Commissioners

is a certified general appraiser, registered landscape architect and real estate broker. Since founding Barber and Mann, Inc. in 2002, he has performed conservation easement and other specialized appraisals and provided real estate consulting on environmentally sensitive lands for landowners, non-profits and agencies in the Southeast U.S. His firm has provided expert testimony in numerous tax court cases for the Internal Revenue Service, and they are consulting on multiple cases in progress. After 16 years as President of Oak Lane, Inc, a landscape architecture, land planning, and development firm, Gerald served 28 years as the elected Tax Assessor of Madison County, Mississippi. He honorably served in the U.S. Army 733rd MP Criminal Investigation Division. He has volunteered for over 52 years for several state, regional and national conservation organizations and served as Chairman of the National Wildlife Federation Board of Directors from 1998 - 2000. To date, he has appraised or reviewed 264 conservation easements and has served as an instructor for multiple conservation easement seminars across the Southeast.

Gerald is an avid hunter, angler and gardener, father of two children, and grandfather of four. He and his wife Diane live in Ridgeland, Mississippi.

is a forest and environmental historian, and holds an MA from the University of Vermont, and a PhD from the University of Maine. He is currently the executive director of Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust, in the Lake Sunapee area of New Hampshire. Previously he has been executive director of Blue Hill Heritage Trust, on the Blue Hill Peninsula in Maine, and Great Mountain Forest in northwest Connecticut. Before becoming involved in nonprofit conservation, he taught at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, in the Department of American Indian Studies.

Hans has lived most of his life in rural New England, where issues of land use and the environment have been lifelong concerns. He has traveled extensively in northern Quebec and Labrador, since the early 1980s. He has worked closely with First Nations people, focusing especially on where land-use in New England impacts Indigenous lands in the north. He is an avid outdoorsman, sportsman, woodworker, and boat-builder.

For the last 16 years Dana (now retired) provided accounting and financial management services to not-for-profit organizations as a sole proprietor CPA, mainly in south-central Wisconsin. Among his clients were a half-dozen land trusts and conservation organizations. Dana helped these organizations develop budgets and financial reports that clearly communicate their operating results, operating reserves, and uses of restricted contributions.

Prior to starting his own firm, Dana spent a total of 8 years as a CPA firm employee performing financial statement and compliance audits for not-for-profit, manufacturing, and retail organizations. Dana has a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Minnesota and has ten years of experience teaching political theory at the college level. This helped prepare him to work with nonprofit boards of directors to improve their understanding of financial concepts. He has worked with the Land Trust Alliance, Land Trust Accreditation Commission, and Gathering Waters (Wisconsin) to provide financial management training and technical assistance to land trusts.

Dana and his wife Patricia (retired from Wisconsin DNR) now live in Minneapolis. He serves as a volunteer and director of the Ice Age Trail Alliance and enjoys hiking segments of the unique footpath that follows the edge of glacial advance across 1,000 miles of Wisconsin landscape.

is an environmental scientist who retired from the Department of the Navy in 2014 after more than 34 combined years of service as a uniformed officer and civilian employee. Her professional path evolved from being a National Park Service Interpretive Ranger, to an unrestricted line officer in the Navy, to education, and finally to work in environmental science and policy. In her final assignment she worked extensively on marine environmental issues such as ocean noise and coastal and marine spatial planning both internally with the Navy and externally with multiple federal agencies including the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Marine Mammal Commission, the National Ocean Council, and the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

Since her retirement, Robin has engaged as a volunteer with several organizations, most notably the Jefferson Land Trust in Jefferson County, Washington, and the Blue Mountain Land Trust in in southeastern Washington and eastern Oregon. Robin served as JLT's Board President from 2017- 2020, and is currently serving as BMLT's Board President. She is also a rare plant monitor with the University of Washington. Robin holds a B.S. in Biology from Utah State University, a M.A and M.S. in Postsecondary Education and Biology from San Diego and Fresno State Universities respectively, and a PhD in Environmental Science and Policy from George Mason University. Robin and her husband Dan Brake live in Dayton, Washington and are parents to two young men.

