2025-2026 Board of Directors
Larry Rousseau is the Chairman of the Northwest Conservation District’s Board of Directors and has been a board member since 1995. He and his wife, Christine are residents of Torrington. Larry retired in 2020 from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s Division of Forestry after 42 years as a forester. Larry enjoys canoeing with his wife, gardening, and fishing and hunting in New England.
Pat grew up in West Hartford CT, moving to the Northwest corner over forty years ago. She is a retired teacher. She taught Dyslexic children reading strategies and academic content. She was lucky enough to be able to take her students out to explore the school’s 300 acre natural habitat. The woods, pond and fields made outdoor science observations fun and meaningful.
She moved to Litchfield two years ago and has been busy designing and planting native gardens in her small yard. She recently joined the NWCD and is excited to be part of this valuable organization.
Dan is a retired planner who worked for more than thirty-five years at the municipal, county and regional levels. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Virginia and a Masters in Regional Planning from Cornell University. From 1970 to 1972, he served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines. He is an avid traveler who has visited more than thirty countries and a cyclist who has biked in more than twenty countries on five continents. When not traveling (or planning future trips), he spends his time reading, gardening, taking photos and enjoying his three wonderful grandchildren. He lives with his wife in Torrington.
Steve Dunsky has written and directed films for four decades. As a filmmaker for the U.S. Forest Service, his projects cover a wide range of conservation issues. He produced the award-winning feature documentaries The Greatest Good, Butterflies & Bulldozers, and Green Fire. In recent years, he has helped organize the Visions of the Wild Festivals and Geography of Hope Conferences, both in the San Francisco Bay Area. He holds a B.A. from Bowdoin College and an M.F.A from the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. He grew up in New York City and Connecticut and lived in California for over four decades. He recently returned to Litchfield County, where he is working on a variety of conservation projects, including as a board member of Wellspring Commons. A 2024 graduate of the Master Woodland Manager program, he is applying his knowledge to the forests and fields on his 120-acre farm.
Seeking an escape to rural ambience, in 1998 Ray moved with his wife from New York City to Warren, CT. His career as a publisher of books on East Asian cultures and civilizations took a turn in 2004 when he became a founding partner in a solar installation business; before returning to publishing 18 years later he had overseen the installation of over 200 residential PV projects in Litchfield County. Recognizing the importance of renewable clean energy in a sustainable environment, in 2010 he joined the Northwest Conservation District as a member of its newly formed Energy Committee. Ray was also a past board member of Solar Connecticut, helped establish the Warren Clean Energy Task Force, and serves on the Warren Zoning Board of Appeals. He continues to publish books on early civilizations, traditional crafts, and the relationship between humans and their environment.
Following service in the US Navy as a helicopter crewman specializing in antisubmarine warfare and sea-air rescue, Ray graduated magna cum laude from the University of California at Santa Barbara in English and Asian Studies. He went on to graduate work at the University of Chicago in the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures, and National Taiwan Normal University. He speaks basic Japanese and Mandarin Chinese.
Doreen Lynch-Sudol moved Morris in 2007, but was originally from Cheshire Connecticut. She joined the NWCD Board in December of 2017 as Treasurer because she has valued the environment all her life. She is a CPA with more than 40 years of experience, including 9 years of operating her own firm. She graduated from The University of New Haven where she earned a Masters in Taxation. Doreen raised three children and currently operates Sunflower Hill Farm in Morris Connecticut with her family, where they raise alpacas, chickens and goats. She is a dedicated dog-lover and has adopted many dogs throughout her life.
Doreen enjoys farm life, hiking, skiing, and is also a trained pastry chef that donates her skills to local nonprofit fundraisers. As a NWCD board member, Doreen has helped run various Garden to Table Programs at the Beardsley Library in Winsted for the last three years, teaching cooking skills that help promote ingredients from backyard gardens.
Michael grew up in Virginia, graduating from James Madison High School in Vienna VA in 1964. He went on to graduate from Georgia State University in Atlanta George with a BA in 1973. In 1973, he received his law degree from George Washington University in Washington DC. He then practiced law from 1976 to 2025.
Michael retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the United States Marine Corps Reserve in 1990 after 20 years of active and reserve service as a Naval Aviator and Judge Advocate.