OUR STAFF
Carla is a sales and marketing professional, event planner, and community builder. She believes in building brands through building community. You may have seen her wading into the Ipswich River to light bonfires at Illumination or recognize her from other local Ipswich businesses she has worked with. Carla lives in Ipswich with her family and spends her free time practicing and teaching yoga.
Deb Lindahl is a 27 year resident of Ipswich. She has spent many years advocating for the protection of our open spaces on the North Shore. Over the years she has worked for multiple companies in logistics, fundraising, and event planning. You can usually find her walking the many trails throughout Essex County with her black lab Bear or paddling our beautiful river with friends.
Emma is an environmental educator connected to the Ipswich community and surrounding towns. Her favorite topics to teach on –beyond the watershed, of course! – are wildlife tracking and all things decomposition. She holds a Master of Arts in Religion and Literature from Yale University and a BA from Suffolk University. In Emma’s spare time she can be found traipsing through the many trail systems on the Northshore, looking for wild edibles and funky trees. Hear more from Emma on our blog.
Erin is a native New Englander and water management professional. After previously engaging in market research in the water sector, she now focuses on implementing river resiliency plans and actions. She holds a BA from Bates College and Masters of Science in Water Science, Policy, and Management from Oxford University. Erin and her family moved to Salem in 2021. She spends her spare time restoring their historic home and exploring outdoor spaces across New England.
Gail holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Salem State University. She has been doing bookkeeping for small businesses in the Ipswich area for over 15 years. Gail has lived in Georgetown for 24 years and absolutely loves the North Shore. Her family spends a lot of time fishing in the area. Gail is glad to be working for an organization dedicated to the quality of our environment.
Leah is a graphic designer who has worked mainly for educational institutions and non-profits. She holds a degree in Literature from Antioch College, studied photography at the University of North Carolina in Asheville, and received her design education from MassArt in Boston. Having spent many years in the city, she is delighted to have relocated to Ipswich, and spends as much time as possible in the surrounding woods with her dog.
Molly is an urban planner with a passion for preserving and promoting open spaces for everyone. Her past experience includes project management, community engagement, and grant management for both nonprofit and government organizations. She holds a Masters in Community Planning from the University of Maryland, College Park. On the weekends, you can find Molly and her family exploring the beaches and trails of the North Shore.
Neil is a river enthusiast, hiker, and newfound fisherman. He holds a Master of Science degree in Geosciences from the University of Connecticut, where he researched watershed evolution in the Front Range of Colorado. Neil is returning to his hometown of Ipswich to join the team after spending 6+ years in the Pacific Northwest. He brings a passion for river restoration and his unwavering support for New England sports.
Ryan is a former high school biology teacher and middle school math and science teacher. He holds a Master’s in teaching from Tufts University, as well as Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Zoology from the University of New Hampshire, where he studied invertebrate zoology and did his thesis on earthworm physiology. As a teacher, Ryan included lessons on collecting macroinvertebrates from the Ipswich River. Ryan first joined the team as a RiverWatch monitor in his hometown of Reading. He enjoys bird watching, hiking, and generally exploring the great outdoors.
Sarah Dawson joined the IRWA team as our Restoration Project Manager. While at Tufts University, where she double-majored in environmental engineering and environmental studies, she was drawn to the Ipswich River Watershed Association by her passion for environmental conservation and restoration, ultimately spending a summer as an intern. She says, "The interconnectedness of water quality, aquatic health, and biodiversity underlines just how important it is to protect the Ipswich River." We couldn't agree more. A New England native, Sarah loves the outdoors, and is an avid hiker and camper.
Tracy is a seasoned professional nonprofit fundraiser and board member. After previously working as a Mechanical and Software Engineer, Tracy migrated her career to the nonprofit sector first serving at Groundwork Lawrence and then at Entrepreneurship for All. Tracy supported the development efforts of dozens of nonprofit organizations during the 5 years she ran her consulting company. Tracy holds a B.S. from Northeastern University and an M.S. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and earned a nonprofit leadership and management certificate from Tufts University through the Institute for Nonprofit Practice. Tracy and her husband raised their son in Reading and still live there today.