Category: News

Welcome Gabriella

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gabriella spitzer

they/them

environmental planner

The Horsley Witten Group is thrilled to announce that Gabriella Spitzer has joined our growing team at the Boston, MA office. Gabriella’s area of expertise and focus is climate change and resilience planning. We are excited to include them on a wide range of technical and community engagement projects.

Growing up in Sharon, MA, Gabriella learned about the connections between social justice, public health, and the environment from their experience working for an organization called The Food Project. The group focuses on youth development and racial justice through urban and suburban farming. These early experiences were formative: Gabriella’s environmental approach has always focused on how environmental issues—especially land use—relate to all other kinds of other social issues.

Gabriella earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Environmental Science at Barnard College/Columbia University in New York City and a Master of Science in Environmental Science with a concentration in planning and management at the University of Illinois in Springfield. While working for the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets they developed a program to help farmers reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and become more resilient to the changing climate. New York’s Climate Resilient Farming program is still going strong! Gabriella then worked as a consultant for FEMA helping the agency assist communities with reducing risks and becoming more resilient to climate change. Gabriella is excited to bring their years of experience in climate change resilience, hazard mitigation, climate policy, and environmental planning to HW.

Gabriella is an artist and, when they are not busy with work, enjoys painting with acrylics on canvas,  silk paints on silk, watercolors on paper, and combining them in mixed media in a new basement studio space. They developed a Haggadah for Passover called Haggadah Min HaMeitzar, A Seder Journey to Liberation published by Ben Yehuda Press. It includes a traditional text along with several kinds of commentary, including an environmental commentary, that Gabriella developed. The Haggadah features their art as well. Their next project involves art and essays on Jewish text and climate change.  

Welcome to HW, Gabriella!

 

Welcome Alex

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alex cedrone, e.i.t, esq.

Senior Engineer

The Horsley Witten Group is proud to announce that Alex Cedrone, Senior Engineer, has joined our engineering team in Exeter, NH.

A Groton, Massachusetts native, Alex grew up with an engineer parent who encouraged him to seek out career options in engineering. His love of history propelled him to a college experience centered around engineering and law with the environment  a close second. Alex loves green stormwater infrastructure and design and favors best practices for the site where possible. He has relevant experience with site work, remediation, and water treatment, along with research, zoning, site design, and soil evaluation.

Alex earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a Minor in Political Science at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and his J.D. from the Mass. School of Law. At HW, he has hit the ground running with peer reviews and school site design projects.

When he is not working Alex enjoys spending time with his wife and Milo a four-year-old Australian Shepherd  who lives for frequent long walks and hiking adventures. Alex likes to spend free time on Cape Cod, enjoys skiing, and basically spends as much time outside as possible. *Hint, he owns an Aussie! Alex is a sports fan and especially likes hockey, lacrosse, and football plus horror and comedy movies. We are glad you have joined our team. Welcome to HW, Alex!

 

Welcome (back) Gary

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gary hedman, lsp

Senior Associate

The Horsley Witten Group is excited to share that Gary Hedman has rejoined the company in the role of Senior Associate! Gary’s career spans 24 years, with experience in site assessment and remediation, contaminated materials management, sediment characterization in support of ecological restoration projects, and assisting clients in complying with local, state, and federal regulatory programs.

After 12+ years with Horsley Witten, Gary spent the last 7 years at a leading New England based engineering/consulting firm helping them to grow their Eastern MA site assessment and remediation team and contributing to their emergency response, contaminated soils management, and sites management practice. He has learned over the years that collaboration across parties and honest communication are key to building meaningful client relationships and ensuring successful project outcomes.

A life-long New Englander, Gary earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Studies at the University of Vermont. Encouraged from an early age to take a hands-on approach to problem solving, there’s nothing he loves more than figuring out a fix or finding a new hack. His roots in Vermont and on Cape Cod drive a strong sense of appreciation and love of the outdoors. Gary is excited to come back to Horsley Witten Group and to see so many familiar faces who are mission driven and committed to nature-based solutions. Gary is “off and running” on new projects and contributing to ongoing efforts. His passion for ecological restoration along with strong project management skills will benefit our clients and partners.

When Gary is not working, he’s most likely starting a new renovation or repair project around the house or lending a hand to friends and family, but his lifelong passion is skiing. He believes in “giving back” and is a dedicated member of the Magic Mountain Ski Patrol (his better half, Stacey, is also a Patroller). He volunteers with the Londonderry Vermont Conservation Commission and Village Wastewater Committee. Stacey (a 7th generation Cape Cod native) and Gary are grateful to call both Vermont and Cape Cod home and share it with her 12-year-old yellow bellied mutt from Louisiana, Cajun! Welcome back to HW, Gary!

