Water Quality Programs Manager
2018 - Present
I work on programs to improve and protect water quality and work to develop new projects and funding sources.
- Develop, manage, and oversee statewide water quality programs including green stormwater projects, river corridor restoration projects, and streamside buffers.
- Represent and act as a liason betwen the state of Vermont’s 14 Conservation Districts and statewide partners.
- Build capacity within the districts and support district staff through the development of relevant trainings and resources.
- Communicate district accomplishments through web resources, VACD annual report, and to state-level partners.
Research Assistant
2017 - 2019
For my graduate research, I investigated the practices of private snow removal companies throughout the Lake Champlain basin. This work lead to recommendations for creating resources and changing private contractors' management practices towards reducing road salt usage.
Outreach Manager
2015 - 2017
I worked with volunteer groups in New York and Pennsylvania to monitor their local streams for shale gase development impacts and contributed to outreach by the USA Volunteer Monitoring Network.
Education
M.S. Natural Resources
University of Vermont | 2019
B.A. Sociology
Northeastern University | 2014
- Minor in Environmental Studies
- Honors: Cum Laude, Dean’s List, Merit Scholarship for Academic Excellence
Publications
Select Design & Communication Projects
Select Presentations
- Sparacino, H., Stepenuck, K. (2018). Winter Road Maintenance: Identifying and Lowering Private Companies’ Barriers to Adopting Best Management Practices. North American Lake Management Society International Symposium.
- Sparacino, H., Stepenuck, K. (2018). Winter Maintenance Best Practices: How and Why Companies Use Low-Salt Practices. Lake Champlain Deicing Conference.
- Sparacino, H., Stepenuck, K. (2018). Winter Maintenance Best Practices: Identifying and Lowering Private Contractors’ Barriers to Adoption. Lake Champlain Research Conference.
- Sparacino, H., Stepenuck, K. (2017). Winter Maintenance Best Practices: Identifying and Lowering Private Contractors’ Barriers to Adoption. University of Vermont Graduate Research Symposium.
- Sparacino, H. (2017). Design to Implementation: Creating an Effective Volunteer Monitor Database. Citizen Science Association Conference.
- Sparacino, H. (2017). Effectively Communicating Ecological Economics. Frontiers in Ecological Economics: University of Vermont.
- Sparacino, H. (2016). Building and Supporting a Regional Monitoring Effort. National Water Quality Monitoring Conference.
- Sparacino, H. (2016). Creating an Effective Volunteer Monitoring Database - Data Management Techniques and Lessons Learned. National Water Quality Monitoring Conference.
- Monismith, J., Sparacino, H. (2016). Shale Gas Monitoring Workshop. Mid-Atlantic Volunteer Monitoring Conference.