Officers and Board of the Friends of the Assabet River NWR

Betsy Griffin (President) is a resident of Maynard. Betsy joined the board in 2008 and has been a member since 2002. She is also a member of the outreach committee. She is a trainer for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts Council and a former School Committee Member in Maynard. She is a member of OARS (Organization for the Assabet River) and SVT (Sudbury Valley Trustees). She is an avid camper, kayaker, and runs a sewing and quilting business.

Neela de Zoysa (Clerk, Chair of the Outreach Committee) is a resident of Sudbury. Neela is a board member since 2008. She is member of the outreach committee. She is a trained biologist and forester with research experience in plant identification and ecology. She is helping with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Environmental Education programs to be offered at the new Visitor Center. She has worked with similar organizations in Asia.

Dave Lange is a resident of Concord. Dave joined the board in 2004 and has been a member since 2001. He is an expert birder, leads birding walks, and is an active member of the Trails committee. He is a member of the Assabet Keep Track team.

Alan Orth is a resident of Wayland. Alan is a Charter member of Friends. Former treasurer of the Friends, Alan came to the public hearings and responded to an appeal to form a citizen’s group to help with the transfer of the property and clean up. A retired electrical engineer, Alan enjoys flying light aircraft.

Liz Truebenbach (Treasurer) is a resident of Sudbury. Liz joined the board in 2011 and has been a member since 2001. As a neighbor of the Refuge, Liz’s interest in the refuge land began while it still belonged to the Army. She is a member of the Nature Store Committee, a member of the Assabet Keep Track team and a member of SVT (Sudbury Valley Trustees). She enjoys nature studies, kayaking, hiking, camping, gardening and folk dancing.

Dave Williams (Chair of the Trails Committee) A resident of Marlborough, Dave joined the board in 2004 and has been a member since 2000. He was on the Desert Conservation Land Committee south of the refuge in Marlborough at the time the property was transferred from the Army to the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service which motivated him to join Friends. Subsequently, he was involved in the effort to get the refuge open to the public. Dave is currently a member of the Marlborough Conservation Commission, Open Space and Storm Water task forces, Chairman of the Middlesex Conservation District, a board member of OARS and board member of SuAsCo Watershed Community Council.