Board Of Directors

Todd J. Shaw

President

Todd serves as Board President and Chairman of the Creek Defender program. He grew up on the Amityville River and his childhood revolved around being on and in the Bay. Today, there are certain days he won’t even let his family in the water. His passion is to help reverse that damage for future generations.

Todd is a Senior VP at Morgan Stanley and a Managing Partner in The Shaw Group, specializing in wealth planning and asset management. He serves on the board of the Cancer Research and Treatment Fund at NY Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Wayne R. Horsley

Director of Advocacy

Wayne grew up on the Great South Bay and remembers learning to swim on the Bay, sailing, and clamming. He believes that along with remediation efforts on the mainland and increased water flow, the bay will rejuvenate.

Wayne’s background includes positions with NYS Office of Parks and Recreation and as the Presiding Officer of the Suffolk County Legislature. In addition, he served as a longtime Councilman for the Town of Babylon. He has a Doctorate and Masters degree from St. John’s University in Modern World History as well as a Masters from Bernard Baruch College in Public Administration.

Rhianna Q. Roddy

Director of Development

Rhianna Quinn Roddy is Scholarship America’s Executive Director, managing the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund which supports post-secondary education for the children and spouses of those lost on 9/11 and, to date, has awarded $148 million in scholarships to over 3,300 students.

Her background also includes more than 20 years with Delta Air Lines in a variety of executive roles in the U.S., Europe, India and Asia, where she led international marketing efforts. She currently lives in Bay Shore with her husband and their young son.

Photo of Victoria LeFayt

Victoria Lefayt

Director of Development

Victoria brings decades of experience in relationship development to the Board as a leading manager in the banking industry including Investors Bank, Bank of America and State Bank of Long Island, et al. Her leadership has been recognized by appoinments to the President’s Team of Leadership at Bank of America. She has been recognized as

She has served on the Board of Directors as multiple non-profits including the Make-A-Wish foundation, the Autism Society of America and the Farmingdale Chamber of Commerce.

Tom Kaine Photo - Creek Defender Chairperson

Tom Kain

Director of Creek Defender Program

Tom Kain is a past President of the Rotary Club of Bay Shore where he served two terms as President in 2017-2018 and before that in 2014-2015. He and his wife Gigi and their 5 children have been Bay Shore residents for the last 20 years and residents of Long Island for decades.  Tom has worked for TD Bank for almost 15 years and is a senior residential loan officer.

He is a lifelong lover of our oceans, sounds, beaches, bays, canals, lakes, ponds, rivers and creeks. He grew up in Babylon, swimming, skating and fishing in Sumpwams/Shore Road canal, Southards Pond and Argyle Lake and spent many childhood summers in Peconic living in a cottage on the bluffs of the LI Sound.

Andy Mirchel

Director of the Great South Bay Oyster Project

Andy grew up swimming, fishing, boating and sailing. He studied Marine Environmental Science at SUNY Stony Brook with a focus on marine fisheries management. In addition to field work on the economic study of sea scallops, he has co-authored studies on sediments in the Great South Bay and wrote his thesis on Enforcement in the Hard Clam Fishery.

After working in private industry for some 32 years, Andy retired and began working as a Senior Advisor on the Great Atlantic Shellfish Farms. Andy has served for three years as the West Islip Creek Defender encouraging local civic and student engagement. In addition, he directs the Great South Bay Oyster Project applying for all relevant permits and coordinating plantings in the sanctuary.

Bill Zeller Photo

Bill Zeller

Director of Governance

Bill is the proprietor of Captree Clam which he founded some 46 years ago. He has also served as the President of the Long Island Shellfish Dealers Association and is a past director of the New York Seafood Council. Currently,

Bill serves as a member of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Shellfish Advisory Council. He has served his community as a member of the Babylon Village Bayman Statue Committee and is an active member of Long Island Beach Access Group. Bill loves surfing and guitar playing.

Karen Marvin

Director of Events

Born and bred on Long Island’s South Shore, Karen is the most recent addition to our Board and the incredibly creative and talented brains behind South Shore Paddleboards, a successful business based in Babylon, NY.

Fittingly, Karen graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology with degrees in Visual Merchandising and Display and Exhibit Design. She serves as a

Director on the Save the Great South Bay Board providing essential marketing and promotional guidance in addition to her avid and undeniable passion for all things water-related.

Michael Busch

Director of Visual Arts

Michael grew up on the Bellport Bay and graduated from College at Brockport. He is a financial advisor with Woodbury Financial Services with a true passion for photography which he pursues through his company Great South Bay Images and FireIslandandBeyond.com.

Most of the stunning and eye-catching imagery found on our website and in our promotional materials was captured by Michael.

James Bertsch

Director

Dr. James Bertsch’s mission is to enhance community involvement by fostering civility and inquiry in public discourse. As a YMCA board member and twice-elected trustee for Sayville Schools, his civic and political focus centers on coalition building. James spearheads diverse community events, engaging over 300 people and 15 organizations in initiatives such as veteran gravestone restorations. As a trustee for the LT Michael P. Murphy Navy SEAL Museum, he aims to inspire local devotion to Michael Murphy’s legacy and integrate the Navy SEAL Museum into community life. With a background in education, James served as a Special Education administrator, founded the Greater Sayville Civic Association, and directs local initiatives for Save the Great South Bay. Committed to community advocacy, he contributes environmental and civic stories to various publications, including Newsday, Suffolk County News, and the Long Island Press.

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