Tom McGowan, Planner for the Northwest Connecticut Regional Planning Collaborative.

Well known to planning and zoning commissions in the region, Tom has been a professional planner in Litchfield County since 1973. He has volunteered to head up this pilot project because of his commitment to planning as the best way to protect and preserve the communities of the northwest region of the Connecticut. If the pilot program succeeds and the State funds the program it will operate under the supervision of NWCCOG and LHCEO. Tom McGowan enjoys the role of forming and starting initiatives; he will not be the planner for the collaborative when it receives state funding.

While Tom McGowan continues to work as a planner for many of the towns in the area, he also manages the 7000 acre Weantinoge Land Trust and is the executive director of the Lake Waramaug Task Force, Inc.

From 1973 to 1980 he was the first executive director of the Northwest Regional Planning Agency (now known as Northwestern CT Council of Governments). He oversaw the start-up of many programs including the Housatonic River and Shepaug River Commissions, Kings Mark Environmental Review Team and the Lake Waramaug Task Force.

Falls Village, Town of Canaan First Selectman Patricia Mechare, Coordinator for the Northwest Connecticut Regional Planning Collaborative.

Pat Mechare's professional and volunteer involvement in this region is too extensive to list here. Pat was a teacher in the Kent Center School from 1968-2005. With no thought of retiring she became First Selectman of Falls Village in 2006. She has served on the town's planning and zoning commission and its boards of education and as a selectman.

Ruth Skovron, Falls Village Planning & Zoning Commissioner, Project Expediter for the Northwest Connecticut Regional Planning Collaborative.

Prior to moving to the region in the mid-90s Ruth Skovron published a weekly newspaper in Bergen County NJ for 17 years. In New Jersey she served on town planning boards and regional planning organizations.