Meet the Office at Clearwater
For General Inquiries
Executive
David Toman
Executive Director
he/him
exec@clearwater.org
845-265-8080 x7104
David comes to Clearwater with over 25 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, most recently as a Vice President of Operations, Chief Financial Officer, and Director of Business Functions & Human Resources at the Mohonk Preserve. Toman’s non-profit career began in the public accounting world; his love of nature guided him to the Delaware Nature Society where he held the position of Associate Director of Business & Finance for 12 years.
In his spare time, David enjoys paddling on local waterways, nature hikes with his Karelian Bear Dog, and listening to great music with his family, where they reside in New Paltz, NY.
Administration
Contact the Administration department for all issues related to the purchasing of merchandise, accounts payable, and general information.
Erin Macchiaroli
Director of Operations
she/her
erin@clearwater.org
845-265-8080 x7100
Erin joined Clearwater in March of 2014 and currently manages the day-to-day operations, human resources, administration and facilities at the Beacon office, and is the wearer of many hats. Originally from Queens, NY, Erin is a 1990s transplant to the Hudson Valley. Seeking adventure, Erin joined the US Air Force and served as a Command Post Operations Controller, stationed in Delaware, South Korea, Oman and England during her enlistment.
Following her service, Erin obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from SUNY New Paltz, and a Master’s Degree in Writing from the National University of Ireland, Galway. Erin spent the next 5 years living in the west of Ireland, managing the office of veterinary business, writing essays, co-hosting a folk/blues radio show and soaking in the splendor of Ireland. Erin returned to the Hudson Valley in 2013 and endlessly enjoys our beautiful river with her family, and is proud to contribute to Clearwater’s mission and community.
Caitlin Zinsley
Administrative Sloop Liaison
she/her
caitlin@clearwater.org
Caitlin grew up in the Hudson Valley and first came onboard the sloop as a high school volunteer in 2008. She immediately fell in love and returned the next two summers as an apprentice, later as a deckhand, and finally as onboard education coordinator, visiting often in between. Caitlin is happy to be able to support the sloop in an administrative capacity, which also gives her more excuses to visit the sloop and participate in an occasional tideline program. Caitlin lives in Kingston, where she settled undoubtedly because of her time with Clearwater, with her husband and baby. She gardens, takes walks on the river with her family, and makes cakes.
Anne Crowley
Administrative Associate
she/her
anne@clearwater.org
Anne grew up in the Hudson Valley, sailing and ice boating on the Hudson. She remembers clearly the year everyone was warned not to swim in the Hudson River or eat its fish. She is thrilled to now be working with the Clearwater Team and is so appreciative of all the hard work they have done and continue to do to make the river and the Hudson Valley a better and cleaner place.
When not at the Clearwater office, Anne is a full-time student at Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson NY, studying Written and Studio Arts.
Captains
Rory Kane
Captain
he/him
captain@clearwater.org
845-265-8080 x7114
Born and raised in New Haven, Connecticut, Captain Rory Kane’s first sailing experience was as a volunteer aboard Clearwater in 2012. Since then, in addition to serving in nearly every position on the Sloop, he has vast experience on Tall Ships up and down the East and West Coasts, but always returned to the Hudson Valley because of the Clearwater Community. Having acquired his Captain’s License in 2019, and a decade of experience, Rory rejoined Clearwater as Captain in 2022.
Liam Henrie
Captain
he/him
liam@clearwater.org
Born and raised in the beautiful Finger Lakes Region of New York, Liam stepped onboard the Clearwater as a weekly volunteer for the first time in the summer of 2015. In between finishing his undergraduate, traveling, and working a few other odd jobs, Liam has come and gone from the organization, logging about 5 years since his first week in various positions both sailing and performing maintenance. He has sailed and traveled all over the world, but there’s no place quite like the Hudson nor any vessel quite like the fine and splendid Sloop. He is excited to return once more, now as co-captain.
When he is not sailing, Liam is rock climbing, dancing, and trying with mixed success to teach himself about 7 different languages.
Development + Communications
Contact the Development and Communications department for all information regarding supporting Clearwater’s mission through sponsorships, planned giving, memberships, corporate partnerships, media inquiries, and questions about our website and social media platforms.
Meg Mayo
Director of Development & Marketing
she/her
meg@clearwater.org
845-265-8080 x7118
Meg Mayo joined Clearwater in July 2020 and is responsible for Clearwater’s donor relations and fundraising initiatives, as well as marketing and communications activities. Prior to Clearwater, Meg was Director of Tourism for Visit Nyack, a not-for-profit destination marketing organization she co-founded to support the independent businesses of Rockland County’s river villages. Prior to that, Meg worked in New York’s book publishing industry as a sales and marketing manager, specializing in sales to non-traditional booksellers. Meg has spent her life near water, from the Lake Michigan lakefront in Milwaukee, to the banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, and the majestic Hudson River in New York. She currently lives with her son and twin daughters in Nyack, New York, where she enjoys cooking, reading, watching the sun and moon rise over the river, hiking Rockland County’s many trails, and exploring the bookstores, communities, and history of the Hudson Valley and beyond.
Emily Marcet
Donor Relations Coordinator
She/Her
emily@clearwater.org
845-265-8080 x7112
Emily’s introduction to environmental education began with an experiential semester during her tenure at Penn State University. A simple 2 credit course acting as a residential counselor for week-long excursions for elementary students was the catalyst for a 15-year trajectory through conservation nonprofits and natural history museums.
