shoemaker Lauren Brinker, photographer Stephan Sagmiller, potter Sanah Peterson, painters Magaly Ohika, Emily Waters, and Debby Jones, photographer Nick Jacobs, and poet/artist Sally Van Doren.
The tour is a unique opportunity to chat with artists, view and purchase their work, and see their studios.
For more information go to: https://cornwallct.org/event/cornwall-open-studio-2025/