 

EPA Contract will Support Programs to Protect Drinking Water Supplies

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Tom Noble Training

hw awarded $10 million EPA contract

hw news release

Emergency preparedness, response and recovery programs to protect public drinking water supplies

Horsley Witten Group, a full-service environmental consulting firm providing sustainable and resilient design solutions, has been awarded a five-year contract valued at up to $10 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Under the terms of the agreement, Horsley Witten Group will develop, implement and support programs to protect the nation’s drinking water and wastewater systems from natural disasters, man-made incidents, and the effects of climate change.

Working with the EPA’s Water Infrastructure and Cyber Resilience Division (WICRD), some highlights of Horsley Witten Group support will include developing emergency response training and workshops, conducting risk assessments, developing cyber risk management solutions and identifying contamination mitigation strategies for community drinking water systems.

The contract represents the EPA’s latest engagement with Horsley Witten Group since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, when the agency initiated federally mandated activity to protect the nation’s drinking water supplies against terrorist attacks.

In 2022, the EPA honored Horsley Witten Group with its Small Business Award, recognizing the organization for its exemplary customer support, technical adaptiveness, and responsiveness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We look forward to continuing our longstanding and productive partnership with the U.S. EPA to help safeguard the nation’s drinking water supplies and wastewater treatment facilities. For more than two decades we have worked closely together to create sustainable solutions to ensure that water and wastewater utilities are resilient from a wide range of natural, man-made, and nefarious threats.”
Thomas Noble, Sr. Project Manager, Principal, Horsley Witten Group

 

 Learn More 

 

Chicopee’s First Comprehensive Plan

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Chicopee Develops First-Ever Comprehensive Plan:
Envision Our Chicopee: 2040

news release

SANDWICH, Mass., December 4, 2023 – Horsley Witten Group, a full-service environmental consulting firm providing sustainable and resilient design solutions, has partnered with the City of Chicopee to develop its first-ever comprehensive plan. The community-driven plan, called Envision Our Chicopee: 2040, will guide the western Massachusetts city for the next two decades, and includes an actionable blueprint to achieve its community defined long-term vision for future growth and development.

 

Envision Our Chicopee: 2040 plan components include

  • brownfield redevelopment
  • zoning reform
  • land use and development
  • affordable housing
  • open space and recreation
  • historic preservation
  • public health, and transportation

“The beginning of a renaissance for the City of Chicopee, which is often referred to as ‘The Crossroads of New England,’ is underway and will continue for the next 20 years and beyond,” said Jeff Davis, Project Planner at Horsley Witten Group.

–  Jeff Davis, Planner

 

 

“Chicopee has conducted neighborhood-level planning in the past, but the time had come for a broader, comprehensive vision for the future of the city,” said Chicopee Director of Planning & Development Lee M. Pouliot. “Developing Envision Our Chicopee: 2040 was a remarkable opportunity to make the things we love about Chicopee even better and fix the things that need to be fixed over the course of the next 20 years. The plan prioritizes future investments in community services and infrastructure that promote fairness and equity throughout the city.”

Envision Our Chicopee: 2040 addresses several land development and socioeconomic issues affecting the former mill city that was built around distinct neighborhood centers, borders two rivers, and has significant transportation infrastructure including railways and major highway routes.

Developing resiliency solutions for the effects of climate change were included throughout the plan, as were initiatives to maintain a strong sense of diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the city, its facilities and services.

The final comprehensive plan is the culmination of a four-year effort that began in the summer of 2019 and continued throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, Horsley Witten Group worked with the Chicopee Department of Planning & Development and a Steering Committee established by former Mayor Richard Kosto to solicit feedback and input from city residents and community stakeholders. Due to pandemic restrictions, the typical planning activities and processes had to be adjusted and creative solutions implemented, including online and paper surveys, digital open houses, and use of a “meeting in a box” kit that enabled community members to lead their own small group meetings either in an outdoor setting during the warmer months, virtually or indoors according to state guidelines.

The Chicopee Planning Board unanimously approved the comprehensive plan in late September. “An immediate priority of the plan’s implementation will be a complete rewrite of the city’s zoning code, which hasn’t been substantially updated since 1974,” said Pouliot. “We need to be more creative with mixed-use development, infill development, address minimum parking standards, and consider the future of the exclusive single-family only Residential A District.”

