Happy National Intern Day! This summer, the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG) is hosting six interns who are making a meaningful impact across the region. From supporting environmental initiatives to contributing to transportation, mapping, and planning projects, our interns are gaining hands-on experience while helping to improve our 19 municipalities. Join us in celebrating their hard work and the difference they are making this summer!
Jacob Bartel
Jacob Bartel was first introduced to the NVCOG through his Sustainable CT Fellowship Program, where he supported climate change and recycling efforts within the agency’s region. Witnessing how impactful his work was, Bartel is interested in all aspects of regional planning, and is working towards a career as a transportation planner.
A second-year graduate student in the Master of Regional Planning program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Bartel, a two-time NVCOG intern, is spending his summer working with the communications team. Bartel assists each division with outreach initiatives and ensures that the public is aware of the agency’s plans. Furthermore, he is also using what he’s learning to curate his capstone project that focuses on public outreach for the region’s Metropolitan Transportation Plan.
While interning on the communications team, Bartel is experiencing a piece of each division. “I get to learn strategies on reaching the public, the importance of town meetings and how to navigate them, which is something I would not have fully experienced in a classroom,” he shared.
As a fellow, after leading a project that collected the public’s thoughts about a climate plan, Bartel read through and compiled all responses that were then included in the project’s finalized plan. He also helped a town with a volunteer recycling initiative that gained popularity and is still in existence. “These were small things, but once I saw that even as an intern, I could directly help people and towns in this field, I was hooked.”
When he’s not doing public outreach or working on his capstone project, Bartel coaches fencing, using skills he learned from competing in Division 1 fencing at Sacred Heart during his undergrad years.
Grace DiTunno
Sustainability is a dynamic practice that builds vibrant and inclusive communities for all, and that’s why Sustainable CT Fellow Grace DiTunno places it at the forefront of her work. As a fellow, DiTunno is helping municipalities in the Naugatuck Valley to get certified with Sustainable CT.
Sustainable CT is a voluntary certification program that recognizes thriving and resilient Connecticut communities and provides a wide range of actions designed with flexibility to meet the varying needs of each municipality. In addition to sustainable certification efforts, DiTunno is using her internship to build her communication, project management, and collaboration skills through the day-to-day operations of local municipalities.
“I am passionate about sustainability because, to progress and create a future for all, we need to do it in a manner that preserves what we have available now and find new methods to solve pressing problems,” DiTunno shared. As a rising junior studying political science and applied data analysis at the University of Connecticut, DiTunno is using her academic and professional experiences to become an environmental lawyer. “We cannot keep waiting for someone else to solve the climate crisis, so I am empowered to find ways myself and others can contribute and help make progress forward.”
Outside of NVCOG and Sustainable CT, DiTunno is an undergraduate researcher at the Energy and Elections Lab at her university, where she looks at the electoral implications of the development of wind and solar across the U.S. Soon, she will also be interning at the UConn Office of Sustainability to set and achieve sustainable university-wide goals.
Evan Watson
Growing up, Evan Watson enjoyed making, studying and sharing maps. Now, he uses that passion as a Geographic Information Science Technician (GIS) intern, helping to transform the region within the NVCOG through compliance efforts with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Watson is a second-year graduate student at Central Connecticut State University studying geography with a focus on GIS. For the summer, he’s working alongside NVCOG professionals on the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP), a 25-year vision for transportation in the agency’s region. Watson’s main tasks include mapping existing pedestrian infrastructure such as sidewalks, crosswalks, curb ramps, signals, and more across all 19 municipalities. Watson helps to curate and update maps, including ones depicting historic locations, farmers’ markets and agri-tourism spots, electric vehicle chargers, and many other visual representations of the region’s resources.
Watson’s GIS work of mapping existing pedestrian infrastructure is giving NVCOG planners an easy way to identify areas that need improvement. “It’s rewarding to know that the work I do behind a computer today can eventually contribute to safer, more accessible communities,” he said.
Striving for a career in land and spatial data, Watson shares how his work at NVCOG is preparing him for his aspiration. “My internship has given me a much better understanding of how regional government and the planning process work,” he said. “I’ve been able to see how professionals with different areas of expertise collaborate to support municipalities and improve communities. My perspective has broadened, my technical and professional skills have strengthened, and I’ve gained valuable real-world experiences.”
Other than his GIS work, Watson is an active member of the Gamma Theta Upsilon International Geographical Honor Society, which promotes excellence in geographic education and research while encouraging professional development and a greater understanding of geography and its applications.
Paige Gregory
As a rising senior studying environmental and political sciences at the University of Connecticut, Paige Gregory is spending her summer identifying vacant land for urban farming with the NVCOG.
