Citizens United is a volunteer, nonprofit corporation dedicated to the preservation and protection of the Maurice River watershed for the enjoyment of this and future generations. Founded in 1979 by local residents and incorporated as a charitable organization in 1986, we now number over 430 memberships.

Our membership is quite diverse, including biologists, teachers, lawyers, builders, historians, trappers, engineers and many others. This diversity affords us the opportunity to work in close contact with other environmental organizations, benefiting from their knowledge and expertise. We participate in many local, state and national cooperative conservation programs and serve on numerous government committees. Our members are also involved in keeping land trusts updated on possible land acquisition projects.

Citizens United members enjoy continued success in achieving our goals of funding projects that will enhance our natural resources and protect the river from misuse. These successes renew our commitment to educate the public about the area and work toward the elimination of present or proposed land and water uses that could damage this valuable watershed.

Officers
Jane Morton Galetto, President
Berwyn Kirby, Vice President
Tony Klock, Treasurer
Irene Bird, Assistant Treasurer
Donna C. Dailey, Recording Secretary
Karen Johnson, Corresponding Secretary

and Trustees
Ethan Aronoff
Sue Fenili
Leslie Ficcaglia
Richard Jones
Tom McKee
Joanne Murphine
Ed Pio

Associate Director
Renee Brecht Scagnelli

Officers, Trustees Emeritus and Co-founder
Tom Brown
Keith Chain
Steve Eisenhauer
Donald Fauerbach
Curt Hartenstin
Molly Hollingshead
Glenn Ewan
Cheryl Howell
Robert Johnson
Dorothy Lang
Barbara Ann Logan
Gladis McGraw
Barbara Strauss
Stephen Testa
Tammy Wetzel

Connie Jost Memorial Art Scholarship
Tricia Dufford, Chairwoman

Osprey Colony Managers
Eddie DiPalma, Peter Galetto & Kenny Pacitto

Key Advisors
Todd Heck, Esq
Larry Merighi, AIA
Donna Vertolli
Clay Sutton
Gerry Moore, PhD.
Christine R. Raabe

We would be remiss not to mention the cooperation and assistance we have received from various municipal and county planning and development staffs since our inception.

Conservation efforts for which Citizens United has been a catalyst are numerous. Many of these ideas and plans needed the proper organization or agency to implement them. The New Jersey Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife; The Nature Conservancy; National Park Service; Natural Lands Trust; New Jersey Audubon Society; U.S. Fish and Wildlife and others have helped make our plans and dreams a reality.

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Citizens United to Protect the Maurice River and Its Tributaries, Inc.

Officers

President-Jane Morton Galetto was instrumental in the incorporation of Citizens United in 1986. As President, Jane coordinates various studies performed by experts in flora and fauna, organizes volunteers in construction of habitat projects, arranges meetings with various land trusts and local property owners on land acquisition projects, conducts river tours for interested groups, and gives conservation presentations to school and civic groups. In addition to local efforts, she chairs the New Jersey Endangered and Nongame Species Advisory Committee and sits on the Fish, Game and Wildlife Council (both are advisory to the New Jersey Division of FG&W, DEP). Jane is a member of New Jersey's Freshwater Wetlands Advisory Committee. She serves on the boards of The Stockton Alliance, New Jersey Audubon, NJ Conservation Loan Program*, The Nature Conservancy Bayshores Program and previously on the South Jersey Land Trust. She has received numerous State and National awards for her conservation contributions. Jane has a degree in secondary education in social science from Elizabethtown College.

*Part of the Open Space Institute’s NJ Loan Program funded by Geraldine Dodge Foundation

Vice President-Berwyn Kirby, a graduate of Penn State University, is one of the founders of Citizens United to Protect the Maurice River and Its Tributaries, Inc. (1979). Berwyn recently retired from 35 years of teaching and is a recipient of a Congressional Certificate of Recognition for his efforts as a Teacher of the Handicapped. He has been in teaching for 30 years. Berwyn has personally created permanent wildlife preserves on the Menantico River. He has sacrificed endless hours for the area's resources through wildlife management projects, testimony before boards, property protection, letter writing, The Nature Conservancy preserves monitor, and more. Berwyn also serves as a trustee of the organization.