In addition to Chicopee, Horsley Witten Group has participated in the long-term planning processes for more than a dozen New England municipalities, as well as communities in Arkansas, Hawaii, Maryland, and South Carolina. The Horsley Witten approach to comprehensive planning begins with compiling a complete inventory of existing conditions that serve as the foundation for analysis and public education. An engagement process is then initiated to determine and articulate a community’s values and priorities, culminating with an implementation plan that incorporates best practices, science, and innovation.

View the Plan

Comprehensive Planning

 

Welcome David

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david alfred

staff scientist

The Horsley Witten Group is happy to announce that David Alfred has joined our wetlands and engineering team in Sandwich as a Staff Scientist. A Rochester New York native, David grew up learning about ecology in the Finger Lakes region raising crayfish and tadpoles and enjoying fishing with his family. In college he started out studying human biology and medicine but changed to biology and chemistry with a conservation focus soon after his first year.

David earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology with a Minor in Chemistry at the State University of New York College at Oneonta (SUNY) and his Master of Science in Conservation Biology at Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vermont. David has experience with good laboratory practice (GLP) and has acquired many technical skills like hydrographic surveying, and trench and excavation competence to name a few.

David has completed several internships in New York and Florida. He was a Research Fellow at SUNY Oneonta Biological Field Station in Cooperstown and a Biologist Technician for the US Fish and Wildlife Service in Hobe Sound, Florida. He has held positions as a Field Research Director, Turbidity Technician, and an Environmental Technician Survey Party Chief.

When he is not working in the field, David enjoys disc golf, exploring new places, hiking, fishing, drone work, and learning more about the Cape Cod environment as well as travelling both for work and personally. Welcome to HW, David!

 

HW Partners with Town of Mashpee to Restore Chop Chaque Cranberry Bog

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PRESS RELEASE

SANDWICH, Mass., November 14, 2023 – Horsley Witten Group, a full-service environmental consulting firm providing sustainable and resilient environmental design solutions, has partnered with the Town of Mashpee, the Massachusetts In-Lieu Fee Program, and the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration to restore the former Chop Chaque cranberry bogs to healthy, thriving wetlands similar to what they were prior to conversion to cranberry farming approximately a century ago.

There are two cranberry bogs at Chop Chaque totaling 6.5 acres that are situated on a nearly 12-acre town owned parcel of land adjacent to Santuit Pond. The cranberry bogs have been out of production for approximately four years.

Since cranberry cultivation has become more economically challenging in recent decades for farmers on Cape Cod, many have opted to retire bogs and place the land under conservation easement protection. Municipalities and other conservation entities that acquire the land or the conservation easement for these retired bogs often seek to restore them to something similar to the natural wetlands that existed prior to the conversion to cranberry agriculture and that will better support complex ecosystems and associated habitat. Ancillary benefits, such as improved nutrient management, are also often realized.

 

“It is a major trend and for good reason – restoring cranberry bogs to their natural state benefits the environment, encourages the return of wildlife and rare species habitats and contributes to the health of our waterways,” said Horsley Witten Group Principal Scientist Neal Price. With no restoration, intervention frequently fails to allow for recovery of wetlands systems with wetland functions and values similar to what would have existed prior to the original establishment of cranberry agriculture.”

The Chop Chaque project is being funded through a $525,000 In-Lieu Fee Program allocation from the Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game.  Horsley Witten Group was responsible for assessment of the Chop Chaque site, developing designs for restoration, which will include removal of the excess sand that had been added periodically over the decades of agriculture, filling artificial ditches, roughening bog services, removing a culvert that connects Santuit Pond to the bogs, and permitting of the project. Final design, construction, and post-project monitoring are still to come. Construction work on the Chop Chaque restoration project is expected to begin during the fall of 2024 and be completed in approximately two to three months.

 

“We look forward to once again working with Horsley Witten Group on this important ecological restoration project,” said Mashpee Conservation Agent Andrew McManus. “The organization and its team of talented and accomplished environmental scientists have worked with the Town of Mashpee on a wide range of projects including culvert replacement, dam repair and planning, and permitting processes.”

Horsley Witten Group has also managed or participated in other local cranberry bog restoration projects in Mashpee, Falmouth, Marstons Mills, Plymouth, and Yarmouth.

 

Welcome Ava

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ava schully

environmental engineer

The Horsley Witten Group is happy to announce that Ava Schully has joined our engineering team in Boston as an Environmental Engineer.  An editor, teaching assistant, mentor, musician, athlete, and engineering student are only a few of her former roles. Her experience with numerous technical programs as well as technical skills and presentation experience with state organizations make her a well-qualified addition to our group.  

