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Laura Rose Day, President and CEO, 7 Lakes Alliance – Laura Rose Day became President and CEO of 7 Lakes Alliance in September 2018, bringing in-depth and diverse experience in watershed management to the Belgrade Lakes community. As a long-time Kennebec watershed resident, she, along with her husband and two sons, appreciate paddling, boating, hiking and enjoying the outdoors and community of the Belgrade Lakes region. Laura has most recently provided strategic consulting expertise on conservation issues as a Principal in Source to Sea Consulting, LLC. For thirteen years prior, she served as Executive Director of the Penobscot River Restoration Trust, the non-profit formed to lead an historic multi-party effort to restore nearly 2000 miles of sea-run fish habitat while maintaining energy production. There, she helped to develop and lead innovative, collaborative, and interdisciplinary approaches and teams, including a coordinated campaign that successfully raised over $60 million in public and private funds to fully implement the project.
Laura’s career began in the Great Lakes as Regional Counsel for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Chicago and the Lake Superior and Biodiversity Project Manager and Attorney for the National Wildlife Federation where she also taught environmental law seminars and oversaw the environmental law clinic for the University of Michigan. Laura also served as Director of the Natural Resources Council of Maine's Watershed Program; helped develop and direct Maine Rivers, a statewide watershed organization; and serves on Maine Woods Forever and the Klamath River Renewal Corporation. Laura has degrees in wildlife management (B.S., Wildlife Resources from West Virginia University) and law (J.D. with a certificate in Environmental and Energy Law from Chicago-Kent College of Law).
Dr. Danielle Wain, Lake Science Director – Before coming to Maine, Danielle was most recently a Lecturer in Water Quality Engineering with the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering at the University of Bath (UK). Danielle graduated with a BS in Civil Engineering from Cornell University after which she spent two years in the US Peace Corps building rural water systems in the Dominican Republic. Upon return, she worked for a year as an engineer in environmental consulting until pursuing an MS degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois, followed by a PhD in Civil Engineering from Iowa State University. Danielle spent two years as a research associate in the Ocean Physics Department at the Applied Physics Laboratory at the University of Washington, then received a postdoctoral fellowship from the Changing Earth Science Network of the European Space Agency at the AirSea Laboratory at the National University of Ireland, Galway. Danielle joined the University of Bath in 2013, where her research was sponsored by the UK Royal Society and the European Commission Marie Curie program to investigate turbulence-plankton interactions in stratified lakes, and the UK Natural Environment Research Council to work with the water industry on the impact of reservoir hydrodynamics on water quality. She joined the 7 Lakes Alliance in September 2018, bringing over a decade of aquatic research experience to the organization to help ensure the future of the Belgrade Lakes.
Laurie Raleigh, Development Director –Laurie has spent summers on Great Pond for 30 years with frequent winter stays for the last two decades; her kids are her family’s fourth-generation in the Belgrade Lakes. She brings to 7 Lakes extensive local knowledge and networks as well as a contagious passion for our mission. Laurie's career with Wall Street firms, including Brown Brothers Harriman, Kidder Peabody and GE Investments, focused largely on marketing and communications. For the past ten years, she has served in leadership roles for the annual fund and several capital campaigns ($5 million-$20 million) for a private school and a non-profit pediatric cancer organization. Her excellent organizational skills (including overseeing the SailMaine/Great Pond Yacht Club youth program until this year) and stellar references from within and outside of our community, make her an excellent choice.
Charlie Baeder, Director, Conservation Programs – Charlie has managed fish restoration projects as science manager for the Penobscot River Restoration Project, the largest dam removal project in the eastern United States. In this position, he worked with graduate university faculty, students, and consultants, and managed research in fish passage, water quality, geomorphology, and wetlands. He serves as treasurer for the Norcross Wildlife Foundation. Prior experience includes business and project management in several industries and municipal experience as a town treasurer. Charlie is a Colby College graduate with degrees in Human Development and Sociology. He lives with his family on Long Pond and enjoys four-season recreation throughout Maine.
