Presenter Biographies

Isabel Bowman, As a conservation specialist, Isabel works on a variety of grant-based projects to implement on-the-ground conservation in Windham County. Her wetland work in this role has consisted of planning wetland restoration projects, serving as the quality control officer on a Vermont-based Connecticut River Basin wetland project, and completing the Vermont State University wetland delineation course. She serves as the Newsletter chair for VAWS and participated in their mentorship program in 2025. Outside of wetland work, Isabel facilitates Green River Watershed Alliance projects, manages the Trees For Streams program, identifies project areas for development, and manages the introduced plant removal efforts (both terrestrial and aquatic) that includes coordinating a bi-state group of volunteers and Vermont and New Hampshire state employees. Her newest endeavor is collaborating with a Dartmouth Climate Resilience course to provide post-flood assistance to landowners and host educational community events along the Rock River. Isabel has a BS in Biology from Appalachian State University and an MS in Environmental Science from the University of Maryland. 

Contact: sullivan.wcnrcd@gmail.com 

Emily Delato is currently a graduate student in the Field Naturalist Master's Program at the University of Vermont and has a Bachelor of Science from Lehigh University in Earth and Environmental Science. Sponsored by the UVM Natural Areas Program, Emily has spent her master's work investigating the wetlands at Joe's Pond, in Morrisville, Vermont, diving deep into peatland ecology. She is also an environmental consultant at a small firm based in Colorado, where she first fell in love with wetland science delineating little swales of the Great Plains and Front Range. Since moving back to Vermont, she has become enamored with the diversity of wetlands here and is thrilled to get to share her passions with the VAWS community.  

Contact: emily.dealto@uvm.edu

Tim Freiday is a Wetland Scientist and Ecologist at Stantec Consulting. He graduated from Rutgers University with a B.S in Ecology and Natural Resources and received his M.S. in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Delaware studying King and Clapper Rails in the Delmarva Peninsula. He has been working in the field of natural science for over 20 years. He is passionate about wetlands and biodiversity and enjoys looking for and photographing flora and fauna in his spare time. 

Contact: tim.freiday@stantec.com

Patrick Hurley, PWS, is the Project Manager for the Memphremagog Watershed Association and the owner of Winden Water LLC, an environmental consulting firm. In both of his current roles, Patrick’s work focuses on assessing, designing, permitting, and constructing natural resource restoration projects above and below the waterline. Mr. Hurley’s perspective comes from experiences working on diverse projects in New England, the Rocky Mountains, the Pacific Northwest, and Southern California. Patrick utilizes high-precision survey tools, GIS, CAD, and hydraulic/hydrologic modeling to aid in the design and planning process.

Contact:  phurley@mwavt.org | Patrick@windenwater.com

Laura Lapierre has been the Manager of the DEC Vermont Wetlands Program for over 10 years. The Vermont Wetlands Program administers the Vermont Wetland Rules, assesses the State's wetland health, maps wetlands, and assists voluntary restoration.  Laura’s work involves state regulatory permitting, wetland mapping, testifying on state legislation, and leading rule changes and guidance efforts.  Laura has a Master’s in Biology from McGill University, Montreal Qc, Canada.  She is a Professional Wetland Scientist and a NH Certified Wetland Scientist.

Contact: Laura.lapierre@vermont.gov

Adrian Pierce has a Bachelor’s in Environmental Science from University of Vermont with a minor in Geospatial Technologies. Since graduating in 2022, Adrian found a natural fit in environmental consulting, balancing human needs with ecological stewardship. Based out of VHB’s Winooski office, Adrian conducts natural resource assessments throughout New England and New York during the growing season, supporting permitting and reporting efforts in the winter months. Adrian is a Certified Wetland Scientist in the State of New Hampshire and as a Wetland Professional in Training is actively working towards earning a Professional Wetland Scientist certification. Outside of work, Adrian takes advantage of Vermont’s bountiful landscape hunting, fishing, foraging, and homesteading.

Contact: apierce@vhb.com

Jeannine Russell (Jen) received her Master’s Degree in Archaeology from the University of Nottingham, UK in 1996 after working for two years at the University of Vermont’s Consulting Archaeology Program (UVM CAP) as a field and lab tech.  She returned to UVM CAP until the fall of 1997 where she began her career as an Archaeologist for VTrans in their environmental section.  She was promoted to VTrans Archaeology Officer in 2010 and with has been with VTrans for almost 29 years.  It was at VTrans that Jen became interested in natural resources, specifically wetlands and the relationship of wetlands as an important indicator in the location of archaeological sites.  In 2022, Jen completed her Wetland Delineation Certification with the Swamp School and has been assisting the VTrans Biologists with wetland delineations since that time.  She has discovered she has a passion for wetland plants and has begun studying Botany which is a lifelong learning experience!  In her free time, she enjoys scuba diving and is an Assistant Instructor with the Waterfront Diving Center in Burlington, Vermont.  She also enjoys traveling, gardening, is an avid reader, and practices her plant identification during walks in the woods! 

Contact: jeannine.russell@vermont.gov

Allison Slaney has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Southeastern Louisiana University. Allison grew up in Louisiana where she enjoyed boating and recreation in the cypress swamps and marsh wetlands.  Upon graduation she interned for NASA, monitoring wetland restoration effectiveness using NASA Observing Systems. Allison is currently a Project/Task Manager at VHB focusing on environmental permitting and has been in consulting for approximately 11 years.  Allison is a certificated FAA Remote (Drone) Pilot and obtained her PWS certification in 2021.

Contact: aslaney@vhb.com