Serving on the five-year Vacant Lot Activation Project, Gregory’s multifaceted internship spans three entities: the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, UConn Extension, and three Councils of Governments in Connecticut. The internship stems from the UConn Extension program, which connects university research, knowledge, and resources with communities across the state to collaborate on developing new solutions that help families, businesses, and communities thrive.
With NVCOG, Gregory is tasked with identifying vacant and undeveloped pieces of land to see if they are well-suited for urban farming. The project will connect urban farmers with municipal land that they can lease, resulting in better access to fresh and locally grown produce.
Hailing from a family of farmers, Gregory knows firsthand the hard work and patience that goes into growing crops, as well as the importance of having access to healthy agricultural land. What she experienced growing up has made her passionate about creating sustainable communities where improved access to green spaces, local food systems, and environmental resources are readily available to every resident.
After earning her degrees, Gregory aspires to use her skills in environmental science and planning, public policy, and government to create more sustainable communities.
“I am passionate about my work because I believe that everyone should have access to fresh, local foods, and I’m honored to be part of a project that makes a difference in the region,” shared Gregory. “This project will have lasting benefits for the Naugatuck Valley region and the residents who call it home.”
During the school year, Gregory serves on the Environmental Studies Student Advisory Board and is treasurer for the Soil and Water Conservation Society. She also works as a Sustainability Outreach Intern for the UConn Office of Sustainability and is an active member of EcoHusky, a university organization that gathers students passionate about environmental-related issues.
Gregory is slated to earn her bachelor’s in 2027 and her master’s in public policy in 2028 through UConn’s Fast-Track program.
Tommy Rak
A study abroad opportunity focused on coastal resilience in two Caribbean Islands is what made Tommy Rak grow a passion for environmental conservation. That passion brought him to the NVCOG, where he is learning how to map the Municipal Separate Stormwater Sewer Systems (MS4) and support its public outreach throughout the region alongside environmental planning experts.
Rak’s interest in environmental protection and the coastline has brought him to several countries and states. He has worked on projects aimed at protecting and maintaining the New Hampshire coast, travelled across the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico to establish resilience systems such as mangrove forests, and is now exploring the stormwater system in NVCOG’s 19 municipalities. He also actively monitors the horseshoe crab population in Narragansett Bay with the Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife.
“I am interning at NVCOG because I strongly connect with the mission of the environmental team and want to learn more about the planning and organizational side of environmental protection,” said Rak. Additionally, he is also learning how local governments, regional organizations, and communities work together to support conservation efforts and protect natural resources. “This internship is also helping me build practical skills while also giving me a better understanding of the policies and decisions involved in environmental planning.”
Rak says those experiences continue to strengthen his interest in environmental conservation, showing him how critical planning, collaboration and sustainable practices are when addressing environmental challenges. “For my future career, I would like to continue working in a similar field, either with a government agency or a nonprofit organization,” he said. “I believe it is important to preserve the natural world so that future generations can enjoy the same opportunities and experiences that I’ve had.”
Outside of his environmental work, Rak is also a summer camp counselor in his hometown of Rhode Island. He also trains and competes in several martial arts disciplines, including boxing, kickboxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and mixed martial arts.
Rak will be entering his final semester as a biology major at the University of New Hampshire.
Daisy Everingham
A recent graduate of Southern Connecticut State University’s Master’s in Coastal Resilience program, Daisy Everingham is spending her summer working alongside environmental planning experts at the NVCOG, supporting efforts to maintain the Municipal Separate Stormwater Sewer Systems (MS4).
Everingham’s MS4 tasks consist of desk and field work to understand how the stormwater systems operate, and whether the 19 municipalities in the NVCOG region are meeting mapping, outreach, and water quality standards listed in the MS4 General Permit.
Working side-by-side with environmental planners, Everingham is gaining hands-on experience on a wide range of projects, something she says is prepping her for her future. “I’m interested in a career in planning at the regional level and seeing how NVCOG planners work day-to-day, understanding the decisions they make, and processes they go through to create safer, healthier, more resilient places, is great.”
Passionate about climate change, Everingham explains how stormwater planning is a key part of it. “As more intense rainfall increases pressure on the system, the likelihood for negative impacts to occur rises,” she said. “There’s an opportunity to have a real tangible impact on the local communities and ensure they are future- proofed, particularly in the face of climate change and its effects.”
“The process of reducing impervious surface cover and limiting opportunities for pollution to enter the system is critical. It’s this end-result – safer, healthier, more resilient, indeed more joyful places – that gets me excited about this work and the possibility of a career in planning.”
When Everingham is not tending to the stormwater system, she’s exercising her green thumb by growing her own food and planting flowers for pollinators. She is also an avid cyclist and writer.
