The NREF Board of Directors is a volunteer group of individuals of diverse personal and professional backgrounds who work tirelessly toward fulfilling NREF’s purpose. The Board works collaboratively to manage all the aspects of the organization, including finances, Lighthouse Center facilities rentals, education programs, research and restoration initiatives, and communications.

OUR TEAM

DANE WARD, PH.D.

BOARD PRESIDENT

Dane is a teaching professor at Monmouth University, teaching cartography in the Department of History and Anthropology. Dane’s body of work focuses in conservation biology, marine ecology, population ecology, and habitat restoration. Dane conducts impactful research in locations ranging from New Jersey’s Pinelands to Cienfuegos, Cuba. Serving on the Board of Directors for NREF since December 2019, he has secured habitat restoration funding in collaboration with esteemed organizations like the Nature Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Dane’s commitment to both teaching and conservation science exemplifies his dedication to environmental stewardship.

Roger has over forty-five years of experience in environmental monitoring, project development and managemnet, and outreach and education. He has led or participated in a variety of Barnegat Bay environmental monitoring assessment projects and his tenure of nearly five decades at the Academy of Natural Sciences and Drexel University brings him and Drexel students to the Lighthouse Center often to explore and learn about the diverse terrestrial and aquatic communities on the Lighthouse Center property.

VICE PRESIDENT

ROGER L. THOMAS

STEPHANIE BOYD

RECORDING SECRETARY

Stephanie has been a Speech Language Pathologist in Manchester Township Schools since 2003. She has introduced several environmental initiatives to her district. She is a passionate gardner and has devoted free time every week to teaching students about plants. Stephanie is active in Girl Scouts of the USA and loves helping Girl Scouts find their love for nature. Stephanie’s interests are in spending time with her family, reading, volunteering, and gardening using native plants

MICHAELA SULLIVAN

CORRSPONDENCE SECRETARY

Michaela joined NREF in 2024 after falling in love with the landscapes and ecosystems of Barnegat Bay while taking a Drexel University course at the Lighthouse Center as part of her ongoing efforts to earn a masters degree in Environmental Science. Michaela is highly motivated and driven by a passion for conservation, environmental justice, and societal wellbeing through public service, community involvement, and environmental stewardship. As a lifelong learner, she is always looking to discover ways to combine modern scientific research and technology with traditional wisdom and practices to restore degraded habitats, reestablish people’s relationship to the land, and advocate for the interests of our non-human neighbors with whom we share our natural landscapes.

NANCY ERIKSEN

INTERIM TREASURER

Nancy, a trailblazing founding member of NREF, has been integral to the Lighthouse Center for Natural Resource Education since 1999. With a remarkable history as the past NREF Board of Directors Treasurer and President, she has shown unparalled commitment to NREF’s cause. A fundraising dynamo, Nancy’s efforts have garnered over $500,000 in donations to NREF. Formerly a manager at the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station, Nancy is a Monmouth University graduate in Business Management and Marketing. Residing in Point Pleasant with her fiance, Joe Bonacci, she finds joy in birding, hiking, traveling, reading, boating, and dedicated volunteering for NREF, Bay Head Shores Property Owners’ Association, and the United Way of Monmouth and Ocean Counties.

JACK HENDERSON

BOARD MEMBER

Jack is a longtime neighbor of the Lighthouse Center property and has served the Pebble Beach Homeowners Association as their Secretary for more than 2 decades. Jack’s involvement in the Ocean Township Environmental Committee and the Fish Hawks Saltwater Anglers Club show his passion for natural resources and thus making him an excellent fit for the NREF Board of Directors. He has served for over 15 years and has been instrumental in connecting NREF and the Lighthouse Center to the local community.

GLORIA CASWELL

Gloria is a 40-year resident of the Waretown area and the owner and operator of Bob’s Bay Marina. Gloria began volunteering at the Lighthouse Center in 2021 on a near-weekly basis and has been instrumental in organizing infrastructure improvements. Gloria has worked on a wide variety of projects at the LHC, and the wokr she’s most proud of is the planting and gardening she’s done in the Elizabeth Morgan Memorial Garden. Gloria encourages everyone to step out of their comfort zone, share their talents, and become a volunteer to make the LHC a beautiful place for all to enjoy nature.

BOARD MEMBER

JESSICA DRUZE

BOARD MEMBER

WILLIAM CLANTON

GROUNDSKEEPER

BILL CLANTON

EDUCATION COMMITTEE CHAIR