Meet The Team

John Mckeeby

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Courtney Nelson

Courtney graduated from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts with a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education and Psychology, along with a minor in Social Work. Her academic background, paired with her passion for helping people thrive, guides her in creating supportive, engaging, and meaningful experiences for her students.

“I absolutely love making connections with the students at the Middleburgh Advantage program and beyond. Building relationships, supporting their growth, and celebrating their achievements are truly the most rewarding parts of my work.

Outside of education, I am also a photographer and enjoy capturing the world through a creative lens. When I’m not working, you can usually find me spending time with my husband and our two dogs, or exploring a Disney park or a racetrack—two of my favorite places to unwind and recharge.”

Eric Ayotte

Eric came to the Schoharie River Center as a Media Educator, with a background in filmmaking, film curation, and community organizing. He has a degree in Communication and Media from SUNY New Paltz. In 2002, Eric founded the Gadabout Film Festival, which is a traveling short film festival that has screened in 15 countries, well over 200 cities, and ran for 20 years. Settling in Bloomington, IN, in 2009, Eric was the Youth Radio Director at Rhino’s Youth Center for 6 years, where he worked with High School students to produce a weekly 4 hour radio program and monthly podcast. As a production specialist at Community Access Television Services, Eric produced several TV programs that documented events and happenings around Bloomington. His love of making and sharing short films prompted Eric to start the Monthly Movie Challenge, which invites community members to produce their own short films based on a monthly prompt to be included in a monthly film screening. The Monthly Movie Challenge, which began in 2009, continues today, and is based in Schenectady NY.

Eric moved back to the Capital Region in 2020, and started at the Schoharie River Center in Feb 2021. At the SRC, Eric documents all the amazing programming through short videos and photos, maintains the SRC’s social media and website, teaches media production to our students, and manages different programs throughout the year. He launched and produces the SRC’s Mayfly Film Festival, and organizes the annual Trash Parade.

With the coming Schenectady Environmental Education Center, Eric will serve as Site Coordinator, managing day-to-day activities, as well as hosting events, promotion, and working closely with our partners. 

“What I love about working at the Schoharie River Center is the wide reach and clear effect the work we do has on the communities we serve. Our work is direct, and I got to share my passions of filmmaking and community building through the lens of environmental literacy.“

Sam Bruckman

Sam Bruckman graduated from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn with a Bachelor of Industrial Design, a degree that focuses on applied creative process. He initially became connected with the Schoharie River Center through his work as a builder and instructor in traditional timber frame carpentry and became an environmental educator in 2023.

“I have always been inspired and driven by a desire to facilitate people's connections with the natural world through my work in design, art, building, community organizing, and environmental education. I deeply appreciate the opportunity to work with our students and community members to experience nature and build a greater understanding of their environments. 

My values of service, community, and creativity are integral to my work at the Schoharie River Center and I seek to embody them in my personal life as well. In addition to serving as a volunteer EMT and fire fighter, I am a founding member of The Root Community, a nearby land based creative collective, and am on the board of directors for The Wasontha Sanctuary, an agricultural non profit organization that focuses on culture and food accessibility.  When I have free time, I enjoy canoeing, cross country skiing, gardening, drawing, and building. Thankfully these are also all activities I get the opportunity to incorporate into my work at the Schoharie River Center as well.” 

Annemarie Dooley

Annemarie Dooley has been working as an Environmental Educator since October 2023. Annemarie first started working with the Schoharie River Center as an intern upon graduating from SUNY University at Buffalo with a Bachelors in Environmental Studies & Sustainability and a Bachelors in Philosophy in May 2023. During her studies, she developed a passion for field and restoration ecology, learning methods to survey environments and to tackle threats like invasive species. Living close to Lake Erie during her studies sparked an interest in Limnology, which has since furthered with the water quality monitoring and stream ecology research she conducts and teaches with the SRC. Also an artist, Annemarie enjoys developing programming that integrates science and art to help students foster a deeper understanding of the natural environment around them and beyond.

Arianna Crescimanno

Arianna joined the Schoharie River Center in January 2025. She graduated from Binghamton University with a B.S. in Environmental Science, along with minors in both Education and Italian. Prior to joining the Schoharie River Center, Arianna served as the Wilderness Excursions Supervisor at Manice Education Center in Florida, MA. She also worked as an Environmental Educator in New York City Public Schools across all five boroughs. Her education and professional background combined with her lifelong love of the outdoors has greatly shaped her commitment to protecting the environment. Having moved back to her hometown of Middleburgh, NY, she is excited to share her passion and foster curiosity and stewardship for the natural world within her community.

Jacob Tanzman

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