Staff Members
KATHLEEN FARLEY, PhD (SHE/HER)
Executive Director
Kathleen Farley, PhD joined Teaneck Creek as the Executive Director in July 2022. She is responsible for volunteer management, recruitment and outreach, physical oversight of the 46 acres, program and event development, the organization's fundraising and finances, and all of the Conservancy's communication and social media.
Prior to working at Teaneck Creek Conservancy, Kathleen worked as an environmental educator, middle school science teacher, researcher, adjunct professor, and held elected offices in her union. Kathleen earned her doctorate in Biology at Rutgers University-Newark, where her focus was on ornithology and community ecology in the urban environment. Previously she earned her Masters of Biology from Montclair State University, and her bachelors degree in Natural Resource Management from Cook College-Rutgers University. Kathleen also pursued a science teaching minor and certificate in agroecology while at Cook.
Kathleen’s doctoral research investigated the potential consequences for American Woodcock when they choose degraded urban habitat options over their historic preferences for early successional mosaics. As a researcher, Kathleen has worked in a number of systems including population monitoring of declining American Kestrels in New Jersey, modeling predation pressures on Band-tailed Pigeons nesting in the Sonoran Desert, and quantifying avian biodiversity in Honduran Cloud forests.
Kathleen is looking forward to resuming her hobbies including birding, photography, hiking, and dancing. Kathleen’s current dance form is Scottish Country Dance although she’s taken classes in vintage, swing, and ballroom in the past and looks forward to more dancing when the pandemic’s reach lessens.
Stephanie Landau, MS
Conservancy Associate
Stephanie Landau, MS joined Teaneck Creek as the Conservancy Associate in March 2023. As program and volunteer coordinator, Stephanie is excited to build community and implement programs which foster the educational, cultural and natural habitat at Teaneck Creek.
As a well-being professional, Stephanie’s work and volunteer career has spanned nonprofit, academic and corporate institutions. She has served in local and regional volunteer leadership positions encompassing education, historic preservation and the arts. Stephanie has a deep background in fundraising and program development, implementation and promotion. Her training as a 200 hour certified yoga teacher, restorative yoga teacher and Mindful Outdoor Guide with the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health crystallized nature connection, mindfulness, education and stewardship as the focal point of her work.
Stephanie has studied nature/environmental education with Wilderness Awareness School and Cornell University Civic Ecology Lab as well as wildlife tracking, nature journaling, and general naturalist training with South Sound Nature School, Hawkwood College and Mass Audobon. She completed her training in May 2023 as a Morning Altars Teacher, an ephemeral eco art practice that sits at the confluence of nature, art and ritual.
She earned her Master of Science in Health Services Research and her Bachelor of Arts in Human Biology from Stanford University.
As a lifelong nature adventurer, Stephanie looks forward to weaving her story and passion to encourage and cultivate nature and mindfulness into daily living with the natural and intergenerational communities of Teaneck Creek Conservancy.
Board of Directors
PERRY ROSENSTEIN,
President Emeritus, in MEMORIAm
Perry Rosenstein was the founder of the Teaneck Creek Conservancy and retired President of the Brighton-Best Socket Screw Manufacturing, Inc.; one of the world’s largest private fastener companies. Perry is also President and founder of the Puffin Foundation, Ltd. a nationally recognized organization that supports the arts and operates the Puffin Cultural Forum. Puffin seeks to open the doors of artistic expression by providing grants to artists and art organizations who are often excluded from mainstream opportunities due to their race, gender, or social philosophy. The Puffin Cultural Forum, is the Foundation's gallery and performance space located in Teaneck, New Jersey. It's work takes place at the intersection of the arts and the struggle for human rights as it seeks to realize in the local community the Foundation's governing motto: "...continuing the dialogue between art and the lives of ordinary people". Puffin deeply believes in the crucial role that the arts play in shaping our consciousness, and the role of artists as agents of social change.
Perry sadly passed away on 4/3/2020 from the COVID-19 virus. His passion and values live on.
Executive Committee
Adam Strobel,
Board President
Adam Strobel has more than 25 years of experience in public administration focusing on planning, project management and communication. He currently serves as the Director of Open Space for the County of Bergen, New Jersey. He is responsible for identifying partnership opportunities to preserve open space land, historic sites and the creation of new parklands.
Prior to joining the Division, he served as the Chief of Staff to former Bergen County Executive William P. Schuber in a senior-level decision making role to run county government. He graduated from Cook College, Rutgers University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Media and earned his Master of Public Administration from the School of Public Affairs and Administration at Rutgers University - Newark.
Vice President
Vacant.