is the Texas Field Representative at The Conservation Fund. Her career has focused on land protection, stewardship, outdoor education, volunteer management, and trail construction and has included positions in Texas, South Carolina, New Mexico, and up and down the Appalachian Trail. Ellen holds a master's degree in Geography from Texas A&M University. An enthusiastic and avid backpacker, Ellen thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail following graduate school and continues to spend as much time as she can outside whether hiking, running, biking, or enjoying time on central Texas rivers and lakes.

is the Conservation Program Director for the Adirondack Land Trust in northern New York State where he works with staff in all aspects of land protection and stewardship including ALT's initial accreditation and subsequent renewal efforts. Prior to this, he served in land protection roles for the Adirondack Chapter of The Nature Conservancy and the New Jersey Conservation Foundation where he completed over 100 land transactions resulting in the protection of thousands of acres from city parks to an 11,000-acre nature preserve in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. He has served on the boards of the Rancocas Conservancy, South Jersey Land & Water Trust, Camden Greenways and Great Egg Harbor Scenic & Recreational River Council and in 2010, was awarded the Environmental Quality Award from the EPA for his conservation work in South Jersey.

Chris holds a B.S in Environmental Resource Management from Penn State, a M.S. in Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences from Virginia Tech and a Certificate in Non-Profit Management from LaSalle University. After work, Chris enjoys hiking, cross country skiing, and eventually paddling the cedar strip canoe that he is currently building.

has a deep connection with nature. Her love began on her family's farm and learning in her middle school science class (taught by the famous Chris Adkins) and searching wooded trails for spring ephemerals. As the Senior Land Protection Facilitator at Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF), Heather oversees the full gamut of INHF's land protection work including purchasing land for protection, restoring land through stewardship, and working with private landowners on conservation easements. Working in conservation in her home state is meaningful to Heather because she sees Iowa as a state that needs the work the most. When not in the office or traveling throughout the state, you can find her in the garden.

Aaron Lefland is the Deputy Director at the Connecticut Land Conservation Council, where he leads and supports capacity-building programs for the ~115 land trusts across the state. He is deeply committed to helping land trusts become strong, enduring organizations that serve their communities through thoughtful, strategic land conservation and stewardship. Previously, Aaron served as Executive Director of the New Canaan Land Trust, where he guided the organization through its first successful accreditation application, and oversaw a period of significant growth in staff, budget, membership, and programming.

Aaron holds a Master of Forest Science from the Yale School of the Environment, with a background in silviculture and forest ecology research. He currently serves on Connecticut’s Forest Stewardship Committee, the steering committees for the Connecticut Master Woodland Manager Program and the Six Lakes Park Coalition, and the board of the Sleeping Giant Park Association. Outside of his professional work, Aaron spends as much time as possible outdoors, pursuing interests such as birding, hiking, rock climbing, foraging, gardening, nature photography, and skiing.

joined The Conservation Fund in 2008 and serves as the Vice President & Regional Director, Central Midwest. In his regional capacity he oversees the Fund's work in Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa and Kansas was well as working in Wisconsin, Michigan, North and South Dakota. Clint is a seasoned conservation professional who has worked since 1988 in land conservation and wildlife management from Alaska and Florida to the Great Plains. He is the Fund's lead on implementation of the Midwest Habitat Mitigation Project, a $22 million compensatory mitigation program for a 600-mile oil pipeline running across four states. He is a recognized expert negotiator and facilitator, working with federal, state and local agencies, corporations and families on complex real estate transactions, conservation easements, mitigation, public and private funding and finance.

Clint serves as a commissioner on the Land Trust Accreditation Commission and on Gathering Waters Conservancy's Land Trust Council in Wisconsin. He previously worked as a regional director for the Minnesota Land Trust and led a community-based conservation program for The Nature Conservancy in the Dakotas after spending 12 years as a wildlife biologist and land manager. In his spare time Clint enjoys traveling in domestically and abroad, hiking and exploring new places, and spending time with wife and adult children. He is a former structural and wildland firefighter and spent 15 years as an EMT.

retired in 2022 as General Counsel at Save the Redwoods League, based in San Francisco. In that role, Harry was responsible for anticipating, identifying and evaluating legal risks and analyzing legal issues, negotiating and drafting the League's land conservation and general business contracts, and assuring legal compliance. Harry worked with and supported each staff member to enable them to better accomplish their work while serving as a member of the leadership team and advising the Board of Directors. Prior to the League, Harry had a private law practice representing land trusts throughout the State of California.