After receiving her Bachelor’s Degree in Tourism Management, Emily spent three years in the Adirondacks leading backcountry hiking, climbing, and paddling adventures for English immersion students in the High Peaks Wilderness. She worked in Ketchikan, Alaska as the Program Coordinator for the Ketchikan Indian Community’s Tribal salmon hatchery and eagle center, serving Native and public school students and community organizations with environmental programming. She managed the Wildlife Education Center in Cornwall, NY for six years before opening her own consulting firm to provide conservation organizations with services to develop interpretive plans and programming.
Emily owes her reverence and love for the Hudson River and Valley, in part, to her colleagues at Clearwater, their deep knowledge, considerable dedication, and unending passion. She’s proud to be a member of this organization that protects the Hudson River and its tributaries.
Mariabella Rivera-Todaro
Events + Sponsorship Coordinator
They/Them
mariabella@clearwater.org
845-265-8080 x7108
Originally from Brooklyn and based in New Paltz, Mariabella joined Clearwater in October 2024, bringing a unique blend of fundraising and event planning experience. They are the founder and organizer of the New Paltz Free Food Fridge, and their nonprofit Millions Of Butterflies, combatting food insecurity and building community through volunteerism, fundraising, and art. Mariabella has experience collaborating with musicians and fundraising through the New Paltz D.I.Y music scene, and brings their knowledge of local musicians, artists, and the world around them, Mariabella hopes to grow the Clearwater community and bridge the gap between the folks who have been here since the beginning and those who have no idea who Pete Seeger is.
Programs
Contact the Programs Department for all information regarding our educational programs, volunteering on the sloops as an educator, and booking sails on the Clearwater. Contact the Captain for all information related to the Sloop’s functioning, as well as for information on being employed as a crewmember.
845-265-8080 x7103
Eli Schloss
Tideline Program Director
he/him
eli@clearwater.org
845-265-8080 x7106
Eli grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. He spent his childhood sailing small boats on the lakes and reservoirs there. In 1994, after graduating from New York University with a BA in Art History, he began working in shipboard education. He crewed on Soundwaters, and HMS Bounty, was the first mate on the Lettie G. Howard, and spent time on various boats in Baltimore Harbor as part of Living Classrooms Foundation. With Living Classrooms, he ran the Customized Job Training department. He has worked at Clearwater since 2005. When not on the river, he enjoys cooking, soccer and hiking with his family and dogs.
Joao De La Cruz
Sloop Scheduling Coordinator
he/him
sched@clearwater.org
845-265-8080 x7107
From the Bronx to the Hudson Valley, then to Miami, and back to the Hudson Valley – Joao is excited to join the Clearwater team as the Sloop Scheduling Coordinator. His role involves helping craft Clearwater’s sail program schedule, aiming to accommodate numerous program requests and engage with various Hudson River communities. After graduating from Bard College with a focus on Electronic Music and Environment and Urban Studies, his appreciation for the Hudson Valley and his pre-existing love for the outdoors prompted his return. Now residing in Kingston, he dedicates his time outside of work to producing electronic music in his bedroom and enjoys hiking and capturing photos of the stars during the dead of night.
Chloe Grey Smith
Senior Onboard Program Coordinator
they/them
chloe@clearwater.org
845-874-0556
Chloe Grey is thrilled to return to the Clearwater crew as Senior Onboard Program Coordinator, helping to ensure that school groups, volunteers, and the public have a great learning experience aboard the sloop. Originally from South Florida, they are a longtime New York City resident and experienced museum educator. They have worked at historical institutions such as the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, the Brooklyn Historical Society, and the Wyckoff House Museum to develop and teach inclusive educational programming, and taught art and boatbuilding in after-school programs for many years. After building about a dozen Optimist Prams, volunteering on restoration projects at the South Street Seaport Museum, and living aboard a crumbling old ferry, they are thrilled to be able to grow their sailing skills aboard Clearwater.
Chloe Grey loves kayaking in mangrove swamps, building plexiglass furniture, and learning about the anticolonial and queer histories of the East Coast.
Jacob Dyck
Onboard Program Coordinator
any pronouns
jacob@clearwater.org
845-420-0260
Jacob Dyck is very excited to be rejoining Clearwater as an Onboard Program Coordinator after a stint as a trainee last summer. He sprouted in South-Eastern Minnesota, a landscape informed by industrial corn farming and one of the country’s other great river valleys, the Mississippi. His love of nature began on the bluffs of his Grandparent’s farm above that Mother-River; it has been reinforced by the lakes and woods of the northern part of his state, especially Superior. A recent graduate of Carleton College with a degree in English, Jacob has been at various times, a camp counselor (with an emphasis on sailing), an outdoor preschool teacher, and a Buddhist novice monk in the Thai tradition. He is gladdened to be able to return to the Clearwater community for a longer stretch. In his spare time, Jacob loves to read and write, cook and bake, learn about whatever is obsessing him in the moment, hike, and spend as much time as possible with plants, animals, and land.
Environmental Action
Jen Benson
Environmental Action Director & Interim Director of Communications
she/her
jen@clearwater.org
845-265-8080 x7113
Jen Benson is an experienced organizer with nearly a decade of experience working at the nexus of community engagement and river and watershed advocacy in the Hudson Valley. She joined Clearwater in July of 2023 as the Director of Environmental Action.
Prior to Clearwater, Jen worked at the Hudson River Watershed Alliance where her work encompassed building technical assistance to watershed groups, supported watershed characterization processes. Jen also spent seven years at Riverkeeper managing the Riverkeeper Sweep and advocacy campaigns activating communities around threats to drinking water, the Hudson River, and its tributaries.
She is a May 2022 graduate of Bard College with a Masters of Science in Environmental Policy and holds a Bachelorss of Arts in Literature from SUNY Geneseo. Jen lives in Kingston where she spends her free time hiking, running, and exploring the Hudson Valley.