BRATTLEBORO, VT. — Ivan Ussach is known around Warwick as director of the Warwick Free Public Library. Others might know him as operations director of the nonprofit Common Good. Now, he’s become executive director of the Rich Earth Institute in Brattleboro, Vt.
Having started in January, Ussach replaced Kim Nace, who has supported the Rich Earth Institute since helping to co-found it nine years ago. The research group operates a community-scale urine nutrient reclamation project and studies the use of human urine as a form of fertilizer. Nace will stay on part-time as CEO of its business spin-off, Rich Earth LLC, which develops products and tools for urine nutrient recovery.
After an extensive search, Rich Earth Institute’s hiring committee ultimately selected Ussach as Nace’s successor.
“Ivan is a passionate and articulate leader who fits right in with Rich Earth’s organizational culture,” John Hatton, a member of the Rich Earth Institute’s board of directors, said in a press release.
Ussach brings a wealth of environmental and nonprofit management experience to the position. With his background in public health and environmental toxicology, he has led and co-led several organizations working to protect watersheds and forests, including the Athol-based Millers River Watershed Council.
“Former colleagues praised him as an innovator with an analytic mind, a great sense of humor and a big heart,” Jane Diefenbach, also a member of the Rich Earth Institute’s board of directors, said in the release.
Now, as executive director, Ussach will work closely with staff and board members to continue advancing the Rich Earth Institute’s mission.
“It’s an honor to be part of such a great team, and to help lead the Rich Earth Institute into the future — one where our precious, life-giving potable water is used for drinking, not flushing, and where the valuable nutrients people naturally produce are used to maintain resilient ecological systems and communities,” Ussach said.
Although he is no longer working with Common Good, Ussach said he will retain his position as Warwick’s library director, explaining he was “in the market” for additional work when he found the listing for the Rich Earth Institute’s executive director position. He said he “just got a feeling” it would be a good fit.
Part of what drew him to the position is the ability to work on both scientific and technical aspects, in tandem with the social-behavioral side of the Rich Earth Institute’s mission. Ussach said he is excited by the opportunity to contribute to the design of equipment and infrastructure that will prevent millions of gallons of drinkable water from going to waste, and to work with people in local communities to get past the “resistance” to thinking of human waste as a valuable resource, which he said is a necessary step toward sustainability.
“Here’s an area where we could really be making a substantial improvement,” he said.
As a resident of Warwick, Ussach said he is excited to make use of his experience and skills to promote the institute’s practices and expand its reach into Western Massachusetts while working with the “tremendous team of wonderful people.” He said there is “huge” potential to “scale up” the urine collection that has been focused around the Brattleboro area by getting more people in Franklin County involved.
Zack DeLuca can be reached at zdeluca@recorder.com or 413-930-4579.