Graduate program in sustainable landscape planning & design
THE
CONWAY SCHOOL
G rad u at e pro g ram i n s u s t ai n ab le lan d s cape plan n i n g & d es i g n
Paul P . OCawood . B O X 1Hellmund 79 | 332 SOUTH DEERFIELD ROAD | CONWAY, MA 01341-0179 Director Mollie Babize Associate Director Lynn Barclay Development Director David Nordstrom Associate Director
August 24, 2011
A Reference for John C. Lepore
I have known John Lepore since September 2010, in my capacity as professor at the Conway School of Landscape Design, where he successfully completed a master’s degree in sustainable landscape planning and design.
BOARD of TRUSTEES Arthur Collins II ’79, Chair Collins Enterprises, L.L.C. Stamford, CT Jack Ahern Landscape Architecture University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA John S. Barclay Wildlife Conservation Center UCONN, Storrs, CT Rachel Bird Anderson Public Health Professional Minneapolis, MN Richard K. Brown, Vice-Chair Sheffield, MA Jonathon Ellison ‘94 Les Jardins Ellison Gardens Ayers Cliff, QC Carol Franklin Andropogon Associates Philadelphia, PA Nat Goodhue ‘91 Goodhue Land Design Stowe, VT Nicholas Lasoff ‘05 Lasoff Landscape Design Bennington, VT Bob Pura President, Greenfield Community College, Greenfield, MA Allen Rossiter Lincoln, MA Aaron Schlechter ‘01 Environmental Consultant Wilton, CT Virginia Sullivan ‘86 Learning by the Yard Conway, MA Susan Van Buren ‘82 TerraLogos Energy Group Baltimore, MD Seth Wilkinson ‘99 Wilkinson Ecological Design Orleans, MA Emeritus Trustees David Bird (d. 2007) Gordon H. Shaw ‘89 Bruce Stedman ‘78 Walter Cudnohufsky Founder; Director, 1972-1992 Donald L. Walker, Jr. Director, 1992-2005
Students at Conway complete three real-world design and planning projects for real clients, while working at a fast pace and under strict deadlines. In all his Conway projects, John paid close attention to the needs of clients and stakeholders—individuals, municipalities, non-profit organizations, and communities—and used his ecological knowledge, analytical abilities, people skills, pedagogical experience, and design and planning skills to deliver smart and effective designs and management plans. John’s fall project was for a steeply sloped, heavily wooded property in a small New England town. The owner sought help to site a home and food production areas, and to restore and protect the site’s natural features, including a wetland. John conducted extensive analyses of the site’s legal constraints and natural conditions, including mapping slopes, soils, drainage, and vegetation and the larger ecological and regional contexts. The final design he developed logically identifies the most appropriate location for the home, septic system, and gardens; stabilizes soils and repairs slopes; reduces erosion and drainage problems; and protects the wetland. In his winter project, John collaborated closely with two classmates to study the natural and social conditions, regional ecosystems, agricultural history, and community needs of a town concerned about losing its agricultural lands. His team developed criteria and a process to help the town’s government officials and residents assess and prioritize farmland for preservation. He was a key facilitator of two large town meetings and was responsible for developing the GIS methodology at the heart of the project. In the spring of 2011, John and two classmates successfully completed a challenging landscape management plan for a large reservation within an urban-suburban community. The site is an important wildlife corridor, contains critical habitats, and protects the town’s drinking water aquifer; it is also a well-used recreational resource. The team facilitated community meetings and conducted extensive research, on the site and using GIS. The management plan they created presents various strategies for managing the resource to improve its ecological health and meet community needs. John enthusiastically took on these and other challenges with energy, resourcefulness, discipline, and good humor. He is strongly committed to protecting, rehabilitating, and regenerating natural and social landscapes, and has extensive knowledge of ecology, natural systems, wildlife habitat, and plant communities. He is collaborative by nature, effective in a variety of environments and communities, and familiar with the bureaucratic workings of government and institutional offices. He is an extremely hard worker who completes projects well before deadlines; is generous with his time and knowledge; and is both a gifted teacher and an open-minded learner unafraid to approach a new situation with a beginner’s mind. He is a pleasure to work with and I recommend him without reservation. Sincerely,
Ken Byrne Professor of Humanities
The mission of the Conway School is to explore, develop, practice, and teach design of the land that is ecologically and socially sustainable.
332 South Deerfield Road, PO Box 179, Conway, MA 01341-0179 | tel: 413-369-4044 | www.csld.edu
PIONEER VALLEY REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT BERNARDSTON LEYDEN NORTHFIELD WARWICK 97 F. SUMNER TURNER ROAD NORTHFIELD, MA 01360 Phone (413) 498-2911 Fax (413) 498-0045 Dayle A. Doiron Superintendent of Schools
Gail E. Healy Assistant Superintendent
August 15, 2011 To Whom It May Concern: I am writing in support of John Lepore’s application for employment at your institution. Up until his retirement at the conclusion of the first semester in January 2010, John was a highly valued member of the Pioneer Valley Regional School Science Department faculty since 1981 and its head teacher since 1998. At various times throughout his tenure, John served as Talented and Gifted Coordinator and Grade 7 Team Coordinator, in addition to advising a wide variety of student co-curricular clubs and activities. During this time, John taught all levels of a wide range of science courses to students who are heterogeneously grouped in grades 7-12. John is an outstanding educator, one of best I have experienced in my twenty plus years in education, with fervor for science undiminished throughout his long teaching career. His approach is constructivist, designing and providing authentic learning opportunities in which his students build meaning and understanding for themselves and each other. John’s passion for place based education and environmentally responsible practices were clearly and consistently evident in his curriculum, pedagogy, and student learning activities. The Pioneer Valley Regional School mission statement includes the learning expectation that our students assume responsibility for the stewardship of their environment. More so than any other faculty member, John is responsible for both the articulation of that core value and its translation into action throughout the school community. John’s legacy to PVRS is not only a range of environmentally responsible policies and practices that have become institutionalized, but more importantly instilling in each of his students a thoughtfulness about and sensitivity to their impact on their natural world. As significant his impact on students was, John demonstrated equal gifts with adults in our school community. His effectiveness with and the esteem in which he was held by students was matched by his colleagues. At various times, John served as a department head, a mentor, and a coach, in addition to coordinating and chairing a range of faculty and school improvement and growth initiatives. He was recognized and respected as a master teacher by our faculty, staff, and parents. John’s fine intellect, notable creativity, impressive work ethic, compassion for others, and tremendous self-motivation for learning and personal growth not only served him well, but was also of real benefit to his colleagues. I have no doubt that John will utilize his impressive repertoire of skills, competencies, and personal qualities to make significant contributions to your institution. If I can be of further assistance, do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely yours,
Dayle A. Doiron, Superintendent of Schools