#2008-19: June 30, 2008 Lisa Rainwater Named as The Catskill Center’s New Executive Director After a nationwide search, Arkville-based regional nonprofit, The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development today announced its selection of Lisa Rainwater to be its new Executive Director. Formerly the Policy Director at Riverkeeper in Tarrytown, NY, Ms. Rainwater will be introduced to the members at The Catskill Center Annual Meeting on July 19th and take the helm in early August. Making the announcement, Catskill Center Board Chair Claude Shostal said, "We are pleased to welcome Lisa Rainwater as The Catskill Center's new Executive Director. Her passion for the Catskills will further strengthen our connection to local communities, while her spirit and enthusiasm will generate new bonds and partnerships throughout the region. We look forward to embarking on this new journey, with Lisa's years of community advocacy, government relations, and strategic planning guiding the way." "I am pleased to hear that The Catskill Center has selected Lisa Rainwater as its new Executive Director," said Congressman Maurice Hinchey of the 22nd Congressional District. "For years, she has been a strong community leader in the Hudson Valley. It is exciting to see that someone of great talent and background will now be working on behalf of Catskill communities by continuing the outstanding work of The Catskill Center at this momentous time in the region." Lisa’s journey to The Catskill Center began in the Midwestern farm community where she grew up. Coming from three generations of dairy farmers who instilled in her a passion for community and place and an innate connection to the land, she fondly remembers fishing and hunting with her father, grandfathers and great grandfathers. There she also experienced first hand the struggles rural communities face to survive economically and the need for people to work together to maintain their community character during changing economic realities and development pressures. Infused with these core values, she went on to undergraduate and graduate degrees in psychology, sociology and cultural studies, and taught at the Universities of Oregon and Wisconsin. Early in her career, Lisa organized students to fight to keep the costs of higher education affordable, and lobbied against cuts in student grants and loans in the Halls of Congress. She worked with groups to educate women on the interconnected relationships between women’s and children’s health and the health of the environment. In her not-for-profit career, Lisa has worked with local communities to foster civic participation. In this capacity she has organized public events, overseen fundraising efforts, and spearheaded public outreach campaigns. In addition, she has worked closely with local, state and federal elected officials and agencies on safe energy and clean water initiatives. Most recently she has served as the Policy Director for the Hudson Valley group Riverkeeper, where she has worked since 2003 leading their Indian Point Campaign with a broad-based grassroots coalition. Rainwater has recently joined her new husband in his Catskills home where she found immediate connection and inspiration in the mountains and valleys of the region. "I am so fortunate to call the Catskills home. The Catskill Mountains are an historic and sacred place. They nurture our spirit, provide economic opportunities, and give us a sense of place," said Ms. Rainwater. "At a time when many feel isolated from one another, the Catskill region offers us strong communities and shared values. Whether it’s a family spending an evening at the foothills of Overlook Mountain, children hearing tall tales from their grandparents, or local farmers producing bounty from the region’s soil, we hold one thing in common - to preserve and uplift the powerful sense of place that is the Catskill region." Interim Executive Director Deborah Meyer DeWan who is The Catskill Center’s Director of Policy and Program Development noted, "We’re thrilled to welcome Lisa to the Catskills and to The Catskill Center at this momentous time in our nearly 40-year history. The Catskills and our talented team will benefit from the thoughtful, energetic, intelligent commitment and inspiration that we know Lisa will bring to all of us. She has a wonderful appreciation for people in everyday life and for the profound importance of connecting." Speaking of The Catskill Center, Ms. Rainwater said, "As the prominent voice of the Catskills, the Center has worked for decades on behalf of nature lovers, local businesses, artists, communities, and school children. I am honored to join the deeply committed staff and board of The Catskill Center and am thrilled at the tremendous possibilities that lie before us. We will aim even higher to build strong, economically vibrant communities, while increasing our efforts to protect sacred places. I look forward to elevating the importance of our common core values by embracing the vibrancy and enthusiasm already alive at The Catskill Center and in communities across the region."