For Immediate Release
Contact:
Michael Gold
mikeg1057@gmail.com
Brewster, NY
September 15, 2025
Putnam County Land Trust Elects Six New Trustees To Aid Organization As It Grows In Its Mission To Protect Putnam’s Natural Resources
The Putnam County Land Trust’s (PCLT) membership has elected six new trustees to help the organization grow as it works to protect Putnam County’s natural resources.
“The new trustees will help us move forward with the growth of the organization to help protect and conserve land and make it available for recreation for county residents,” said Judy Terlizzi, Putnam County Land Trust President. “Each new trustee brings different skill sets to help us achieve our mission,” Terlizzi said.
The new PCLT trustees are:
Rachael Sherman is executive director of sustainability at The Estee Lauder Companies. Sherman leads the organization’s global strategy on climate, green buildings and fragrance sustainability. She previously worked at the McDonald’s Corporation, where she led the company’s nature, climate and several of its commodity sustainability programs, including palm oil and coffee.
Amy Razukiewicz has a master’s degree in public health, with a focus on environmental health and toxicology. Razukiewicz has more than 17 years of experience in occupational and environmental regulation, as well as risk management in research laboratories. She’s dedicated to the preservation of nature and maintenance of open space for future generations.
Kevin Nigey is a lieutenant with the New York City Fire Department. He has a bachelor’s degree in environmental science/biology and a master’s degree in science education. He studies bio mimicry, which focuses on the design and production of materials, structures, and systems that are modeled on biological entities and processes.
Phil Tolmach has been a professional horticulturist, landscaper and certified arborist for 50 years. He has managed the native plant nursery in Pawling and Young’s Nursery in New Canaan. He served on the Town of Kent’s conservation advisory council for 20 years.
Ernie Palmieri has served as a supervisor of recreation and parks for the village of Scarsdale and superintendent of recreation and parks for the village of Mamaroneck. He also taught lifetime sports and outdoor education at Purchase College, SUNY. He has a master’s degree in recreation education.
Michael Gold was most recently a columnist for the Westchester/Putnam Examiner newspaper, covering environmental issues. He’s also written for the Putnam County Courier/Putnam County News & Recorder and the Yonkers Times. Previously he was a New York City school teacher and public relations executive for a number of corporations, including IBM, Panasonic and Du Pont.
The Putnam County Land Trust is dedicated to preserving and maintaining for the public open spaces and the natural resources within Putnam County for the purposes of conservation, education and passive recreation, including walking, hiking, bird watching and observing nature. The PCLT is one of 1,281 land trusts across the United States according to the Land Trust Alliance’s most recent National Land Trust Census.
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