GCA Board of Directors

KRIS KUHN, GCA Chair

ELISAbeth Jørgensen Pendery

KRISTin DISTANTE

Jessie Stratton

Jessie has spent most of her adult life working on environmental issues including serving in the Connecticut  General Assembly for 14 years, 10 of which she served as House Chair of the Environment Committee.  She retired in 2016 after serving for five years as the Policy Director for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).  In that capacity she also helped found, and was a member of, the Executive Committee of the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA), a partnership between DEEP and UConn housed at UConn's Avery Point campus in Groton.

KRISTEN EARLS

Kristen has lived in Groton since 2016, attracted by the town's commitment to open space, its rich natural history, and cultural resources. After studying environmental science and government at Connecticut College, she spent ~20 years in New York in marketing, communications, and education - largely focused on conservation and sustainability - with the Rainforest Alliance, American Museum of Natural History, Natural Resources Defense Council, and mission-driven brands such as GrowNYC, S'well, and Folger Shakespeare Library. Most recently, she founded Weather, a growth strategy consultancy. She is focused on GCA's community engagement and advocacy efforts, and is an enthusiastic proponent of sustainable development, open space expansion and equitable access, sustainably-managed local farms and fisheries, and place-based environmental education for all ages. She received her M.A. in International Education from NYU.