Lizzy Gallagher, Assistant Lake Scientist –
As 7 Lakes’ Assistant Lake Scientist, Lizzy focuses on quantifying cycles that drive lakes to become over-rich in nutrients, which in turn spurs the rapid growth of algae. Gallagher joined the 7 Lakes team in August 2022. Working with Lake Science Director Dr. Danielle Wain, Gallagher engages in multiple research functions. Those include deploying water quality measurement tools, such as buoys and autonomous samplers, and collecting and analyzing the information gathered from those data streams. She also participates in 7 Lakes’ numerous public education and outreach activities. Gallagher earned her master’s degree in biology at Miami University in Ohio, where she worked in an aquatic ecology lab researching the effects of nutrient inputs and warming on pond ecosystems. After graduating from the University of Tampa with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science in 2015, she worked in environmental consulting and the outdoor industry. A Massachusetts native, Gallagher spent many childhood summers visiting Great Pond. She is passionate about protecting natural resources and loves to be outside on and off the job.
Lynn Geiger, Erosion Control Policy Manager – Lynn joined 7 Lakes in April 2023 in the new position of Erosion Control Policy Manager. She is responsible for advancing 7 Lakes' erosion control policy and programs, including working with municipalities to advocate for consistent and effective ordinances and enforcement. She is also partnering with the Lake Science team on improved metrics and on evaluating the effectiveness of our erosion-control work. Lynn earned a bachelor's degree in geoscience from Wellesley College and master's degrees in aerospace engineering from MIT and in civil and environmental engineering from Duke University. Most recently, she worked for Lockheed Martin. A Minnesota native, Lynn also assists the China Lake Association with watershed management.
Sharon Mann, Invasive Aquatics Manager – Sharon oversees the invasive aquatics program which includes: remediation (survey and plant removal), prevention (courtesy boat inspections), and education (Adopt-a-Shoreline). Since coming aboard, Sharon has developed new research-based ways of surveying for invasive aquatic organisms that save time and effort as well as developing new strategies for invasive plant removal. She has been leading the invasive aquatics program since she earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Southern Maine in May 2018. For her Master’s work, Sharon studied the genetic diversity of variable leaf milfoil clones in Great Pond. Sharon is currently pursuing a PhD in Environmental Science and Ecology from the University of Maine, furthering 7 Lake’s use of the latest scientific methods. Her work focuses on developing environmental DNA tools to inform best practices for lake managers.
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Stuart Cole, Erosion Control Project Coordinator – Stuart grew up in Knox and Waldo County along the shores of Lake Megunticook and Penobscot Bay. Stuart graduated from University of Maine, Farmington in 2020 with a major in Environmental Policy and Planning and a minor in Geology. His undergraduate thesis applied ArcGIS programs to model nitrate leaking from septic systems in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Stuart is an avid outdoorsman who has a work history of landscaping, ski instruction, heavy equipment operation, and outdoor recreation. Stuart is known for camping during winter Nor’easters, being more comfortable outside than in, knowing every Maine frog call, snowmobile odysseys, finding where the fish are and being able to fix equipment when it breaks. In his free time, Stuart is a runner, skier, fisherman, snowmobiler, and frequent visitor to National Parks.
Mary Kerwood, Office Manager – Mary assists the CEO in the operations and administration of office business. She manages day-to-day affairs, including human resources and administrative and operational functions, including oversight of accreditation. Additionally, she assists in communications, public relations, and fundraising. Mary is a local resident of Rome and has a Sociology-Anthropology Interdisciplinary degree from the University of Maine at Farmington. She enjoys the many landscapes Maine has to offer and has developed a strong sense of devotion for the natural environment that gives her inspiration for her work. Additionally, Mary completed a program for Nonprofit Business Management in 2016.