Our Board of Trustees welcomed three new members at its annual meeting on Wednesday, March 4: Kenneth Klipstein of Tewksbury Township, Allison Cooper of Bernardsville and Jessica Jahre of Clinton.

Klipstein is a returning board member, having first served about 40 years ago at the beginning of his career in environmental protection. Cooper and Jahre became involved more recently, but all share a commitment to RHA’s mission of protecting clean water in the Upper Raritan River watershed.

“We are thrilled to welcome these three outstanding leaders to the Board of Trustees,” said Executive Director Mara Tippett. “Their breadth of expertise and shared commitment to protecting clean water will be a tremendous asset to the organization. I’m looking forward to working with them as we continue advancing RHA’s science, stewardship, and conservation efforts across the watershed.”

“Supporting RHA is a meaningful way to protect this area’s watershed and ensure access to clean water for millions of New Jerseyans, and I feel honored to play a small role in its efforts,” said Cooper, who first became involved with Raritan Headwaters in 2022 and chaired the auction at RHA’s 2025 fundraising gala.

“RHA’s work is so essential,” added Klipstein. “Through education programs, River-Friendly certification, stream monitoring, land preservation, and restoration, RHA is not only protecting our watershed, it is keeping a promise to the next generation.”

Together, these new trustees bring a wide range of professional expertise and community commitment that will help strengthen RHA’s work to protect clean water and natural resources across the

region.

 

Allison Cooper

Allison Cooper lives in Bernardsville with her husband, Fred, and their two young children. She is Co-President, Retail, North America Commercial Insurance at AIG, where she has worked for the past six years. Prior to joining AIG, she held leadership roles at Willis and Marsh, two multinational advisory and risk management firms.

 

Cooper began her career as a legislative policy aide in Washington, D.C. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Trinity College in Connecticut and a law degree from Brooklyn Law School and is admitted to practice law in New York and New Jersey.

She currently serves as co-founder and president of The Bridge, a nonprofit networking organization supporting the development of female professionals in financial lines insurance, and has previously served on the boards of Junior Achievement of New Jersey and British American Business.

 

 

Jessica Jahre

 

Jessica Jahre is a project manager and certified professional planner with more than 12 years of experience in resilience planning, climate adaptation, and hazard mitigation across New Jersey.

She currently serves as a senior project manager at Michael Baker International, where she has contributed to major statewide initiatives including the 2024 New Jersey State Hazard Mitigation Plan and the state’s Climate Change Resilience Strategy. Her background includes work with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and leading community engagement and stakeholder outreach efforts.

Jahre holds a Master of City and Regional Planning from the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. She is certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners and is also a Certified Floodplain Manager.

 

Kenneth H. Klipstein II

 

Kenneth H. Klipstein II is a longtime environmental leader with more than 40 years of experience in watershed protection, land conservation, and water resource management across New Jersey.

He recently retired after a 37-year career in public service, including serving as Director of Watershed Protection Programs for the New Jersey Water Supply Authority. Earlier in his career at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, he helped establish the statewide Watershed Ambassadors program.

Klipstein has also been active in nonprofit conservation leadership, serving as president of the board of trustees of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation and as a co-founder of the Tewksbury Land Trust. A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in environmental planning, he has dedicated his career to protecting drinking water and advancing nature-based solutions for flood mitigation and ecosystem restoration.

Together, these new trustees bring a wide range of professional expertise and community commitment that will help strengthen RHA’s work to protect clean water, restore rivers, and preserve the lands that safeguard drinking water across the Upper Raritan watershed.