BOARD OF TRUSTEES
CHAIR & TREASURER
Dalton Dwyer
Dalton Dwyer is founder and managing director of Industry Corporate Finance Ltd, a London and New York-based mergers advisory firm. Previously he worked in banking at Bankers Trust Company and Deutsche Bank in Chicago, New York and London. Dalton is a Trustee of The University of Illinois Foundation, UK. He has an MBA from DePaul University in Chicago, and a BS in Finance from The University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.
vice-CHAIR
John Coston
John Coston is a journalist with more than three decades of experience as a reporter and editor at regional, state, and national newspapers in the United States, including more than 30 years as a news editor at The Wall Street Journal. John currently is editor-at-large at two community newspapers, The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News. He is the author of two nonfiction books and has served as a trustee for the Norfolk Country Club in Norfolk, CT, and operates a sheep farm in East Canaan. He has traveled extensively to national forests and wilderness regions across the U.S.
TRUSTEE
Russell Guthrie
Russell Guthrie is a highly accomplished executive with over 35 years of experience in financial stewardship, strategy, and governance for the global accountancy profession. As the former Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director of External Affairs at the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), Russell played a pivotal leadership role in advancing governance best practices, stakeholder engagement, and the adoption of international standards across 135 countries. His career has been defined by developing innovative strategies, driving organizational transformation, and fostering global collaborations — from launching the Pan African Federation of Accountants to building multimillion-dollar partnerships supporting the accounting profession in emerging economies. Russell holds CPA qualifications in Texas and New York, is a Chartered Global Management Accountant, and is an alum of the University of Texas at Arlington and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business executive education program. He has previously served on the boards of the Martha Graham Dance Company and the Norfolk Country Club. Passionate about conservation and sustainability, Russell brings deep expertise in governance, finance, and global stakeholder management to his role on the Great Mountain Forest board, helping steward its mission and ensure its long-term vitality.
SECRETARY
Bart Jones
Bart Jones is actively involved in conservation in the Northwest Corner of Connecticut as board member and Vice President of Cornwall Conservation Trust, Inc., board member and Secretary of the Housatonic Valley Association, Inc. and Town of Cornwall alternate on the Housatonic River Commission. He retired from a 40 year practice of corporate and finance law in New York City most recently as Chief Legal Officer of the Church Pension Fund. He has served on a number of other boards in the past including the Cornwall Foundation, the Cornwall Free Library, Grace Church School in New York and the Williams Club of New York. He earned a BA in Economics at Williams College and a JD at Vanderbilt University School of Law.
TRUSTEE
Susan Caughman
Susan Caughman held a number of senior consumer marketing and editorial roles during her publishing and media career serving as Sr. VP of Consumer Marketing at Time Incorporated as well as owner of New Hope Media. Earlier in her career, Susan lived and worked in West Africa for nine years, first as a Peace Corps volunteer and later in a variety of economic development roles. Susan holds a BA from Middlebury College and an MBA from the Yale School of Management.
TRUSTEE
Anne C. Childs – Founding Member
Anne Childs, a graduate of Colorado College and Rhode Island School of Design, lives in Massachusetts. Anne has served on the boards of The Student Conservation Association, The Farm School, and High Spirit Community Farm, all organizations working to connect individuals to the land. Anne is a daughter of Edward and Elisabeth Childs and a founding member of the Great Mountain Forest Board.
TRUSTEE
Edward Calder Childs – Founding Member
TRUSTEE
Starling W. Childs II – Founding Member
TRUSTEE
Eileen Fielding
Eileen Fielding is the Director of the Sharon Audubon Center, which is the home base of Audubon’s Healthy Forest Initiative in this state and which stewards over 2,000 acres of mostly forested sanctuary land. Eileen holds a PhD in Ecology from the University of Connecticut and has taught Ecology and Conservation Biology at various institutions including the University of Chicago and Trinity College, and has had several executive positions in environmental non-profits including the Farmington River Watershed Association and the Connecticut Audubon Society. Her work at Sharon Audubon includes field work doing forest bird habitat assessments for landowners, and providing forester training in management measures that improve bird habitat.
TRUSTEE
Elisabeth Childs Gill – Founding Member
Elisabeth Childs Gill is the eldest child of Ted and Elisabeth Childs. She has served on the boards of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, Indian Mountain School, the Norfolk Library and the Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Medical Research. She resides in Norfolk, CT and she is a founding member of the Great Mountain Forest Board of Trustees.
TRUSTEE
Jeremy Koch
Jeremy Koch spent most of his professional career at Time Incorporated, where he held a variety of senior management positions in consumer marketing and brand development. Jeremy was for many years a trustee of Learning Leaders, a NYC based education nonprofit, serving five terms as the organization’s Chairman. He is currently on the board of The Clemente Course in the Humanities. Now retired, Jeremy works part-time as a volunteer financial coach with recovering addicts and is an avid musician and woodworker. Jeremy has a BA from Bennington College and an MBA from Columbia University.
TRUSTEE
Jeffrey Ward
Jeffrey S. Ward, Ph.D., received his BS (forest biology) and MS (silviculture) at The Ohio State University, and after service in the Peace Corps (Guatemala), his PhD (forest ecology) at Purdue University. He has been in the Department of Forestry & Horticulture at The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station since 1987 and is currently the Chief Scientist. His research has focused on long-term population dynamics in unmanaged forests, alternative forest management practices, control and impact of invasive species, the impact of deer damage, forest health indicators, and composition of the urban forest. He is Secretary of National SAF Silviculture Working Group, Past-Chair of Yankee Division, Society of American Foresters (SAF), secretary of the CT Tree Protection Examination Board, appointed member of the CT Invasive Plant Council, and a science advisor for Audubon CT. He has served as Chair and Forest Science Coordinator for New England SAF, and as president of the CT Tree Protective Association. He has served on the Governor’s Council for Agricultural Development, CT Urban Forest Council, CT State Vegetation Management Task Force and the CT Endangered Species Committee.
TRUSTEE
Carol Goodstein
Carol Goodstein has had an extensive career in nonprofit conservation and sustainability communications. For many years, she served as Director of Communications and Marketing for the Rainforest Alliance, a global sustainable development organization. There she led campaigns that engaged leading brands, raised public awareness and drove behavior change. She continues to consult for businesses, academic institutions and nonprofits, guiding brand narratives, audience engagement strategies and crafting content. Since moving to Norfolk in 2021, she has joined the boards of The Norfolk Foundation and is a former member of the Norfolk Land Trust. Carol earned a BA from Bard College in fine art and an MA from Boston University in communications and journalism.
TRUSTEE
Lisa A. Bowden
Lisa A. Bowden is an accomplished educational leader with extensive experience in administration, curriculum development, and instruction. She currently serves as Assistant Executive Director at EdAdvance a Regional Educational Service Center located in Litchfield, CT. Throughout her career, Lisa has championed environmental awareness and organized school district programming that incorporates experiential learning through visits to the Great Mountain Forest. She holds advanced certifications in educational leadership from Central Connecticut State University, an MBA from the University of Southern California, and a B.S. in Mandarin Chinese from Georgetown University.
TRUSTEE
Patricia Jenny
Patricia J. Jenny served as Vice President for Grants at The New York Community Trust, where she oversaw an annual $50 million grant program for New York City nonprofits and the Trust’s national environment grants. Pat is active in several nonprofit boards, including the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and the Salisbury Forum where she serves as president. Patricia received an AB in History from Brown University and a Masters in Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She resides in both Salisbury, CT and New York, N.Y.