Corresponding Secretary - Karen Johnson is well known for her interest in birds and nature; she shares her enthusiasm with others in an inspirational way.  An Associate Naturalist for the NJ Audubon Society's Cape May Bird Observatory since 2002, Karen leads walks at the northern end of Cape May County at places like Jake's Landing and Belleplain.  In Cumberland County her winter hikes at Turkey Point and spring meanders at a variety of locations are a much-sought-after experience.

For many years Karen has been involved in the Purple Martin and Raptor/ Eagle Festivals.  In 2007 she was a key leader for the three student education days which are held just prior to the Eagle Festival.  This year, during these Raptor Recovery Days, over 500 students were introduced to birding and other habitat interpretation by CU leaders.

The NJ DEP Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program has used Karen's keen birding skills to assess the population of Red Shouldered and Cooper’s Hawks as well as Barred Owls and Black Rails in the Southern NJ Bayshore Region.  She also has completed a census at both Buckshutem and Peaslee Wildlife Management Areas for breeding grassland birds. Beginning around 2002 she has surveyed American Woodcocks for the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge.

Karen lives with her husband, Brian, in Eldora where they have created a special backyard habitat which attracts many bird, butterfly, insect, turtle and frog species.  In August up to 100 migrating Ruby-throated Hummingbirds search for nectar in their yard.  She and Brian have opened up their property to educate others about ways they too can provide a haven for local and migrating wildlife species. We are lucky to have so dedicated a naturalist on board.

Treasurer - Tony Klock is a 4th grade teacher in Voorhees, NJ. In additon to his work with CU, he currently serves on the board of trustees of the Bayshore Discovery Project. Tony is a 16 year volunteer firefighter in the Port Norris Fire Company. He and his wife Marcia have led student groups overseas as part of the People to People Student Ambassador program for the past 8 years. He is a founding member and officer in the Camden County Academy of Teaching and Learning. In his spare time, Tony enjoys bird watching, gardening, and natural studies.

Assistant Treasurer-Irene Bird is a retired elementary school teacher. At the RD Wood Elementary School in Millville, NJ she was instrumental in the creation of an urban habitat project, translating her love of gardening to the schoolyard. In her honor the school named the garden “Bird’s Nest.” This garden is a centerpiece in an urban revitalization project. Many neighborhood members participated with pride in the creation of this jewel. Irene has been active in Millville’s Shade Tree Commission, the Millville Women’s Club and the Countryside Garden Club. She is also a member of the Cumberland County’s Juvenile Conference Committee and Child Placement Review Board. In 1999 she was selected as teacher of the year for the Millville School District, and she was featured in NJEA Review Magazine. She is a graduate of Glassboro Teacher’s College (now Rowan University). Born in Latvia, Irene is proficient in Russian with some German and Latvian expertise. She raised her family in Millville. Her hobbies include gardening, embroidering, cooking and baking.

Past Corresponding Secretary-Mary Lou Barbose is a retired secondary school administrator; she was employed by Southern Gloucester County Regional School District for 35 years and retired as curriculum Supervisor/Assistant to the Superintendent. Mary Lou is one of our osprey stewards; she monitors the progress of a pair of ospreys and their hatchlings on a platform near her home.

Past Treasurer - Gerry Barsotti has a host of interesting life experiences. She was a senior software engineer for the FAA, worked as project manager and marketing manager at various engineering firms that specialized in DOT work, and had a brief foray into her own engineering firm serving as consultant/ subconsultant on several FAA systems/ software engineering projects.

Gerry presently teaches accelerated math to middle school, manages a number of rental properties, and still sometimes serves as consultant on government projects.

Gerry is a certified personal fitness trainer and group exercise instructor. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Temple University with a minor in secondary school education, and did her engineering studies at Drexel University while working for the Naval Air Development Center.

Gerry was an active scout leader and is very involved in philanthropic activities. In her spare time, she enjoys travel and outdoor activities especially biking, hiking and camping.

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Trustees
Ethan Aronoff is the Director of Human Services for Cumberland County helping to oversee several contracts derived from $5.2 million in federal and state funding coming into the county for human service providers. He taught social studies for nine years and was executive director of the Millville YMCA for five years. He has held several appointed and elected public management positions, notably: two terms on the Millville City Commission. He has also participated on the planning board and an ad hoc master plan committee. He is also an advisory board member of The Nature Conservancy which oversees nearly $7 million. He was a town manager in Maine and Massachusetts. He has written columns for local newspapers. Ethan has held positions with United Way, Millville Public Library, Shade Tree Commission, First United Methodist Church, Maine Audubon - Penobscot Valley Chapter (president), Scout Merit Badge counselor and committeeman, Millville Kiwanis Club, Bayshore Discovery Project, several work related committees and boards, several national conservation groups.

