Ipswich River Watershed Association’s Next Leader Named

The following was submitted by the Ipswich River Watershed Association:

The Ipswich River Watershed Association announced today that Wayne Castonguay will become its next Executive Director, beginning in September. Castonguay will succeed Kerry Mackin, who has led IRWA for almost 20 years. The Watershed Association is a non-profit organization that works to restore the Ipswich River to health and protect clean water for people and nature.

According to IRWA President Peter Phippen, the Board of Directors engaged in a rigorous search and had a number of excellent, highly qualified candidates; but Mr. Castonguay’s extensive experience in both watershed and non-profit management, combined with his deep knowledge of the Ipswich River and the region, made the choice very easy. Phippen said, “Wayne Castonguay is a seasoned leader with the knowledge, skills and temperament necessary for the position, and has experience working with the constituencies needed to effectively lead IRWA. Perhaps most importantly, he has passion and vision about restoring and protecting the Ipswich River.”

Castonguay is a life-long resident of Ipswich with extensive experience in protecting and managing natural resources. He has worked for The Trustees of Reservations, a statewide non-profit, for the past 14 years, first as Regional Ecologist and then as the General Manager of Appleton Farm, one of the Trustees flagship reservations. Most recently, he has served as director of the Trustees’ statewide Agriculture Program. Previously, Mr. Castonguay worked for 10 years as a Biologist for the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, during which time he was involved in many coastal fisheries projects. He is also a tireless volunteer for the Town of Ipswich, having served on the Conservation Commission, Open Space Committee, Shellfish Advisory Board, Coastal Pollution Committee and Stormwater Management Committee. He has also served as a Board member, technical advisor and volunteer for IRWA, assisted Salem Sound Coastwatch and co-founded the Great Marsh Coalition and the national Farm-based Education Association, which promotes children-in-nature education. Castonguay has degrees in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology and Biological Oceanography.

Castonguay said, “In many ways, it seems I was destined for this role. Having spent my childhood outside exploring the watershed, the river has influenced me perhaps more than anything else. I have long admired the incredibly strong track of the organization and have deep respect for its world class staff, volunteers and board. I cannot be more honored to become part of the IRWA team. This opportunity is a lifelong dream come true – I can’t wait to get started.”

Castonguay will take over the reins of IRWA following a period during which IRWA grew from a small, little-known organization to one that has received national recognition for its work to protect the Ipswich River from excessive water losses and other threats. Under Mackin’s guidance, the organization trained citizen scientists to monitor the river, organized a task force to address low-flow problems, succeeded in persuading the Town of Reading to stop using wells that had pumped the Ipswich River dry for decades, and won several court rulings that MassDEP is in violation of state law by issuing water
withdrawal permits without determining safe withdrawal limits for the river. IRWA grew from one part-time staff person to its current level of 6 professional staff and the organization now has a permanent headquarters, Riverbend, and owns 21 riverfront acres in Ipswich.

“I am so happy that Wayne Castonguay will take over as IRWA’s Executive Director,” says Kerry Mackin. “After putting my heart and soul into building the organization for the past two decades, I’m really excited to see that IRWA’s new leader is someone who brings so much knowledge of the resource, skills in both river and non-profit management, and passion for the job of restoring the river to health. The river and the organization will be in great hands.” Mackin will continue to assist IRWA with policy and advocacy regarding water management issues.

The Ipswich River provides drinking water to more than 300,000 people and thousands of businesses in 14 communities. The Ipswich River Watershed Association is the voice of the river, working to make sure there is enough clean water for people, fish and wildlife, now and in for future generations. Through education, outreach, monitoring, and advocacy, IRWA seeks to connect the people, communities, and ecosystems integral to a healthy watershed. IRWA is a member-supported community organization with a small professional staff that works with many volunteers to monitor the river’s health. Please visit the Ipswich River website or contact irwainfo@ipswichriver.org for more information or to learn how to get involved.