Ivan Kossak, New Hackensack Riverkeeper Board Member,
Brings Professional Background, Personal Interest

By Jennifer Kossak

"This planet is the only home we have. If we make it uninhabitable, we don't get a second chance," Ivan Kossak said when asked about his motivation for getting involved in environmental causes.

Ivan, one of the newest members of the Hackensack Riverkeeper Board of Trustees, is no stranger to lending both brawn and brain to various environmental efforts, ranging from cleanups to fundraising. While he describes his involvement as growing gradually over the years, Ivan recalls a Nature Conservancy fundraiser that captured his imagination. The Nature Conservancy asked donors to "adopt" an acre of rainforest.

"I sent in my donation, and I received a certificate, but more importantly, I became a Nature Conservancy member and received their magazine. That made me more aware of conservation issues everywhere – globally and here at home," he recalls. "I had, in the past, volunteered time to the Nature Conservancy with trail building and the cleanup of invasive plant species, and helped in their office once-a-week in the off-season for a few years."

For Ivan, a Certified Public Accountant, the off-season comes after April 15. Although he has forged his own career, this Fair Lawn native followed in his father's footsteps by becoming an accountant. Ivan earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1982, and subsequently passed the rigorous CPA exam. He spent eight years with J.H. Cohn & Co. and logged another five years as a controller before deciding to chart his own course. In order to maintain his certification, Ivan is required to spend 40 hours in the classroom each year to keep up to date with all the latest trends in his profession. For the past seven months, Ivan has been lending his professional expertise to Hackensack Riverkeeper, providing business and accounting information to the board. He is also responsible for preparing the organization's annual tax return and for assisting with records and the preparation of financial information. "I've always believed that good business decisions come from good financial information," he explains.

His involvement with Hackensack Riverkeeper is not limited to financial work, however. Since he began volunteering with the organization, he has been working to identify and prioritize vacant parcels of land in the Hackensack River watershed that the organization feels would be appropriate targets for preservation.

Ivan learned about Hackensack Riverkeeper and the organization's mission through his friendship with Riverkeeper employee Hugh Carola. Hugh is also the president of the Fyke Nature Association, of which Ivan is a member. Having heard Captain Bill Sheehan speak at a Fyke meeting, Ivan believed Hackensack Riverkeeper to be a very worthwhile effort. Captain Bill's message about Hackensack Riverkeeper's efforts to protect, preserve, and maintain the watershed hit home for Ivan, who asked Hugh about volunteer opportunities. Ivan now volunteers for the organization one day a week during the "off-season."

"Because I'm a birder, I'm constantly made aware of development issues affecting habitat loss," Ivan adds. Birding has also allowed Ivan to meet like-minded individuals, including Hugh.

Although environmental issues are a top priority for Ivan, he is also deeply devoted to his study of the American Civil War.

"I have always been fascinated with the Civil War era because it was a time of such profound change in this country, socially, technologically, and politically. As I studied the war, I realized that another attraction of the era is that it was a time when people did what they felt was the right thing and a time when they felt one person could make a difference. Sometimes, one person did make a difference, not unlike Captain Bill."

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