Steve Eisenhauer has been Regional Manager for the Natural Lands Trust since 1998. He previously was Director of Stewardship for The Nature Conservancy’s Delaware Bayshores Office, District Manager of a wood & yard waste recycling company, Operations Manager for the Cape May County MUA’s Solid Waste Program, and Realty/Reclamation Specialist for the Indiana Dept. of Natural Resources Abandoned Mineland Reclamation Program. He has served in various volunteer positions with the Sierra Club, Great Egg Harbor Watershed Association and American Kiteflyers Association. His education includes a B.A. in English from Indiana University, an M.A. in Natural Resource Management from Ball State University, and a Master’s in Public Policy from Rutgers University. Spreading the word about water quality and quantity issues is one of his consuming objectives.

Sue Fenili Family, students and the environment - no three words could better describe the priorities of Sue Fenili.  She is a teacher who places students’  “sense of place” first and foremost.  Learning in Sue’s classroom is a pride-building experience which involves the defining  of self within a person’s community.  Concern from both a civic and environmental perspective are of primary importance in her curriculum. The self esteem and community pride are evident in all the classroom interactions and in every thank-you note that visitors receive from her students.  Sue is modest about her achievements, be it in establishing Kids Against Pollution, acting as an Environmental Commissioner or Shade Tree Committeewoman in Vineland, winning a County Teacher of the Year Award, or contributing to many Educational Committees including CU’s Down Jersey - Celebrating Our Sense of Place.  

But she holds nothing back when asked about her occupation, remarking ,“I have the best job in the world; imagine getting paid for what you love.  I’m a teacher and I have the best students!”  Visiting her class will make a believer out of the most skeptical individual: “Yes, being a teacher is – terrific, cool.”  On her bio she describes herself as being “just a little wife, mother and teacher who loves nature, who is a proud teacher of third graders at Silver Run School (Millville).”  But to those of us who know her best, she is a world-traveler zip-lining atop the rain forests of Costa Rica, skipping among butterflies and poisonous snakes to help scientists in far-off lands on Earthwatch vacations - but most importantly she is a Teacher Extraordinaire.

Leslie Ficcaglia is a returning trustee, having acted briefly in that capacity in 1987-88. For almost twenty years she served as a member of The Maurice River Township Planning Board, was its chair for the last seven years of her tenure, and continues as vice-chair of the Cumberland County Planning Board. She was a member of the Wild and Scenic River Task Force, a trustee for the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions; she is Cumberland County’s appointee to the Pinelands Commission and chairs its Personnel and Budget committee. She also sits on the county Tourism Council; serves as chair for her township’s Environmental Committee; and is a member of The Nature Conservancy’s Delaware Bayshores Advisory Council. Because of her interest in fostering ecotourism as a means of protecting the area’s resources, Leslie developed and maintains a website about the Maurice River area. Retired from her former profession as a psychologist, she is presently a portrait artist, and she was the founding chair of the board of the Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts. For her individual contributions Leslie was awarded a 2003 EPA's Environmental Quality Award. Leslie has a bachelor’s degree from NYU and a master’s degree in psychology from Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington. Her biography appears in Who’s Who in America. Her husband, Tony, is part of the Delaware River Keeper water testing program.

Richard Jones is a New Jersey licensed professional engineer and certified municipal engineer. He has a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering and Construction Technology from Temple University. Richard is employed by the City of Millville, NJ as Assistant Municipal Engineer. His primary responsibilities are the planning, design, and management of municipal projects from implementation through completion. In his 30 years experience with the City, Richard has worked on a diversity of projects including civil and building construction, transportation systems, utility distribution, parks and recreational facilities, urban site design, and waterfront development. His primary responsibilities over the past decade have been the planning and design of Millville's urban infrastructure that serves the Glasstown Arts District including downtown streetscapes, public plazas, waterfront park, boardwalk, public marina, and bikeway trail. Richard also participates regularly in planning and environmental studies and works closely with state and federal agencies on various permitting and regulatory issues. He presently serves on the Northeast Wild & Scenic Rivers Partnership and participates in the Delaware Estuary Program. He previously served on the Federal Wild and Scenic River Study Task Force for the Maurice River and its Tributaries and was instrumental in the development of Millville's Local River Management Plan. Richard has a special interest in waterfronts, and over the past 20 years has independently studied the planning, design, and economics of numerous waterfront communities and projects throughout North America.

