Summit Speakers

Adrienne Esposito

Executive Director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment

Adrienne holds a degree in geology and environmental science from Long Island University, C.W. Post campus. She is a co-founder of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE) and has worked on numerous environmental campaigns over the past 30 years. She has crafted campaigns to engage the public on environmental protection issues including but not limited to upgrading failing sewage treatment systems, protection of drinking and surface water, remediation of toxic plumes, stewardship of land and water, reduced pesticide application, support for large scale renewable energy projects like offshore wind, and many more. She is widely considered to be an expert on drinking and coastal water issues and has earned many awards in those areas.

Adrienne will be moderating the Summit’s plenary panel “Showcasing Clean Water Projects & Resources.”

Carol DiPaolo

Water-Monitoring Coordinator, Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor

Carol DiPaolo is the Water-Monitoring Coordinator and former Programs Director for the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor (CSHH). She has been a staff member of CSHH, a nonprofit environmental organization, since 1991. In 1992, she developed CSHH’s citizens' water-monitoring program for Hempstead Harbor and continues to coordinate the program. DiPaolo has represented CSHH as a member of the Citizens Advisory Committee (and, formerly, chairperson of the Communications Subcommittee) for the Long Island Sound Study and various municipal and other advisory committees. She was also previously an editor-writer, managing various projects for major publishers, and a former teacher. She was co-editor of Hempstead Harbor: Its History, Ecology, and Environmental Challenges (CSHH, 1998). She may be contacted via e-mail at carol@thecshh.org.

Carol will sit on the plenary panel and present on ”Linked in to Restoring Hempstead Harbor: Creating Partnerships for Success.”

Through collaboration and partnership, Hempstead Harbor has progressively seen an improvement in water quality. The Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor has a long history of advocating for the harbor and more than 30 years conducting a water-monitoring program that focuses on improving water quality for the harbor. This has led to creation of critical partnerships and brought about the opening of shellfish beds in 2011 and, more recently, aquaculture monitoring and oyster gardening. The secret key ingredients: time and money!

Dr. Christine Gilbert

Assistant Professor, Stony Brook University

Dr. Christine Gilbert is an assistant professor at Stony Brook University with a joint appointment in the School of Communication and Journalism and the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. Dr. Gilbert is a social scientist who researches public perceptions of scientific topics such as climate change, renewable energy, and extreme weather events. Her work is focused on improving communication about uncertainty between scientists and the public.

Christine will sit on the plenary panel and present on “Communicating Clean Water Success and Progress.”

Dr. Gilbert will provide a brief overview of the current research focused on communication about successful environmental mitigation projects to stakeholders and community members. She will also discuss the empirically tested best practices for successful environmental communication that are applicable for organizations, governments, community groups, and individuals.

Holly Drinkuth

Director or River and Estuary Conservation, The Nature Conservancy

Holly has worked closely with partners and stakeholders in the northeast for over 20 years to help more people appreciate and protect the many benefits healthy lands and waters provide. Focusing on community and landscape connections, natural resource protection, conservation planning and science communication Holly helps identify solutions that tackle conservation challenges. In 2016, Holly was elected Connecticut co-chair of the EPA’s Long Island Sound Study Citizen’s Advisory Committee. In this role, she leads a coalition of 30 organizations advocating for adequate and equitable public funding and action to restore and protect a healthy and resilient Long Island Sound ecosystem.

Holly will be giving the Summit’s opening remarks “Long Island Sound Water: Highlighting Progress & Opportunities.”

Michael Yeosock

Principal Engineer, City of Norwalk Dept. of Transportation, Mobility and Parking

Michael Yeosock is the Principal Engineer for the City of Norwalk Department of Transportation, Mobility, and Parking. Prior to the formation of this department in 2019, Mr. Yeosock had worked in various capacities with City of Norwalk Department of Public Works for over 25 years. Mr. Yeosock is certified as an Envision Sustainability Professional by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure and as a Diplomate - Water Resource Engineer by the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers.

Michael will sit on the plenary panel and present on “Webster Street Parking Lot Green Infrastructure Project.”

In 2019, the City of Norwalk secured a LIS Future Fund grant to install green infrastructure in the Webster Street Parking to reduce the impacts of stormwater on the Norwalk River and Harbor and mitigate local flooding of surrounding businesses through the installation of underground infiltration structure, bio-retention structures, porous concrete, and plantings. The project is estimated to remove 12 lbs. of nitrogen and preventing over 6 million gallons of stormwater from entering Norwalk Harbor annually.

Richard Groh

Chief Environmental Analyst & Stormwater Coordinator, Town of Babylon Dept. of Environmental Control

Richard Groh has 38 years’ experience in the public and private sector in the protection, enhancement, cleanup, restoration and improvement of the environment including surface waters, groundwater, wetlands and open space. Employed at the Town of Babylon since 1986, Richard’s extensive career has included the development and implementation of watershed and stormwater management plans and programs, wetland restoration and construction of stormwater treatment wetlands.

Richard will sit on the plenary panel and present on “Development of the Bandalong Bandit Litter Trap at the Carll’s River.”

Pursuant to a generous donation by the Save the Great South Bay/Stormwater Systems the Town of Babylon was the first Town in Suffolk County to deploy the Bandalong Bandit Litter Trap within a waterway, a tributary of the Carll’s River to capture floatable materials including plastics impact the water shed and ultimately the Great South Bay South Shore Estuary Reserve.