Ramsay Adams, Executive Director
Ramsay is engaged in all aspects of Mountainkeeper’s work, including shaping programs and campaigns, guiding the team, and cultivating strong relationships with allies and strategic partners in the Catskills and across NY State. He is a member of NY State's Catskills Strategic Planning Advisory Group, which is charged with protecting the Catskill Park's natural resources while making sure the growing number of Park visitors have a welcoming, accessible, and inclusive experience. Ramsay sits on the Advisory Board of Hudson Riverkeeper, serves as a Trustee of the Catskills Fly Fishing Museum, and is a founding partner in the Catskill Brewery, which produces craft beer in a green building awarded the US Green Building Council’s LEED Gold Certification. He's also a film and television music supervisor, author, and educator. Ramsay received a BA in History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and he lives with his wife and kids in the beautiful Sullivan County Catskills, where his family's history is many generations deep.
Kathleen Nolan, Senior Research Director
Kathleen Nolan, MD, MSL, is Mountainkeeper’s Senior Research Director working out of our Woodstock, NY office and focusing on issues related to the health impacts of fracking and fossil fuel infrastructure, in addition to spearheading our work in the Catskills High Peaks region. Kathy majored in philosophy and theology at Saint Louis University and graduated with honors, going on to pursue a Medical Degree, along with a Masters of Studies in Law, from Yale. Following a residency in pediatrics and fellowship training in clinical research design, Kathy worked at the Hastings Center, writing and teaching on diverse topics in bioethics, before coming to the Catskills in 1989 to pursue residential training at a Zen Buddhist monastery. In 2003 Kathy became Executive Director of Tibet Aid in Woodstock and in 2009 founded Catskills Live! Trails and Wilderness Association. In 2011 Kathy joined Mountainkeeper’s staff and cofounded Concerned Health Professionals of New York. Kathy was elected to the Ulster County Legislature in 2017 and in 2021 and since 2019 has served as the President of the Board of Samadhi Center Inc., a mindfulness-based recovery outreach center in Kingston NY. Kathy volunteers with several area nonprofit organizations, including the Catskill Heritage Alliance and the Shandaken Community Gardens, and she is the volunteer Board President of the New York Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility.
Beth Scullion, Chief Operating Officer
Beth oversees all of Mountainkeeper’s administrative and operational needs; she manages Board relations and compliance issues, handles finances ranging from bookkeeping to grant reporting, maintains donor databases, oversees correspondence and mailings, manages the organizational calendar, ensures compliance for fiscal sponsor grants, and coordinates office management and upkeep. A life-long resident of the Catskills, Beth attended both Sullivan County Community College and SUNY New Paltz, majoring in early education. She joined Mountainkeeper in 2007 after working for several years in the commercial insurance industry.
Taylor Jaffe, Program Manager
Serving as a Program Manager, Taylor Jaffe is reimagining and renewing Mountainkeeper’s role in Environmental Justice issues in the Catskills. From transportation access to understanding the distribution of environmental benefits and burdens, Taylor brings a community-focused lens to her work. Before working for Mountainkeeper, Taylor graduated with a BA from Colgate University, with Honors in Political Science. In addition to environmental justice work, Taylor lives and works on Snowdance Farm with her family, and enjoys writing and performing music.
Eugene Thalmann, Food and Agricultural Advisor
Eugene Thalmann, MS, CNS, CDN, is Mountainkeeper’s Food and Agricultural Advisor, managing the Liberty Farmers’ Market and following changes to NYS agricultural policy. He is also vice-president for the Callicoon Farmers’ Market board, serves on the Sullivan County Cornell Cooperative Extension program advisor committee, and sits on the board of the Catskills Food Hub. Eugene is a NYS licensed Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist, with a MS in Nutritional Science from SUNY Buffalo; when he’s not busy running the farmers’ market, he’s growing chemical-free fruits and veggies on Sprouting Dreams Farm, and helping people understand the role diet and lifestyle plays in improving health and well-being.
Lenny Miret, Stewardship Coordinator
