Our Organization

The Arboretum is led by its Board of Directors, whose members are elected at the Annual Meeting held in May of each year for three-year terms.  The Board meets at least three times per year.  It also conducts business through committees formed by the Board from time to time.  There is an Executive Committee that is empowered to act between regular meetings of the Board; and following Standing Committees: Audit, Building & Infrastructure, Education, Finance, Governance, Horticulture, Nominating, Stewardship, Tree Health and Volunteers. Committee members can include persons who are not members of the Board.

STAFF

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Jennifer Hemmerlein

Jennifer Hemmerlein is thrilled to join Mountain Top Arboretum as Executive Director. Jennifer has 25 years’ of experience in nonprofit fundraising, communications, and administration. Most recently, Jennifer served as Executive Director of the Friends of Clermont State Historic Site in Germantown, New York, where she developed and expanded several programs, including their primary educational program, Harvesting History, and several low and zero-cost public programs, including the popular Harmonies on the Hudson Concert Series. Jennifer is also a former theatrical stage manager and member of Actors' Equity Association. Jennifer holds a B.A. in English from Colgate University, as well as a M.A. in English from The Ohio State University and currently resides in Norton Hill.

DEVELOPMENT AND OUTREACH COORDINATOR
Claudia Nagy

Claudia Nagy is an environmentalist, gardener and artist in Greene County. In 2018, she graduated from Columbia University, completing a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Environmental Science, Policy and Public Administration. Claudia has worked in non profit communications, marketing, design and development since 2017. Supporting organizations by strategically amplifying their mission - Claudia has assisted groups such as the Fiber Craft Studio, the Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism and Threefold Community Farm in refining their aesthetics, branding, outreach and grant management. 

HORTICULTURIST
Sammy Winderman

Sammy’s love for nature inspired him to a pursue a career where the majority of his days are spent outdoors.  His first full time job in the field was an AmeriCorps position working for a non-profit that focused on improving the urban forest in San Jose, California.  From there, he worked as a supervisor for the San Jose Conservation Corps and led corpsmembers through various environmental projects such as park beautification, trail maintenance, and invasive plant management.  These opportunities allowed him to join the Longwood garden’s professional horticulture program – a two-year intensive training program from one of the world’s premier botanical gardens.  In this position, Sammy worked with passionate horticulturists across the different parts of the gardens and absorbed as much wisdom as he possibly could.  After completing this certificate, Sammy worked for Virginia Tech where he grew Piedmont native grassland plants for seed collection.  This was a part of a project to increase the commercial availability of local ecotype seed for restoration projects, and Sammy was tasked with developing the best growing practices for these important, but overlooked, grassland species.  After gaining expertise in these species, Sammy would assist farmers and other producers with growing these plants on their properties so they could sell the seed for profit.  Sammy is thrilled to join the arboretum and help fulfill the mission of protecting and displaying the beautiful flora of the Catskills.  He loves the diversity of spaces that the arboretum has to offer, from cultivated gardens to natural lands, and the different work that comes with each of them.  No two days are the same and Sammy gets to wear many different hats in the process!  His favorite plants change daily.  Outside of work, Sammy loves hiking, camping, paddleboarding, cooking, television, and music. 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Abby Coffin, Chair
Robert Kerns, President
Jeannette Price, Vice President
Pierce Sioussat, Treasurer
Karen Taggart, Secretary
Andrea Ayres
Mermer Blakeslee
Sydney Frazier
William Logan
Larry McCaffrey
Joseph Pepe
Henrietta Pertuz
Michael Reynal
Bruce Riggs
Vern Rist
Mary Tynes

TAX EXEMPT STATUS

The Mountain Top Arboretum is a nonprofit 501(c)3 public charity formed under the laws of the State of New York.  Further, the Arboretum is qualified as a tax exempt organization under the Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue, making contributions to the Arboretum tax deductible as permitted by law. The Arboretum prepares an Annual Report which is submitted for approval to its Board of Directors, a copy of which can be obtained upon written request.