Paterson Funders and Environmental Funders Affinity Groups: Addressing Passaic River Flooding to Improve Outcomes
Partners Addressing Passaic River Flooding
In recent years, the historic Northside Neighborhood in Paterson along the Passaic River has seen increased flooding events that have led to public health and safety concerns as well as property loss for residents.
The Paterson and Environmental Funders Affinity Groups invite you to an in-person learning opportunity at Charles Muth Museum in Paterson to discuss the challenges that the Northside neighborhood faces and the proposed multi-sector collaborative solution: The Paterson Greenway. Join the Mayor of Paterson, Habitat for Humanity of Passaic, The Nature Conservancy, and Sustainable Jersey to learn how the city government is working with the nonprofit sector to tackle ongoing and increased flooding of the Passaic River for the majority-BIPOC neighborhood community.
This event will include a light breakfast, lunch from a local Paterson restaurant, and time to view the museum. The event will be followed by an optional tour of the Paterson Falls National Park led by the Nature Conservancy of New Jersey and Habitat for Humanity. Parking will be provided and space is limited, so register soon!
Cost: Free for CNJG Members; $95 for Non Member Grantmakers
This program is only open to staff and trustees from grantmaking organizations.
Scott Millard, CEO, joined Paterson (now Passaic County) Habitat for Humanity in June 2019. Under Mr. Millard’s leadership Passaic County Habitat has increased its capacity, expanded its geographic service area, diversified its construction pipeline to include mixed-use and multi-family housing, and launched a critical repair program. Mr. Millard is a 1996 graduate of Drexel University and has worked in the non-profit arena since 2007 as an executive, co-founder, and consultant; all of which followed an 11-year career with global consulting firm Accenture.
Johnny Quispe, Director of Cities Programs. Johnny Quispe, PhD, is the Director of Cities Programs at The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey, where he leads strategic efforts to plan, design, and implement nature-based solutions to address challenges such as urban heat, flooding, stormwater management and climate resilience in cities. In this role, Dr. Quispe works at the intersection of science, policy, and community engagement to support cities in integrating green infrastructure, urban forestry, and nature-based approaches into planning and decision-making. Dr. Quispe earned his doctorate from Rutgers University’s Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolution. His interdisciplinary work focuses on climate change, ecology, and community resilience, integrating social, economic, engineering, and natural systems to strengthen communities’ capacity to prepare for and respond to climate impacts, including flooding and extreme heat. He aims to connect and reconnect communities with their environment, while learning from locals about their communities’ past, especially in socio-economically vulnerable communities, where access to waterfronts and opportunities to interact with the surrounding waterways are limited. Prior to attaining his doctorate, Johnny earned his Bachelor of Science in International Environmental Policy, Institutions, and Behaviors at Rutgers University. He then went on to continue his focus on environmental issues in New Jersey by working on conservation, restoration, and remediation sites in NJ via nonprofit, public, and academic sectors. Since 2019, Dr. Quispe has served on the Board of the Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership, which works to restore the Raritan River and Lower Raritan Watershed through science and stewardship.
CNJG sincerely thanks the Charles J. Muth Museum of Hinchliffe Stadium for hosting this event and the following funders for underwriting the cost: Columbia Bank Foundation, F.M. Kirby Foundation, The Gibson Fund, The Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation