Board of Directors
JoAnn Beck, president, is a Landscape Architect with 35 years of professional experience in public, private and academic practice. She earned an MLA and was a Visiting Assistant Professor at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. While in private practice, her projects in each of the Olmsted Parks engendered her deep appreciation of them. As the former Senior Landscape Architect at the City of Rochester, she administered the design of the Genesee Riverway Trail at Turning Point Park, Lower Falls Park, El Camino Trail and others. She serves as president of the Rochester Olmsted Parks Alliance (ROPA), is on the Board of the Maplewood Neighborhood Association and has served as president of the Board of Highland Park Conservancy since 2015.
Edna Claunch, vice-president since 2017, fell in love with Highland Park when she moved to Rochester in 1967. Her education career began in 1961 when she earned her BA from Harding University. After teaching English and speech in several states, she earned her master’s degree and doctorate from the University of Rochester in 1974. Edna spent the last 21-½ years of her 38 years in education with the Gates Chili CSD as Associate Superintendent for Instruction. She has served on the boards of the Monroe County Human Relations Commission, Roberts Wesleyan College Community Orchestra, Hochstein Music School, Society for Chamber Music in Rochester--Chairman Emeritus, the Hamamatsu/Rochester Sister Cities, and the Rochester Garden Club. The Garden Club of America honored Edna in 2014 with its National Montague Metal for Civic Achievement. Edna has served on the Board of the Conservancy since 2014 and currently serves as co-chair of the Capital Campaign Committee.
Alex Casale, treasurer, is a Financial Advisor with Cetera Investors and a resident of the South Wedge. He has been a fan of parks and an advocate of the environment as long as he can remember. His passion for the outdoors really blossomed (no pun intended) while at Binghamton University; he graduated in 2010 with a BA in Economics and a minor in Environmental Studies. Upon moving to Rochester in 2015, he was amazed by the amount of greenspace and number of parks in the city and quickly fell in love with Highland Park. He enjoys the many different aspects of the park including quiet walks amongst the foliage, Lamberton Conservatory, the Lilac Fest and concerts and performances at Highland Bowl.
Jennifer Buczek is passionate about horticulture and preservation; she fell in love with Highland Park as a child and has been looking for ways to serve the park for as long as she can remember. “Highland Park is my favorite park in the city–I love its varied landscape and believe it is one of Rochester’s greatest treasures.” Joining the board in 2019, she currently serves as Volunteer Coordinator. Jennifer, having worked for many years in the insurance industry, also uses her expertise to advise where insurance matters are concerned. She is a former Roller Derby Gal, an avid gardener, and a leader for her daughter’s Girl Scout troop.
Jane Chapman walked her dog in Highland Park in the 1960s and, in the process, developed an early love for the Frederick Law Olmsted designed park. Her interests in plants, the environment and the history of gardening found a good match when she joined the Rochester Garden Club (RGC) in 1981. Jane has served actively with RGC and served as president from 2004-2006. As such, she represented RGC at the 2004 Dedication of the Iris Friendship Garden in Highland Park and presented the bronze educational signage – a gift from RGC. RGC's long association with Highland Park includes the establishment of the Poet’s Garden in 1915, which qualified the club for membership in the Garden Club of America. And, most recently, the generous gift of restoration of the Pansy Bed in celebration of RGC's 100th Anniversary. Her interests and journeys bring her back to work with HPC to further their mission on behalf of the Park she loves.
Hank Wedow and his wife, Emily, have resided in the Highland Park neighborhood since Hank’s graduation from the University of Rochester with a BA in Financial Economics. He admires the park's beauty and rich history. He also enjoys attending the Lilac Festival and concerts at the Highland Bowl. Hank Wedow serves as a Director of Acquisitions for Royal Oak Realty Trust, a private real estate investment trust with headquarters on East Avenue in the City of Rochester.
One of Rev. J.D. Jackson’s crowning achievements was participating in the Dec. 4, 2019, ribbon cutting of the new Frederick Douglass Memorial Plaza in Highland Park. Jackson sparked the initiative 10 years prior to illuminate the existing Douglass Monument, the first in the country to an African American. The new plaza achieves illumination of the statue and provides a prominent location within the Park. This initiative was pursued as a direct result of Jackson’s involvement with the efforts for the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C., and his fraternity brother, Civil Rights icon Andrew Young’s admonishment, at the November 13, 2006, Memorial Groundbreaking to “turn the dirt” when you return home to your local community. (For video: https://www.highlandparkconservancy.org/who-we-are) In addition to serving as acting Pastor at Trinity Emmanuel Presbyterian church; he also serves as a Chaplain at St. John’s home.
Gavin Jenkins received his Bachelor's Degree in Biology from Hartwick College and pursued his Masters in Education from University of Rochester. He is a STEM teacher at East High School in the Rochester City School District and co-owner of Spark Content, a digital marketing agency that supports nonprofits and small businesses. He has lived in the city of Rochester since 2015 with his wife, Krista. Highland Park and its surrounding neighborhood was his first introduction to Rochester and was, and still is, part of the reason he fell in love with the city. He takes daily walks in the park with his beagle Oli. Gavin currently manages HPC's social media where he tells stories of the park's past and present, inspiring all to come and enjoy everything the park has to offer.
