Ridge and Valley Conservancy is now The Land Conservancy of New Jersey’s Ridge and Valley Region. Thank you to our former 2026 Board of Trustees: Margaret Schiller (President), George Schaberg (Vice President), Jason Kurtz (Treasurer), Thomas Blake, Christine Hepburn, Gwen Macchione, Rene Mathez, Eric Svendsen, Pim van Denderen & Sharon Wander. Thank you to former counsel & advisors Matt Dank & Carla Lee Lewis.
Learn more about our merger.
Ridge and VAlley Region (TLCNJ) STAFF
Susi Tilley
Director of the Ridge and Valley Outreach Team
Susi Tilley’s passion for the natural world developed during her time growing up in Switzerland where she spent holidays hiking or skiing in the mountains.
After an education in Business Administration and working for several years in the private sector, she moved to the United States in 1991, and worked as Vice President of an entertainment lighting and staging company for over 14 years.
Prior to assuming the role as Executive Director of Ridge and Valley Conservancy, Susi served as Development and Outreach Director from 2016-2017.
Susi believes that building a strong conservation organization involves practicing community conservation by building partnerships with other people doing important community work. By connecting people to people, and people to land, her hope is to continue to expand preserved land in the Ridge and Valley Region of New Jersey. Susi and her husband raised three children and now live in Hardwick, neighboring RVC’s preserves. She spends her time reading across a wide variety of subjects, hiking, training her dogs, and enjoying her backyard with family and friends.
Sophia Civitella
Stewardship and Community Engagement Manager
Sophia Civitella grew up biking, fishing, and kayaking throughout Northern New Jersey, especially along the Paulins Kill River. Her deep connection to the region’s landscapes inspired her to pursue a Master’s degree in Sustainability Science from Montclair State University. In her free time, Sophia enjoys trail running, hiking, and taking long road trips; she's driven across the country twice with just her car and a sense of adventure. Now, as Stewardship and Community Engagement Manager, Sophia brings her passion full circle. Working with Ridge and Valley Conservancy is especially meaningful to her, as much of the land she explored growing up has been protected through the Conservancy’s efforts.
Sarah Schnurr
Outreach & Development Manager
Sarah joined Ridge and Valley Conservancy in 2022. Since graduating in 2012 with an art education degree, she has worked in a variety of different roles and organizations, including as a STEM educator at a children’s museum, a marketing coordinator for a telescope company, and a freelance digital content consultant. Sarah looks forward to growing RVC’s community programs and helping more people discover the peace RVC preserves have to offer. Sarah enjoys spending time outside, crafting, and gardening.
