Nominees for the 2023 Annual Meeting
Connecticut Audubon Society members will vote at the November 4 Annual Meeting for the following nominees
Nominee for the Connecticut Audubon Society Board of Directors
Von Potter, M.D., Hamden. Von is a familiar figure at the birding hotspots near New Haven. He has a keen interest in bird photography and conservation, particularly conservation education for children.
Born and raised in New Haven, Von is currently a senior medical director in clinical development at Celcuity Inc. where he oversees clinical trials in solid tumors.
He has more than 10 years’ experience in clinical research and leads a team of professionals including clinical scientists, trial managers and data managers.
Prior to Celcuity, Von worked at Forma Therapeutics, Bristol Myers Squibb and Boehringer Ingelheim.
Von began his research career at Yale University’s Comprehensive Cancer Center, now known as the Smilow Cancer Hospital, where he worked on multiple trials in hematological malignancies and helped design investigator-initiated clinical trials.
Von received his medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine and his undergraduate degree from Fairfield University.
Von is passionate about health equity on a global scale participating annually on mission trips to various locations such as Myanmar, Honduras, and Ghana, West Africa.
He says, “As a student of life sciences and now as a physician scientist/medical research, I’ve always been interested in science and exploring the natural world. Simultaneously, as a photographer, I have also sought to capture its beauty and preserve its imagery documenting my time point in its lifespan. I’ve found birds to be a particularly compelling subject.
“I’ve also been interested in conserving and protecting the environment, as many lessons can be learned through observing its temperament. The educational aspect of conservation has a message that I would like to bring to school age children. Working with Connecticut Audubon on its conservation education endeavors and bringing those programs to new audiences is a challenge I look forward to undertaking and a goal I aspire to achieve.”
Nominees for the executive committee of the Connecticut Audubon Society Board of Directors. Note that all four nominees are current executive committee members.
Pamela Fraser, Ph.D., Chair. Easton. Pam was elected to the Board of Directors in 2018. She graduated from the University of the West Indies with a BSc in Botany, Zoology, and Chemistry and is Professor Emerita, Science Education, at New York University. She is recognized both nationally and internationally for her expertise in the development, implementation, and evaluation of STEM curricula. Fraser served as a gender expert consultant to the United Nations Gender Working group to formulate plans to stimulate action and research for a more equitable world through science and technology and has written over 20 books, 50 chapters, and articles.
Sarah Middeleer, Vice Chair. Newtown. Sarah was elected to the Board of Directors in 2021. She is a landscape designer with a focus on supporting wildlife, particularly birds and pollinators. She writes about environmentally focused design and she advocates for birders with mobility challenges. She was educated at Wesleyan University, Hunter College and the University of Virginia.
Gilles Carter, Secretary. New Haven. Gilles was elected to the Board in 2019. He spent the first part of his career as an entrepreneur in the food and agriculture business, and then became a films and video producer for PBS and the National Endowment for the Humanities, among other entities. He was educated at the University of Montreal and Princeton University.
Harshad Kuntey, Treasurer. Glastonbury. Harshad was elected to the Board of Directors in 2020. He is a Diversified Engineering Professional at Pratt & Whitney with a keen interest in volunteering and environmental causes. He was a long-time board member and volunteer for Connecticut Audubon’s Glastonbury Center. Harshad is particularly enthusiastic about trying to attract younger people to the organization.
