Staff Members

Laura Tessieri, PE, is the Executive Director for North Jersey Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D). She is responsible for the organization’s consistent achievement of mission and financial objectives. The North Jersey RC&D supports programs in areas of water resource protection, agricultural sustainability and community development.

Prior to RC&D, Laura worked with the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) as a Water Resource Engineer. Her career also includes time spent on stormwater management, site design and municipal engineering.

Laura is a licensed professional engineer in the State of New Jersey. She holds a dual B.S. in Bioresource Engineering from Rutgers University. Laura lives in Holland Township, NJ and enjoys spending time in her vegetable garden and hiking with her family. 

Christian Bench is an Agricultural Specialist with NJRCD and a partner employee with NRCS. His specialty is production agriculture, protecting natural resources and promoting the soil health initiative. Prior to working for NJRCD he was employed with the USDA Farm Service Agency for 2 years and the USDA- NRCS for 8 years. Christian a has a B.S in Agricultural Science with a focus on crop science from Oregon State University . He and his wife operate a diverse farm in Stockton NJ where they focus on Hay, Straw, Sheep and Lamb production. Christian can be reached at the Frenchtown Service Center at 908-483-2358.

 

Bridgett Hilshey is an Agricultural Specialist at NJRCD.  Her specialty is in promoting soil health initiatives and sustainable agriculture.  Prior to  NJRCD, she worked for the National Park Service and the University of Vermont, Center for Sustainable Agriculture.  Bridgett holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from Western Washington University and a M.S. in Soil Science from the University of Vermont.   In her free-time, Bridgett enjoys gardening, cooking, and spending time outside with her three young children.  

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Samantha Loscalzo is an Agricultural Conservation Specialist with NJRCD and NRCS. She brings her experience in livestock and pasture management to NJRCD. Prior to NJRCD, Sam worked on farms in the Northeast and has an M.S. in Community Sustainability from Michigan State University with a focus on Community Food Systems and Policy. Before diving into agriculture, she worked in wildlife field research and received a B.S. in Ecology and Natural Resources from Rutgers University.  Sam enjoys backpacking, caving, and rock/ice climbing during her free time.

Hannah is an Agricultural Specialist at NJRCD. Her specialty is sustainable agricultural practices and organic production systems. Before coming to NJRCD, Hannah worked as a manager at diversified vegetable farms throughout the Northeast. Hannah holds a M.S. in Agricultural Science and Food Policy from Tufts University and a B.A. in Ecology/Biology from Carleton College. Her graduate work focused on land conservation policy and climate change resiliency in agricultural systems. She spends her free time baking bread, hiking, exploring the wilds of the Mid-Atlantic region, and attempting to grow vegetables at a (very) small scale - in her garden.

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Brenda has assisted in managing NJRCD financial accounting since October 2015. Brenda comes to NJRCD with over 10 years of accounting experience concentrating mostly in small business. Brenda graduated from Stockton University in 2000 with a B.A. in Communications and is currently pursuing her CPA education certificate from Raritan Valley Community College.   In her spare time, Brenda enjoys knitting, hiking and spending time with her 4 dogs and 3 cats.