Ava earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in environmental engineering and urban studies from Brown University. At Brown, Ava  helped an engineering professor to understand the music side of articles he 

peer reviewed for scientists addressing the relationship between fluid mechanics and music. She also served as the editor of the urban studies department newsletter. Ava completed internships at the Nature Conservancy in Providence as a coastal restoration scientist and as a team leader for data analysis on a Coronavirus visualization team remotely. She presented the team’s findings to several environmental organizations including the Sierra Club.

Ava has a strong interest in sustainable agriculture and food system efficiency. Her work with the RI Commerce Corporation as a food strategy intern and the Farmlink Project as a logistics coordinator has prepared her well for future project work. She is currently helping out with stormwater peer reviews, watershed delineation, and work on a river model.  

Ava plays the cello, which she started practicing at age six along with her twin sister who started on violin. She is a long-distance runner who as a teenager participated in cross country running and enjoys cooking with her father who is a chef and specializes in seasonal cooking practices. Ava plays soccer as a striker in a co-ed pick up league and hopes to find a spot in a community orchestra. We hope you do too Ava, and we are glad that you are part of our group.
Welcome to HW!

 

 

Horsley Witten Group Appoints Nathan Kelly President

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NEWS RELEASE

Planning Industry Veteran to Lead Environmental Consulting Firm:

SANDWICH, Mass., June 20, 2023 – Horsley Witten Group, a full-service environmental consulting firm providing sustainable and resilient design solutions, has announced the appointment of Nathan “Nate” Kelly to the position of president.

Kelly succeeds Richard Claytor, Jr., P.E., who will remain with Horsley Witten Group as senior water resources engineer and will continue to serve on the company’s board of directors. Claytor led the firm for over a decade and is a prominent leader in the stormwater management field.

An accomplished environmental planning professional, Kelly joined

Horsley Witten Group in 2001, most recently serving as the firm’s principal planner and leading its Providence, R.I. office.

Kelly has been instrumental in the growth of Horsley Witten Group during the past two decades, having provided professional planning, zoning and facilitation services to more than 50 municipalities throughout New England. He is also widely recognized as a leading expert in the disciplines of comprehensive planning, affordable housing, regulatory reform, village and downtown planning, low impact development and watershed assessment.

In his new role, Kelly will assume overall responsibility for Horsley Witten Group’s strategic planning, business administration, financial management, marketing, business development, DEI efforts and human resources.

“The environmental, economic and social challenges facing our communities are considerable and only getting more urgent as the effects of global climate change take hold,” said Kelly. “I look forward to leading Horsley Witten Group and our world-class team of environmental engineers, scientists, and planners to create and implement sustainable solutions that mitigate the effects of and adapt to climate change.”

“Nate is a perfect choice to usher in the next era of environmental stewardship and growth for Horsley Witten Group,” said Claytor. “His collaborative leadership style, experience and proven expertise in developing solutions for a wide range of issues will serve Horsley Witten Group well, now and into the future.”

Kelly holds a bachelor’s degree in English and philosophy from Boston College and a master’s degree in urban and environmental policy and planning from Tufts University.

He was appointed to the Rhode Island State Legislature’s Land Use Commission in 2021, and regularly provides training services for the Cape Housing Initiative and MassHousing. Kelly has also served as president of the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Planning Association.

 

 

Welcome Bobby

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Robert J. Esposito III

CAD technician

The Horsley Witten Group is proud to announce that Bobby Esposito has joined our engineering and landscape architecture team as a CAD Technician in Sandwich and Providence. We are hopeful his role will grow into a CAD Manager position. Bobby’s current assignment will ensure that all CAD drawings meet all of our standards by ensuring they are accurate, consistent, clear, and presentable. A Smithfield, RI native, Bobby’s past experience includes a traffic/transportation internship at a prominent engineering firm, and an architectural CAD Technician position at Brown University.

Bobby earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering Design & Configuration Management and two Master of Science Degrees in Data Analytics and Engineering Management from Johnson & Wales University at the Providence, RI campus.  Bobby was a member of the JWU National Society of Leadership & Success Program, JWU Emerging Leadership Program, and the Alpha Beta Kappa National Honors Society.

In his free time Bobby enjoys playing basketball and watching New England professional sports. He enjoys being active and can often be found leading all types of landscaping projects. Hiking is also a favorite activity, and we look forward to sharing our holiday hikes and other activities with him. Welcome to HW, Bobby!