The Friends of Georgica Pond Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization founded in August of 2015. It is governed by a six- member board of directors who hire professional personnel as needed.
Our mission statement is: To preserve the Georgica Pond ecosystem for future generations through science-based, watershed-wide policy and restoration.
The organization works closely with all stakeholders, including the East Hampton Town Trustees, The Village of East Hampton, the Town of East Hampton and people living in the Georgica Pond watershed.
Board of Directors
Our Team
Laura Tooman joined Friends of Georgica Pond in January 2024 as its second Executive Director. Laura brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in watershed based ecosystem management on the East End of Long Island. Prior to Friends of Georgica Pond, Laura was President of the Concerned Citizens of Montauk, Assistant to New York State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr., and the Peconic Estuary Program Coordinator for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. She holds a Masters of Environmental Science and Management from the University of Rhode Island and a BA from Roger Williams University.
Dr. Gobler is the Endowed Chair of Coastal Ecology & Conservation at the School of Marine & Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University; and Director of the New York State Center For Clean Water Technology.
Larry served as a public official in the Town & Village of East Hampton for 42 years. He recently retired as Town Supervisor after completing two terms. Larry was one of the leaders in the successful effort to renew the Community Preservation Fund and adopt new legislation to require the use of low nitrogen septic systems to improve water quality.
Prior to her role with the Chapman Perelman Foundation, she worked as a researcher at the Center for High Impact Philanthropy and spent three years in India working with non-profit organizations. Addavail received her B.A. in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master in Development Economics from the London School of Economics.
Sara is the former Executive Director of Friends of Georgica Pond Foundation and now serves as a project advisor. She has worked in the not-for-profit sector her entire career. She was formerly the Executive Director of the Long Island Nature Conservancy and the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons. She received her B.S. from Tulane University and a Masters of Science in Botany and Ecology from Rutgers University.