Fair Haven Woman Brings Passion For Sandy Hook To Leadership Role

SANDY HOOK, NJ — A "lifelong lover" of Sandy Hook is now the executive director of the Sandy Hook Foundation.

Laurie Bratone of Fair Haven, who had been the foundation's development director, has been named executive director, the foundation's leadership announced.

The foundation is the official nonprofit partner to the National Park Service at Sandy Hook, charged to preserve and protect Sandy Hook’s natural and cultural resources, and enhance the visitor experience.

Established in 1989, the foundation has funded cultural, educational, environmental, and conservation programs and has helped restore and preserve historic structures of the Sandy Hook Lighthouse and Fort Hancock — both National Historic Landmarks, the foundation' s website says.

Bratone has served as the director of development at the foundation since 2021 and has over 25 years of nonprofit experience in New York City and Monmouth County, the foundation said.

“Laurie continues to be a wonderful asset to the foundation,” said Pete Izzo, chairman of the Board of Directors. “She has extensive nonprofit experience and has been leading and growing all facets of the organization since joining us in 2021. She has demonstrated a passion for the mission and Sandy Hook, and has strong community relations that will take the foundation to the next level.”

Recently the Sandy Hook Foundation has focused on strategic board recruitment, and identifying core areas of priority work inside the park together with the National Park Service.

As executive director, Bratone will be responsible for "creating and sustaining beneficial partnerships and relationships with the community, management of staff and operations, strategic planning, fundraising and development, and together with the Chair of the Board, supporting the relationship with the park, its vast assets, and needs," the organization said.

“I am a lifelong lover of Sandy Hook. I love the mission of the organization, and, as the nonprofit partner, look forward to continuing to greet visitors and connect with more of the community who come to learn, recreate, and celebrate our beautiful national park," said Bratone.

"I am fortunate to be able to build upon the past successes that SHF has celebrated since its founding in 1989, and am excited to be a voice in the nonprofit friends-of-national-parks community,” Bratone said.

Laurie grew up locally in Rumson and, after years living in New York, returned to Fair Haven where she lives today with her husband to raise their three children.

Sandy Hook provides many resources for all park visitors, including history, with Fort Hancock, the Sandy Hook Proving Ground, and the NIKE Missile Radar sites.

Sandy Hook offers sports and recreation; naturalists can explore a variety of flora and fauna; and there are bayside beaches and beaches along the Atlantic Ocean.

The Sandy Hook Foundation supports initiatives, programs, and projects that make visitors’ experiences better, it says.

For more information about The Sandy Hook Foundation,visit https://www.sandyhooknj.org, or email info@sandyhooknj.org, or call 732-291-7733.