NEAL ROSENSTEIN,
Treasurer
Neal Rosenstein is the Vice President of the Puffin Foundation. The Foundation provides hundreds of grants each year to artists and organizations that may have difficulty securing funding because of the nature of their work or due to short-changed arts budgets across the country. Neal also serves as the Government Reform Coordinator for NYPIRG, the New York Public Interest Research Group. NYPIRG is a statewide student-directed good government, environmental and social justice organization that maintains an ongoing presence in the halls of power and streets of New York.
GLADYS MILLER-ROSENSTEIN,
Secretary
Gladys Miller-Rosenstein is the Executive Director of The Puffin Foundation, Ltd .
A philanthropic organization which endeavors to open the doors of artistic
expression to those who are often excluded due to their race, gender or social philosophy. Gladys , became the director in 1980 after retiring from a twenty-five year teaching career. For the next 30 years she worked side by side with her husband Perry Rosenstein, the President of The Puffin Foundation Ltd., to help develop and watch it grow into a world wide organization. In addition to serving on the Advisory Board of the Teaneck Creek Conservancy and The Puffin Foundation’ Board she co-chairs the organization’s Eco-Art committee which is responsible for steering the artistic vision of the 46 acre park site. She is also a member of the Teaneck International Film Festival.
Board Members
Larry Bauer,
Board Member
Seizing the opportunity of making a difference, rather than just talking about making a difference, Larry is involved with many community groups and initiatives all with the goal that we live in a community that is widely diverse yet so intertwined with resources right at our doorstep that most take for granted. While many may not be able to devote the time rest assured there are those, such as this board that do what they do as it is with love and devotion for the community and future generations.
Larry has held the role of president of the Teaneck Chamber of Commerce for the past few years, has ramped up the Chamber’s annual Community Awards Dinner and has taken the Chamber on a course that is different than most other chambers in that it not only embraces the business community but also government and community, bringing everyone together. In addition he has been a long term board member of the Rotary Club of Teaneck (part of Rotary International, a non-political, non-denominational organization) serving the Teaneck Community since 1929. A few other involvements include active participation in the steering committee of the Teaneck International Film Festival, Commissioner of the Historic New Bridge Landing Park Commission, board member of the Teaneck Creek Conservancy, Fair Trade Teaneck, Bergen LEADS. When not involved with community activities, Mr Bauer also is the CEO of a local business established in 1977.
Ravi Buddhdew,
Board Member
Ravi Buddhdew is a proud Teaneck resident for nearly a decade and resides within walking distance from the Teaneck Creek Conservancy. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ravi alongside his wife and two young children found themselves enjoying the trails off of Fycke Lane. He was thankful to have this open space to spend time with his family which transformed into the desire to support the creek. He started by becoming a "Weed Warrior" volunteer in the Fall of 2022.
Ravi is a passionate advocate for sustainability and climate change. He brings over 15 years of expertise as a packaging engineer consultant within the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry working on projects aimed at fostering sustainability. He's an engineer from Stevens Institute of Technology (B.E. & M.E.) and New Jersey Institute of Technology (M.S.). In April 2023 he completed an intense fellowship called Learning For Action with Terra.do where he had a chance to do a deep dive into the full climate change landscape learning about major issues and solutions.
He is also involved in supporting various initiatives within the local schools including influencing the incorporation of climate change education within the curriculum.
He looks forward to continuing supporting the Teaneck Creek Conservancy and community as a board member, Eco-art Committee board member and Weed Warrior volunteer.
Joe Chuman,
Board Member
Joe Chuman is a religious leader, academic, activist, writer, speaker and all around pundit.
In January, 2021, Joe retired after serving for 46 years as the professional leader of the Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County in Teaneck. Joe remains a part-time leader of the Ethical Society in New York. Ethical Societies are humanistic communities that promote the primacy of ethical values without theological foundations.
Joe has a doctorate in religion from Columbia University where he taught courses in human rights in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences since 2001. He also teaches human rights at Hunter College, and has taught at the UN University for Peace in Costa Rica, Fairleigh Dickinson University and William Paterson University.
As an activist Joe has worked in opposition to the death penalty and in support of civil liberties, human rights and many other progressive causes. He has written extensively having published in the New York Times, the Record, numerous journals of opinion, academic texts and encyclopedias. Joe publishes a newsletter on contemporary issues on Substack and has recently been recruited as a weekly commentator for LOGOS a progressive online magazine dedicated politics and culture.
Joe conducts monthly interviews with noted authors at the Puffin Cultural forum.
Finally, Joe is a lover of the outdoors, especially wilderness areas, and have camped and hiked extensively in national and state parks. He is also an avid bicyclist and and is keenly committed to preserving the natural environment.