Berwyn Kirby (see Vice President)

Gladis McGraw is a school secretary for an elementary school in Millville. She is the catalyst behind the construction of a public wildlife garden between Wood Elementary and St. Mary Magdalen Regional Schools in Millville. Gladis coordinated the volunteers on this project. The wildlife garden has the potential to reverse some negative trends in its urban setting. It represents pride of place, an area in which Wood School continues to make great strides. In 2003 Gladis was given the Millville Chamber of Commerce's highest honor, the Pride in Millville Award for her tireless efforts to make improvements in the Third Ward section of Millville. This is an urban area in which Gladis is a leader in bringing about positive social changes. Additionally her grade school added her to the Wall of Fame reserved for graduates who have notable accomplishments.Gladis serves on the Neighborhood Watch program. Gladis also has a Realtor license.

Tom McKee is a resident of Mauricetown. He is a 25 year veteran of the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, working in the areas of hazardous of waste cleanup, watershed  management, and geographical information systems. A graduate of Rutger's Cook College with a degree in Environmental Science, Tom currently works in environmental consulting assisting clients in matters related to hazardous waste cleanup and wetlands permitting. As an amateur birder and a folk musician, Tom has found many friends who share his enthusiasm for nature and music among the members of Citizens United.

Joanne Murphine is a "worker". Joanne is quite literally our Jack of all trades. Presently she works for the Millville Board of Education as a full time "special education" teacher aide at Rieck Ave. School.

Joanne's main devotion has been to the youth of Cumberland County. She has been involved in the 4 H program for over 30 years working numerous county and state events. In 2001 she was chosen as one of the top five leaders in the state of New Jersey.

In the past years she has coordinated many guest speakers for CU meetings and is a regular Bayday CU booth participant.

Joanne's husband Frank is part of the Delaware River Keeper water-testing program. Both Joanne and Frank are hooked on fishing and as a result have a deep concern for water quality.

Ed Pio- Ed's life began as a "farm boy" in Vineland, NJ. He has been involved in the sportsman community since childhood training his beagle.  Now as an adult he still has a passion for being an outdoorsmen.  He is actively involved in the NJ Sportsman Federation where he is a key player in the annual sportsmen clean up.  In this annual event volunteers clean thousands of acres of NJ DEP wildlife management lands.  He also serves on the Wildlife Conservation Corps. 

He attended Montclair State College graduating in 1970.  His first job after college was with Wheaton Industries; he left there to become assistant manager at the Landisville Fruit Growers Cooperative.  He left the coop to begin his teaching career at Bridgeton HS.  At Bridgeton he served as legislative chairman for the teacher's union.  He also served on the board for Junior Achievement for Cumberland County.  In 1976 he received an award for Outstanding Young Men of America and that same year he left Bridgeton to teach and coach at Highland Regional HS where he remained till his retirement in 2002. 

Each summer he returns to his roots working on "the farm."  He and his wife Donna have lived in Millville since October 1976 and have raised two children Joann and Daniel.  Donna is also a retired Millville teacher who continues to work on a part time basis as a teacher mentor in the Millville School District, where she regularly observes and assists teachers to improve their instructional skills.

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Key Members, Advisors and Coordinators

Todd Heck, Esq. is our attorney. His expert advice and representation of Citizens United has been invaluable to the organization. His and his wife Maureen's love of the outdoors is impetus enough for him lend his professional talents to our cause. Todd and Maureen have biked, hiked and canoed vast portions of South Jersey and the Philadelphia area, and they have recently walked across England. Todd has served Citizens United with the same enthusiasm and intellect that he gives to all his endeavors.

Larry Merighi, AIA, is a licensed planner and architect as well as a local developer. Larry has reviewed and critiqued projects and municipal plans, providing guidance on open space and land protection. Larry has developed conceptual plans for a number of interpretive and conservation projects. Often his investigatory studies have enabled projects to proceed beyond the conceptual stage to become a reality.

