Board of Directors
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors of Aton Forest provide strategic guidance and oversight. It’s comprised of leaders with expertise in conservation, research, and community engagement. They work to ensure that the organization’s initiatives align with our mission.
PRESIDENT & HEAD STEWARD
Billy Gridley
Billy has focused for two decades on sustainability and on the protection and study of nature. He believes that radical collaboration between people, communities, businesses, policy-makers and NGOs will be critical to rising to effectively meet “wicked” 21st century systemic challenges, including climate change, nature/biodiversity loss, healthy and fair societies, and income inequality. The former treasurer of Great Mountain Forest, a 6,000-acre working forest in Norfolk, CT. Also, the former president of the Doolittle Lake Company a 2,300-acre forested owners association in Norfolk (Aton Forest’s neighbor to the west). Former director of Ceres, Inc. a nonprofit climate change organization. Former climate editor of Climate & Capital Media. Former Senior Advisor, the Investment Integration Project. Current Member of the Investment Committee of Coldspring Harbor Laboratory, Coldspring Harbor, NY, and Managing Member of Benedict Partners, a sustainable investment consulting firm. Formerly he worked for two and half decades in investing on Wall Street for Goldman Sachs and other firms.
VICE PRESIDENT
Thomas Murtha
Thomas (‘Tom’) O. Murtha serves non-profit organizations focusing on biodiversity conservation and regeneration as well as the systemic risk from global heating, ecological degradation, and wealth inequality. These organizations include This is My Earth, Preventable Surprises, Global Carbon Reward, among others. After Tom retired from The Nature Conservancy (TNC) where he managed corporate engagement with extractive industries, he has continued work that focuses on energy, mining, and infrastructure issues related to energy and resource development. Earlier in his career in finance, Tom worked as an analyst and investment banker in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and New York for the investment bank Jardine Fleming. At T. Rowe Price Associates in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, Tom was a portfolio manager for the International Stock Fund and the Global Technology Fund. At Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, Tom is a part-time adjunct lecturer on sustainable finance and investing.
TREASURER
Rick Golin
Rick has been involved in healthcare sales, marketing, product, and business management for 49 years in the USA domestic and international markets. He is one of the four founders of Sensus Healthcare and is currently retired. Rick also runs our Hunting program at the Egler Preserve in North Norfolk.
SECRETARY
Benjamin Cowie-Haskell
Ben was with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for 29 years working to protect special ocean places such as the Florida Keys and Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuaries. He served as the Deputy Superintendent for Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary located in Scituate, MA. His responsibilities included facilities and vessel management, management planning, maritime heritage resource management, fisheries policy, enforcement coordination, international marine protected area coordination, and diving. Prior to coming to NOAA, he worked at a variety of marine labs on the East Coast and received his Master’s degree in marine and coastal policy from the University of Maryland in 1997. He co-edited the book Ecosystem Health: New Goals for Environmental Management published by Island Press in 1992. Ben grew up in Colebrook on 130 acres adjacent to Aton Forest and one of his first jobs was pruning trees for Dr. Egler.
Andy Gregory
Former Secretary of Aton Forest. Former Board Member of the Indian Valley YMCA 2001-2005, program committee chairperson 2003-2005. He is an outdoor enthusiast with special interests in conservation and wildlife biology. When he is not exploring outdoors, he works as a Family Nurse Practitioner at an orthopedic spine clinic. He and his wife, Rosanne, live in West Hartford.
Grant Mudge
Founding partner of Broad Field Farm LLC grower of world-class tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables, Former President of the Norfolk Country Club, President of the Norfolk Lions Club, Board member of the Norfolk Land Trust, volunteer EMT and safety Officer of the Norfolk Lions Club Ambulance, member of the Gifts and Finance Team of the Congregation Church, member of the Board of the Norfolk Hub, former member of the Norfolk Farmers Market Committee, local musician with the Mudgetones.
About Us
Learn about our mission and history to see what drives us.
Learn More
Read about the other members behind the scenes.
Emeritus
Elizabeth Corrigian
Glenn D. Deyer
P. Robert (Bob) Moeller
Paul Lagel
In Memoriam
Frank E. Egler 1911-1996
Happy Kitchel Egler 1912-1978
William A. Niering 1924-1999
Michael W. Lefor 1943-2000
Roland C. Clement 1912-2015
William Urban 1952-2019