Staff

This year marks my 27th year as director and 28th year here at BOCES. I am very proud of how the program has grown from serving 6,000 students in my first year to 50,000 in recent years. It makes me feel old me when I meet parent chaperones and teachers who tell me they came to Madden as a child and had me as their instructor! How can that be, I still feel 23!

I grew up in the Catskills, but before coming here, I lived in Colorado for a year and a half where I did my graduate work. I loved living in Colorado and had many adventures hiking and camping in the Rocky Mountains!

I have had some wonderful experiences while here at BOCES including working with wolves, swimming with dolphins and manatees, working on 2 whale rescues, traveling to Belize where I learned more about the rainforest, slept on a beach and dove on some of the most beautiful coral reefs in the world.

My most favorite part of my job is the Marine Ecology Program I run in Key Largo twice a year. In the fall I take middle school students and in the spring, high school students.  Part of the program includes swimming with the dolphins and sea lions, camping on a mangrove island and spending time in an undersea habitat.

However, my most memorable experience is still the two weeks I served as an official for the sport of biathlon in the 1980 Winter Olympics.  While there I was chosen to march in the opening ceremonies, cross country skied with the King and Queen of Sweden, hung out with the famous “miracle” hockey champions and met athletes from around the world.

We have a wonderful staff, incredible programs and an amazing facility so enjoy your experience with us!

Hi, I am excited to be at Madden again for my fourth year. After four years in the program, I have gotten to know a lot of you very well and I am looking forward to seeing all of you again. This year is going to be expecially exciting for me; since I have taken on the Assistant to the Coordinator position, and now have new responsibilities and projects.

A little about me: I am from Vermont, in an area that looks a lot like Madden, with lots of trees and hills. I have a degree in Environment from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec and training in Mediation and Conflict Management from Woodbury College in Montpelier, VT. I love being outside, and am always learning new things from the children I work with. It is amazing to me how much kids know about animals and the planet.

This summer was very different than the past couple of summers for me, since this is the first time that I was not directly involved in our wonderful summer programs (although I did sometimes sneak into the camps to hang out with our amazing staff and great kids). They are incredible programs, and I love being even a small part of them!

Hi, my name is Henry; I grew up in the area on Peach Lake (a small lake in Brewster/North Salem). While I was growing up, I spent most of my time on the lake water skiing, fishing, and catching turtles and frogs. I love the outdoors and have spent a lot of time in parks and the open land in the area.

I graduated from West Virginia University with a degree in Parks Recreation and Tourism. After college I made my way back to the area and have been working as as environmental educator. Two years ago I picked a new hobby, beekeeping, and this spring I set up two hives here at Madden.

My fourth grade class came to Madden for the colonial program and I still have my Jacob's ladder. I am really excited to be teaching the programs that I loved participating in as a kid. I have great memories of Madden and can't wait to make more.

Hi , my name is Rachel. I am very excited to be beginning my first year here at Madden. The entire campus is beautiful! I can't wait to fully explore the trees, trails, insects, and wildlife that can be found in every corner. Whether hiking, biking, camping, or just playing a nice game of fetch with my little puppy Wicket, I always have a great time outside. There is just something about the outside...and now I get to work in it every day!

I was born and lived in Massachusetts until second grade. This way one of my favorite places to live because I could always find a fun place to play outside. This home was probably the source of my love for the outdoors. I have also lived in Florida and upstate New York. I went to college at Russell Sage and earned my degree in biology, environmental science and education. During college I worked at a country club in Garrison New York where I created my own summer camp program with an environmental twist. I also spent two summers working for the NYSDEC at their summer camp in the Catskills.

Hi, my name is Patti Pfister.  I joined BOCES and the Center for Environmental Education Program in May 2000.  As I begin my 9th year, I realize that many things have changed with our program over that time (the name, the logo & some staff members to name a few). But the one thing that always remains constant is the quality program and service we provide to the children of our region.

I am based at our Yorktown Campus and I am available to answer any questions you may have regarding the program. I process all state aid reimbursement for Environmental field trips and in-school consultants, as well as all environmental education professional development registrations. So please call with any questions you might have.

I have lived in Yorktown Heights for the past 23 years with my husband Tom and our son Christopher. My family is complete with Griffen, our adorable 4 year old PBGV puppy.

Hi! I'm happy to be part of the staff of the Center for Environmental Education. I greq up in Queens, NY and spent lots of time exploring the parks, beaches and other natural areas of the city with my family and friends. I still enjoy just about anything that keeps me outdoors and in touch with nature - hiking, fishing, skiing, canoeing, bird-watching and even...teaching.

I have a Master's degree in Environmental Education from NYU and have taught at the American Museum of Natural History, Central Park Conservancy and Wave Hill in the Bronx. I feel very lucky and excited to be sharing my enthusiasm for nature and the outdoors with students and teachers in this beautiful setting here at Madden and at your school.

Hello everyone!  I'm happy to be here as the newest environmental instructor at Madden.  I grew up in the Appalachian foothills of Pennsylvania, romping around through the forests and fields.  I was a Girl Scout for all of my young life, so that also encouraged my love of the outdoors.  I’m happy to find that the forested landscape of Putnam County is making me feel right at home. 

I earned a degree in Environmental Science from the University of Delaware (go Blue Hens!), and during that time I attended a domestic study abroad program at the Biosphere 2 Center in Arizona.  That program affirmed that my path in life was to be connected to the Earth. 

Since college, I've been educating in the outdoors. I've taught at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in PA, at Nature Centers in Delaware and Philadelphia, at a residential environmental education center in Rhode Island, and most recently at Sprout Creek Farm outside Poughkeepsie. Now that I've come to Madden, I'm looking forward to the year ahead!