Tricia Dufford is chairwoman of the Connie Jost Memorial Art Scholarship Program. She recently retired from the Millville School system where she taught art, and she is currently active at the Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts. She leads the popular program, “Tuesdays with Tricia” and is a glass artist and interpretive / narrator at Wheaton Village Glass Factory. In 2002 Tricia and Jane Galetto were awarded a Encore Award by the South Jersey Cultural Alliance for the work they have done in establishing the Jost Scholarship and contributions to documentaries.

Donna Vertolli, President and owner of Design Advertising, has volunteered her invaluable expertise on brochures, advertising, stationery, and newsletters. Her knowledge and artistic talents have helped Citizens United achieve a level of prominence.

Edward DiPalma and Peter Galetto are local builders. Each has his own construction business. They have jointly coordinated our osprey project for over 20 years.

Steve Field is owner of a yard service. Steve is an expert in plant identification and has helped our consultant botanist from Vanderbilt on many occasions. Steve is responsible for identifying most of the Southern New Jersey state record trees, and assists in leading area tours for the Philadelphia Botanical Society.

National Park Service and American Rivers - both of these organizations have been of enormous assistance to the mission of Citizens United.

Donald L. Fauerbach was a co-founder of Citizens United in 1979. Mr. Fauerbach also served as a trustee. He is the recipient of numerous awards for his community service. Since 1992 he has been the executive director of the New Jersey Conference of Mayors.

Robert Johnson, a veteran of World War II, having served in France and Germany, received his BA and MBA from Cornell University and is a retired financial consultant for Merrill Lynch. For many years Bob was a Product Director for Johnson and Johnson. He was Co-Chairman of Commercial Township's environmental commission, and Vice Chairman of the municipal planning board. He advised PSE&G on their Estuary Enhancement Program for the municipality. Bob worked on an ecotourism guide for Commercial Township, and assisted in developing a natural resource inventory. He has been involved in both our osprey and wood duck habitat projects. He is on the vestry of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Bridgeton. Bob's wife Laura volunteers for the Bayshore Discovery Project.

Christine R. Raabe, Education Director. Christine has a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from Cook College, Rutgers University and a Comprehensive Science Teaching certificate for K-12. Christine's experience in the field of education has included: interpretive specialist for New Jersey's Division of Parks and Forestry, high school science teacher, curriculum development, and workshop facilitator for Project's WILD, Aquatic WILD, WET, Learning Tree, and Homes for Wildlife. Recently, much of her focus has been on watershed education through involvement with numerous groups and agencies that use this "ecological address" as a meaningful unit to involve people in their "special place." Christine became involved with Citizens United in 1998 with the development of "Down Jersey - Celebrating our Sense of Place." Although she resides in Central Jersey, she has embraced our region and its unique features and qualities through her continued participation in Citizens United's educational activities. Christine continues to promote "Down Jersey - Celebrating Our Sense of Place" through organizing and facilitating workshops, as well as through her professional affiliations with statewide environmental education initiatives.

Renee Brecht Scagnelli coordinates our volunteers in a multitude of projects ranging from trail trimming, school and member field trips to fundraising. She also coordinates the set up of our teacher workshops that are taught by professional consultants.

Her interests include spending time with her two children, amateur botany, local history, herptiles, and playing her violin. She has a Bachelors in Social Science and has completed a number of workshops and courses offered by te NJ DEP, the Pinelands Preservation Alliance, and Cook College. She is a volunteer with US Fish and Wildlife Service for the Adopt-a-Swamp Pink program. Renee is an outdoor enthusiast and enjoys hiking, camping, and kayaking as well as cultural pursuits.

Barbara Strauss is the financial secretary at Memorial High School in Millville. A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, she has also been a tax preparer for H & R Block for 17 years. She has been a member of the Union Lake Sailing & Tennis Club since moving to Millville 18 years ago and enjoys sailing, sailboarding, and tennis. She has served in a number of different offices for that organization. As an outdoor enthusiast, Barbara is a member of the Rails to Trails Conservancy and roller blades and trail bikes when she can.

Steve Testa, CPA served as treasurer for Citizens United from 1986-2004 and he continues to serve as our accountant. He has volunteered his expertise to Citizens United for over 10 years. With his expert advise we were incorporated in 1986. We feel fortunate to have such a knowledgeable and talented individual help us with our financial affairs. Steve handles accounts for a number of non profit organizations and municipal entities.

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