Staff
Kelsey Wentling
The CT River Gateway Commission, from its founding in 1973, has been professionally and technically supported by regional planning agencies.
Susie Beckman, Regional Planner at the Lower Connecticut River Valley Council of Governments (RiverCOG), began serving as staff to the Gateway Commission in 2023.
Serendipity (and the US Navy) transplanted the Beckmans in Ivoryton in 1997. Susie and husband, Phil, cherish the quality of life experienced in the Lower Connecticut River Valley where they raised their two children. They share a desire to sustain the qualities that make this area such a treasured place for all of us lucky enough to live here or visit.
Working with the Gateway Commission gives Susie the opportunity to help preserve the natural and traditional river scene of the beautiful Lower Connecticut River Valley. She works collaboratively with land use staff in each of the eight Gateway Conservation Zone towns to fulfill the Gateway Commission’s mission. This includes guiding applicants through the Gateway Commission’s zoning review process, reviewing regulation changes that impact the Gateway Conservation Zone and managing the Gateway Commission’s operations.
If you have questions about the Gateway Commission or the Gateway Conservation Zone, contact Susie via email or by telephone.
Connecticut’s Largest Island is in Lyme
Selden Island on the east side of the Connecticut River was created in 1854 by storm runoff that separated it from mainland Lyme. At 604 acres, it is the largest Connecticut island. Once a farm and later a stone quarry that produced red granite schist for paving, today it contains Selden Neck State Park which is only accessible by boat — as the state’s sole island state park.