A Message from Krishna Winston, Jonah Center Board President
As a Jonah Center follower and, we hope, supporter, you may have noticed two things.
First, our advocacy and work on behalf of the natural and human environment has grown wider and deeper over the years. Tree-planting, sidewalk improvements, planning and construction of multi-use trails, home energy efficiency, climate action, removal of invasive aquatic plants, litter cleanup, and waste reduction have all been significant areas of effort. Add to that John Hall’s leadership in keeping track of and intervening to affect legislation, policy, and action—or lack thereof—locally and at the state level, and the myriad tasks involved in administering a non-profit organization of any size.
Second, in 2024 the Jonah Center celebrated its twentieth anniversary. The Center has gained an enviable reputation as a responsible, engaged, and effective representative of multiple environmental interests. Our founder, John Hall, now admits to being twenty-one years older than he was when, at the age of 56, he got us started on this venture. The scope and complexity of the Jonah Center’s work has grown primarily as a result of his indefatigable volunteer labor over the years, and he recognizes that the time has come for him to begin stepping back and turning the burdens—and the rewards—over to leaders who will be appropriately remunerated for maintaining the organization’s momentum.
Recognizing these realities, the Jonah Center applied for and received from the City of Middletown a Community Development Block Grant of nearly $25,000 that will fund two part-time employees from January through August of this year. We are seeking funds to take us beyond this initial period. John Hall remains very much involved as we make the transition to a new phase in the life of the Jonah Center,
The Jonah Center Board of Directors has hired John Shafer as Associate Director, and Kristen Colombo as Community Organizer and Advocate. We are very excited about the skills, experience, and enthusiasm they bring to our organization.
It is my pleasure to introduce John Shafer and Kristen Colombo and ask you to welcome them in their new roles.
John Shafer, Associate Director, retired recently from his professorship at Connecticut State Community College–Middlesex, where he taught courses in film, media, philosophy, and religion. He now teaches part-time. A nature-lover and longtime advocate for the environment, John helped develop sustainability initiatives at his college.
John has served on the Jonah Center’s Board of Directors for many years, including as President and Website Administrator. He was also a founding member of the Air Line Trail Committee for the town of Portland and a leader in the development of Portland’s multi-use trail. Originally from San Diego, California, John studied English and humanities at the University of Southern California, film and media at Syracuse University, and philosophy and religion at the University of Connecticut and the California Institute of Integral Studies.
John is an Emmy-award-winning film and media creator and the proud parent of three young adult children and one granddaughter.
Kristen Colombo, Community Organizer and Advocate, attended the University of Connecticut, where she earned a B.S. in Natural Resource Management with a focus on soils. While science was her passion, her first job led to an unexpected and rewarding career at Verizon. She earned a Master’s in Educational Technology from CCSU and worked for Verizon as an instructional designer, learning architect, project manager, and cross-functional team leader.
Dedicated to helping others learn and grow, Kristen led her daughter’s Girl Scout troop from grammar school through high school. Outdoor adventures fed her appreciation for nature over the years. She has followed and been inspired by the local work of the Jonah Center and the community it has fostered. Having recently retired, she is excited about the opportunity to contribute to its work. As she continues to learn about the climate crisis, she looks forward to supporting and promoting the benefits of known solutions such as opting for clean, renewable energy and embracing the principles of living sustainably.
Kristen volunteers with the Environmental Voter Project, mobilizing environmental voters across the country. She lives in Middletown with her husband and grown children, now in college. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, cooking, traveling, hiking, cross-country skiing, and visiting Cape Cod.