In 1971 the Newfound Lake Region Association (NLRA) first registered with the New Hampshire Secretary of State, creating an entity designed to protect Newfound's water and land. In 1991 the NLRA became an IRS 501c(3) nonprofit corporation, setting the stage for organizational development and growth with Change Parker as our first paid Director. Under Change’s leadership, several books about Newfound’s natural resources were published and the importance of the NLRA recognized by a growing number of people and organizations.
Deb Johnson became the second Executive Director, initially on a part-time basis. For many years, Deb gave far more of her time than the position required, continuing to increase the number and quality of water monitoring and educational programs that are hallmarks of our current mission. For her final three years, the NLRA was able to support Deb in a full-time role as Director, which allowed her to build the foundation for watershed-wide assessment of threats and opportunities.
In March 2006 Boyd Smith and Martha Twombly joined the Newfound Lake Region Association as Executive Director and Program Director, respectively. With “newfound” energy, Boyd and Martha increased the number of public workshops and educational programs, established a semi-annual Newsletter schedule, updated the office infrastructure and successfully applied for several significant grants. In June 2007 Boyd began working full time, with his primary role managing Every Acre Counts: The Newfound Watershed Master Plan.
In November of 2009 Martha left the NLRA to join the Society for Protection of New Hampshire Forests, a well respected land conservation organization located in Concord, to pursue her passion for land protection. After a professional and thoughtful search process that attracted over 40 applicants and led to interviews with the top five candidates, the NLRA was pleased to hire Nikki Wooster-Goodwin as Program Director. Nikki is a recent resident of Alexandria, where she and her husband Stephen had already roused the locals with memorable Halloween and Christmas-time community events. Nikki brings immense creative energy with her eclectic background, centered around her love of the outdoors and combined with a results-oriented focus developed in her years as an independent business woman.
There are over 500 individual and family members and 70 businesses whose generous support allows the NLRA to continue providing quality programs that protect the environment and values of the Newfound Watershed community. We have a committed Board of Trustees and an exceptionally dedicated and talented group of volunteers who make it possible to fulfill our mission to protect Newfound Lake and its watershed.
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