Miryam Matulić-Keller, has loved gardening ever since her mother taught her to tend a small plot in their back yard. As a young adult, she spent special moments in, and became a permanent admirer of, Highland Park and all of its splendor. After graduating from St. John Fisher College with a BS in Economics she pursued a career in teaching; she taught French, Spanish, and social studies in area schools. Later she pursued a path in educational administration serving as assistant principal and principal. More recently, while serving the East Irondequoit CSD as its Assistant Superintendent for Instruction, Miryam earned her doctorate from the University at Buffalo in Educational Leadership and Policy. She retired from East Irondequoit CSD and continues to serve the educational community as an adjunct professor at SUNY College at Brockport supervising student teachers. Her love of learning and nature complement her role as a member of the Highland Park Conservancy Board.
Milli Piccione's interest in historic public gardens began when she first volunteered for the Landmark Society's Ellwanger Garden restoration in the mid 1980's. Since 2012 she has spearheaded, as a volunteer, the ongoing rehabilitation of the Warner Castle Estate Gardens, a unique component of Highland Park. Currently she chairs HPC's Garden Stewards volunteer initiative. She served on the Board of Trustees of the Rochester Civic Garden Center and is a long-time member of the Landmark Society of Western New York. Milli has owned and operated her garden design and maintenance business for over 25 years. A graduate of RIT, she also worked in multiple aspects of the graphic arts and printing industries.
Jason Roberts is an Associate Director of Foundation Relations in Advancement at the University of Rochester, cultivating and managing relationships with private foundations while aligning innovative faculty research with university priorities. Previously, Jason worked in fundraising, marketing & communications at The Center for Youth, Trillium Health and URMC’s Rochester Victory Alliance. He volunteers at The Community Food Cupboard of Rochester Inc. and has served as a Board Trustee at Rochester Academy of Medicine and the Landmark Society of Western New York, where he was a long-time coordinator of the organization’s annual fundraiser, the Home & Gardens Tour. Jason lives in Highland Park with his husband Bob and their rescue dog Hugo. In his free time he enjoys fitness & strength training, entertaining and travel.
Susan Rodio joined the Board of the Conservancy in 2013. She has resided in the Highland Park neighborhood for over 45 years and has seldom missed a daily walk or cross-country ski in the park. Susan retired from a large law firm several years ago. She enjoys being a volunteer gardener in the park and gardening at home. She currently serves as the chair of the Program Committee and enjoys bringing a wide variety of programs to the historic park, Olmsted Lodge and Highland Bowl.
Andrea Stanley, from West Irondequoit, grew up exploring Durand Eastman Park Arboretum, spending each spring admiring the Rose Valley Fruitecum and surrounding trails. Andrea has worked in the nonprofit field, supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, for over 20 years. After several years of providing direct care, she earned her bachelor's degree at Roberts Wesleyan College in Organizational Management. This allowed her to transition to an administrative role. Currently she is the Associate Director of Self-Directed Services at Empowering People's Independence (EPI). The proximity to Highland Park deepened her appreciation for all it has to offer, becoming a daily refuge to clear her mind and connect with nature. When thinking of an organization to join, she wanted to merge her love of nature with her professional life
Marie Via and her husband, James, have lived in their 1912 bungalow at the edge of Highland Park for three decades. She recently retired from a 33-year career at the Memorial Art Gallery where she was Director of Exhibitions. Much of her time is now devoted to maintaining a large garden, reading, and traveling. Currently serving as chair of the Membership Committee, she is proud to be one of the dedicated volunteers of the Conservancy, working to preserve and share the Olmsted legacy in Rochester.
Jackie Wambach is the Senior Accounting Manager for Fortitude Mining and a resident of Brighton. Upon joining the University of Rochester as a Staff Accountant in 2005, she would walk Highland Park each day on her lunch break–rain, snow or sunshine. As a Rochester native, she has always had a deep affection for the Lilac Festival and the summer concert series at Highland Bowl. She is passionate about the parks and the peace they bring to so many. She attended Rochester Institute of Technology; graduated in 2005 with a BS in Accounting, then later went on to receive her MS in Medical Management at the William E. Simon Graduate School of Business–University of Rochester. She enjoys quiet walks and picnics in the park, the Olmsted Lodge, the beautiful Lamberton Conservatory greenhouse, and last but certainly not least, the Warner Castle grounds. “I always find something new and breathtaking to see in the park.”
Mark Quinn is Superintendent of Horticulture for the County of Monroe. In this capacity he oversees the cultivation and care of the botanical collection at Highland Park and all the parks throughout the county. He serves as the County Representative on the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Board, the Highland Park Conservancy (non-voting) and the Olmsted Parks Alliance. He also helps facilitate the operation of the annual Lilac Festival. Mark shares his horticultural knowledge with the general public through courses he has taught such as shrub and tree identification and landscape construction. It was through Mark’s creative efforts that the Highland Nature Park became a reality.
Director Emerita: Mary Gaudioso
In Memoriam: Tim O’Connell • Father William Amann • Mary Fisher • Jim Cullen • Julie Everitt • Margie Searl
Rev. Jackson's photo courtesy of jackiephotos16@gmail.com