Sarah Davol,
Board Member
Sarah Davol has enjoyed a free-lance career as a musician on historical and modern oboes for over thirty years. In addition to performing, recording, and composing Classical and crossover music, Sarah has been a long-time advocate for preserving open parklands and wilderness, expanding small farms’ viability and other environmental and human rights issues. Sarah moved to New Jersey after living in New York City for a decade where she ran a ten-concerts-a-year series at the Vineyard Theatre. She also organized a seven-year rent strike on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
In the 1990’s in New Jersey she met Gladys and Perry Rosenstein while collaborating with community members to protect Teaneck wetlands from development. In 1998, she assembled some of NYC’s top freelance musicians and got to work commissioning music to call the community’s attention to open land that was endangered. The music ensemble became known as Englewinds, and the 46 acres of land that Gladys and Perry Rosenstein led to save became the Teaneck Creek Conservancy. Both Sarah and Englewinds have enjoyed a long association with the TCC. Englewinds’ first CD Tulpe features Sarah’s composition Wulangundawa’ken (Lenape for “Peace to all People”) which was premiered at the opening of the Peace Labyrinth in the Teaneck Creek Conservancy. The CD was listed for Grammy Nomination. Other of her compositions for the conservancy include Prelude and Lament for flute and oboe, and Teaneck Creek for children’s choir, which Hawthorne Elementary School students premiered at the conservancy’s Five Pipes art installation. Sarah has served on the Eco-Art Committee of the Teaneck Creek Conservancy since its inception, and joined the conservancy’s Board in 2022.
Her hobbies include gardening, swimming, walking in parks, and visiting farmer’s markets and art museums. She is married to horn player, R. J. Kelley.
Roxana Dempsey,
Board Member
Roxana Dempsey joined the Teaneck Creek Conservancy board in May, 2024. She is a Teaneck Resident who thinks active engagement in the community is important and makes a difference in the lives of other residents.
She currently works as a part-time substitute teacher and paraprofessional within the Teaneck Public School System. Prior to her work within the public schools, she was raising her children full time. She used the opportunity with them to explore Teaneck together. She likes the diverse community and she finds opportunities where she can support her community and engage in the many things that the town has to offer such as public programs, the town’s parks–in particular the Teaneck Creek and the public library. It’s through the library that she discovered the creek with her children and has been visiting ever since. She believes the Teaneck Creek isa treasure in Teaneck that more people should discover.
In her spare time, she runs and cycles in and around town and visits parks and playgrounds with her family. She is also fluent in Spanish.
She received her B.A. Broadcast Journalism from Buffalo State College and went on to work at the Mets network, SNY, for over 7 years as an Executive Assistant. She left that position and was accepted into nursing school but put that on hold when her first child was born. She’s not sure if she’s closed that chapter for good but for now she’s keeping busy.
Brendan Reskakis,
Board Member
Brendan Reskakis was raised in Teaneck and is a proud graduate of the Teaneck Public School System. Brendan's father George was one of the founding members of the Teaneck Creek Conservancy and as a child he was actively involved as a volunteer including building the first iteration of the Labyrinth.
Brendan is committed to various local causes such as Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newark where he serves as a volunteer team leader and the Hackensack Riverkeeper where he is an active volunteer and previously served as an executive board member from 2017-2022.
Brendan is a graduate of the University of Delaware with a degree in finance and concentrations of statistics and communications. He manages a business for Bloomberg LP (a global financial technology and news organization) in NYC where he has been employed since 2010. He also has prior experience in radio broadcasting where he served as a sports announcer.
Brendan lives in Fair Lawn, NJ with his wife Meghan and their two dogs and is an accomplished distance runner.
Phil Selby,
Board Member
Philip R. Selby is a seasoned broadcast executive and technical leader. Currently Vice President of Studio Technical Operations at CBS, he leads production/broadcast operations, technological planning and implementation. Previously, Selby spent over 20 years at CBS News as Director of Studio Operations, responsible for all network news broadcasts, managing 200+ staff and overseeing multimillion dollar studio and project budgets. His prior roles at CBS included Technical Director/Manager and Video Engineer on major sports and news productions. Selby began his career as Audio Supervisor at Long Island Public TV. He holds a B.A. from Hofstra and FCC operations license. Selby has earned multiple Broadcast Technical Emmy Awards for his work on NFL, MLB, Olympics, and news coverage. His expertise spans production operations, technology integration, project management and labor relations across studio, field and special event broadcasting. He has always been drawn to the outside world of fishing, skiing, and hiking. He has been an active member of the Bergen County Audubon Society for the past 10 years.