Staff Members
KATHLEEN FARLEY, PhD (SHE/HER)
Executive Director
Kathleen Farley, PhD joined Teaneck Creek as the Executive Director in July 2022. She is responsible for managing all aspects of Teaneck Creek’s operations through strong, creative, and strategic leadership. Kathleen manages the daily operations as well as supporting the development of long-range strategy to execute the Conservancy’s mission.
Prior to working at Teaneck Creek Conservancy, Kathleen worked as an environmental educator, middle school science teacher, researcher, adjunct professor, and held elected offices in her union. Kathleen earned her doctorate in Biology at Rutgers University-Newark, where her focus was on ornithology and community ecology in the urban environment. Kathleen’s doctoral research investigated the potential consequences for American Woodcock when they choose degraded urban habitat options over their historic preferences for early successional mosaics. As a researcher, Kathleen has worked in a number of systems including population monitoring of declining American Kestrels in New Jersey, modeling predation pressures on Band-tailed Pigeons nesting in the Sonoran Desert, and quantifying avian biodiversity in Honduran Cloud forests.
Previously she earned her Masters of Biology from Montclair State University, and her bachelors degree in Natural Resource Management from Cook College-Rutgers University. Kathleen also pursued a science teaching minor and certificate in agroecology while at Cook.
In her free time, Kathleen enjoys wandering through local and distant parks as well as catching up on all the reading she didn’t have time for during grad school.
Rupal MIstry,
Conservancy Associate
Rupal Mistry joined Teaneck Creek as Conservancy Associate in August 2025. She is responsible for scheduling programs and volunteer experiences, as well as supporting fundraising and administration. Prior to joining Teaneck Creek Conservancy Rupal worked for over 20 years in the sustainability and social impact working with a range of nonprofits, foundations and corporations. Rupal holds a B.A in Philosophy and Political Science from the University of Essex, an M.A. in International Relations, and an M.B.A from Warwick Business School. Rupal is a native of the United Kingdom. She moved to the United States two years ago and lives in Leonia with her family.
Board of Directors
Executive Committee
Adam Strobel,
Board President
Adam Strobel has more than 25 years of experience in public administration focusing on planning, project management and communication. He currently serves as the Director of Open Space for the County of Bergen, New Jersey. He is responsible for identifying partnership opportunities to preserve open space land, historic sites and the creation of new parklands.
Prior to joining the Division, he served as the Chief of Staff to former Bergen County Executive William P. Schuber in a senior-level decision making role to run county government. He graduated from Cook College, Rutgers University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Media and earned his Master of Public Administration from the School of Public Affairs and Administration at Rutgers University - Newark.
Gladys Rosenstein-Miller,
Vice President
Gladys Miller-Rosenstein is the Executive Director of The Puffin Foundation, Ltd .
A philanthropic organization which endeavors to open the doors of artistic
expression to those who are often excluded due to their race, gender or social philosophy. Gladys , became the director in 1980 after retiring from a twenty-five year teaching career. For the next 30 years she worked side by side with her husband Perry Rosenstein, the President of The Puffin Foundation Ltd., to help develop and watch it grow into a world wide organization. In addition to serving on the Advisory Board of the Teaneck Creek Conservancy and The Puffin Foundation’ Board she co-chairs the organization’s Eco-Art committee which is responsible for steering the artistic vision of the 46 acre park site. She is also a member of the Teaneck International Film Festival.
NEAL ROSENSTEIN,
Treasurer
Neal Rosenstein is the Vice President of the Puffin Foundation. The Foundation provides hundreds of grants each year to artists and organizations that may have difficulty securing funding because of the nature of their work or due to short-changed arts budgets across the country. Neal also serves as the Government Reform Coordinator for NYPIRG, the New York Public Interest Research Group. NYPIRG is a statewide student-directed good government, environmental and social justice organization that maintains an ongoing presence in the halls of power and streets of New York.
Roxana Dempsey,
Secretary
Roxana Dempsey joined the Teaneck Creek Conservancy board in May, 2024. She is a Teaneck Resident who thinks active engagement in the community is important and makes a difference in the lives of other residents.
She currently works as a part-time substitute teacher and paraprofessional within the Teaneck Public School System. Prior to her work within the public schools, she was raising her children full time. She used the opportunity with them to explore Teaneck together. She likes the diverse community and she finds opportunities where she can support her community and engage in the many things that the town has to offer such as public programs, the town’s parks–in particular the Teaneck Creek and the public library. It’s through the library that she discovered the creek with her children and has been visiting ever since. She believes the Teaneck Creek isa treasure in Teaneck that more people should discover.
In her spare time, she runs and cycles in and around town and visits parks and playgrounds with her family. She is also fluent in Spanish.
She received her B.A. Broadcast Journalism from Buffalo State College and went on to work at the Mets network, SNY, for over 7 years as an Executive Assistant. She left that position and was accepted into nursing school but put that on hold when her first child was born. She’s not sure if she’s closed that chapter for good but for now she’s keeping busy.
Board Members
Larry Bauer,
Board Member
Seizing the opportunity of making a difference, rather than just talking about making a difference, Larry is involved with many community groups and initiatives all with the goal that we live in a community that is widely diverse yet so intertwined with resources right at our doorstep that most take for granted. While many may not be able to devote the time rest assured there are those, such as this board that do what they do as it is with love and devotion for the community and future generations.
Larry has held the role of president of the Teaneck Chamber of Commerce for the past few years, has ramped up the Chamber’s annual Community Awards Dinner and has taken the Chamber on a course that is different than most other chambers in that it not only embraces the business community but also government and community, bringing everyone together. In addition he has been a long term board member of the Rotary Club of Teaneck (part of Rotary International, a non-political, non-denominational organization) serving the Teaneck Community since 1929. A few other involvements include active participation in the steering committee of the Teaneck International Film Festival, Commissioner of the Historic New Bridge Landing Park Commission, board member of the Teaneck Creek Conservancy, Fair Trade Teaneck, Bergen LEADS. When not involved with community activities, Mr Bauer also is the CEO of a local business established in 1977.
Sarah Davol,
Board Member
Sarah Davol has enjoyed a free-lance career as a musician on historical and modern oboes for over thirty years. In addition to performing, recording, and composing Classical and crossover music, Sarah has been a long-time advocate for preserving open parklands and wilderness, expanding small farms’ viability and other environmental and human rights issues. Sarah moved to New Jersey after living in New York City for a decade where she ran a ten-concerts-a-year series at the Vineyard Theatre. She also organized a seven-year rent strike on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
In the 1990’s in New Jersey she met Gladys and Perry Rosenstein while collaborating with community members to protect Teaneck wetlands from development. In 1998, she assembled some of NYC’s top freelance musicians and got to work commissioning music to call the community’s attention to open land that was endangered. The music ensemble became known as Englewinds, and the 46 acres of land that Gladys and Perry Rosenstein led to save became the Teaneck Creek Conservancy. Both Sarah and Englewinds have enjoyed a long association with the TCC. Englewinds’ first CD Tulpe features Sarah’s composition Wulangundawa’ken (Lenape for “Peace to all People”) which was premiered at the opening of the Peace Labyrinth in the Teaneck Creek Conservancy. The CD was listed for Grammy Nomination. Other of her compositions for the conservancy include Prelude and Lament for flute and oboe, and Teaneck Creek for children’s choir, which Hawthorne Elementary School students premiered at the conservancy’s Five Pipes art installation. Sarah has served on the Eco-Art Committee of the Teaneck Creek Conservancy since its inception, and joined the conservancy’s Board in 2022.
Her hobbies include gardening, swimming, walking in parks, and visiting farmer’s markets and art museums. She is married to horn player, R. J. Kelley.
Michael Pagan,
Board Member
Michael Pagan was born in New York City on July 29, 1976 and was raised in Washington Heights until he was 10 years old. In 1986, his family moved to Teaneck, New Jersey. Pagan graduated from Teaneck High School in 1994 and attended Bergen Community College in Paramus, New Jersey before transferring to Temple University in Philadelphia and graduating with a B.A. in Journalism in 1998.
Pagan has worked as a reporter for the North Jersey Herald News, as a grants writer for the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, and as a press secretary for three Speakers of the New Jersey General Assembly, a U.S. Congressman and two U.S. Senators.
Pagan was the first Latino elected to the Teaneck Council in 2020 and was the first Latino elected Mayor in 2023. He also currently serves as a Senior Community Relations Specialist for the Bergen County Department of Planning and Engineering.
Garrett Ray,
Board Member
Garrett Ray is a licensed Landscape Architect and Certified Arborist with over a decade of experience in landscape design, construction, and urban forestry. His expertise spans the full life cycle of planting in public spaces—from protection and monitoring to installation and long-term maintenance. Garrett brings a deep knowledge of both native and ornamental plants, and his background includes hands-on experience with grading, masonry, carpentry, and irrigation systems.
Garrett has served as both a municipal forester and consulting arborist in New York City, where he gained extensive insight into managing complex urban ecosystems. His involvement in the Teaneck Creek and Overpeck Park restoration project reflects his commitment to ecological restoration and community-centered green spaces. In addition to public work, Garrett has designed and executed a variety of landscape projects of all scales, from residential re-designs, to the execution and restoration of complex park systems.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Contracting (Design/Build) from Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Landscape Architecture from the City College of New York. He is a registered Landscape Architect in the State of New York.
Phil Selby,
Board Member
Philip R. Selby is a seasoned broadcast executive and technical leader. Currently Vice President of Studio Technical Operations at CBS, he leads production/broadcast operations, technological planning and implementation. Previously, Selby spent over 20 years at CBS News as Director of Studio Operations, responsible for all network news broadcasts, managing 200+ staff and overseeing multimillion dollar studio and project budgets. His prior roles at CBS included Technical Director/Manager and Video Engineer on major sports and news productions. Selby began his career as Audio Supervisor at Long Island Public TV. He holds a B.A. from Hofstra and FCC operations license. Selby has earned multiple Broadcast Technical Emmy Awards for his work on NFL, MLB, Olympics, and news coverage. His expertise spans production operations, technology integration, project management and labor relations across studio, field and special event broadcasting. He has always been drawn to the outside world of fishing, skiing, and hiking. He has been an active member of the Bergen County Audubon Society for the past 10 years.
PERRY ROSENSTEIN,
Founder, in MEMORIAm
Perry Rosenstein was the founder of the Teaneck Creek Conservancy and retired President of the Brighton-Best Socket Screw Manufacturing, Inc.; one of the world’s largest private fastener companies. Perry is also President and founder of the Puffin Foundation, Ltd. a nationally recognized organization that supports the arts and operates the Puffin Cultural Forum. Puffin seeks to open the doors of artistic expression by providing grants to artists and art organizations who are often excluded from mainstream opportunities due to their race, gender, or social philosophy. The Puffin Cultural Forum, is the Foundation's gallery and performance space located in Teaneck, New Jersey. It's work takes place at the intersection of the arts and the struggle for human rights as it seeks to realize in the local community the Foundation's governing motto: "...continuing the dialogue between art and the lives of ordinary people". Puffin deeply believes in the crucial role that the arts play in shaping our consciousness, and the role of artists as agents of social change.
Perry sadly passed away on 4/3/2020 from the COVID-19 virus. His passion and values live on.