Harry continues to advise Save the Redwoods League as an outside counsel. He also volunteers on the Board of Directors of the California Council of Land Trusts and on its policy committee. His prior roles with LTA include serving as a (board) Member of Terrafirma, on the Standards (and Practices) Advisory Team, and the Legal Defense Advisory Council.

Harry lives in Berkeley, California with his wife Joanne; they very much enjoy having their two daughters, their partners and grandchild also living in the SF Bay Area. Hiking and biking in the beautiful hills of the East Bay and Marin County are Harry's favorite, routine outdoor activities.

was the executive director of the Greenbelt Land Trust, an accredited land trust in the mid-Willamette Valley of Oregon, for ten years. He was president and secretary of the board for the Oregon Coalition of Land Trusts. He has worked for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife as the coordinator of the Oregon Conservation Strategy and managed the agency's wildlife mitigation program. Michael was a faculty research associate at Oregon State University conducting research on greater sage-grouse, mountain quail and blue and ruffed grouse. He also worked as a professional boatbuilder in Washington, Maine, Maryland, and Alaska from 1976-1987. Michael holds a B.A. in history from the University of North Carolina and a B.S., M.S. and PH.D. in wildlife science from Oregon State University.

Andrea M. Reese has a solo consulting practice that provides land trusts and conservation agencies with grant writing, project management, and capacity building. Previously, she worked in public conservation funding, directed a conservation team in Northern Virginia, worked to acquire regional park lands, stewarded easements in Virginia's Piedmont, sought grants for Southeast and Mid-Atlantic battlefields, and helped preserve farmland in Connecticut. Andrea holds two master's degrees from Duke University and a bachelor's degree from Pomona College. She was raised in the Palouse region of Idaho and lives in Arlington, Virginia with her husband and young son.

founded La Plata Open Space Conservancy, a land trust in Durango, Colorado. As its executive director, she completed more than 200 conservation projects and successfully guided them through the accreditation process. She was one of the founders of the Colorado Coalition of Land Trusts and served as its president for several years, as well as served on the Land Trust Alliance's National Land Trust Council in the 1990s.

practiced law for 10 years in Indiana, then worked 34 years for The Nature Conservancy (TNC), retiring in 2019. During his tenure with TNC, Bruce served as New Jersey State Director, Eastern, Midwestern and Western Region Directors, Chief Conservation Officer, and Chief Risk Officer; and, he led several organization-wide initiatives, including efforts to re-frame TNC's conservation approach, codify TNC's Core Values, and secure first-time accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. Bruce currently lives in Fort Collins, Colorado, with his wife, Katherine.

Misti Schmidt is a partner at Conservation Partners LLP in Oakland, California, where she focuses her practice on the real estate and tax aspects of conservation transactions, including donative and mitigation conservation easements and carbon projects, as well as tax-exempt organization governance. Misti received her Master of Laws in Taxation from New York University School of Law and her juris doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, where she received a Certificate in Environmental Law. When she is not wearing her lawyer hat, you’ll find Misti gardening, hiking with her pup, or playing board games.

has provided training and consultation for Executive Directors, CFOs, and Boards of Directors of over 7,500 nonprofit organizations throughout the United States. Kay focuses her work on organizational assessment and capacity building strategies, financial sustainability, Board financial oversight, and the challenges of nonprofit accounting and financial reporting.

Kay has worked extensively with land trusts and is co-author of the Land Trust Alliance standards and practices curriculum, Financial Management of Land Trusts. She worked with LTA to develop guidance and resources to support the implementation of LTA's revised Standards and Practices. Kay worked closely with the Land Trust Accreditation Commission on the development of the 2018 Finance Indicator Elements and Requirements. She serves as lead finance trainer/consultant for the annual Wentworth Leadership Program and is a frequent LTA webinar presenter.

Kay founded and lead TACS (Technical Assistance for Community Services) now known as the Nonprofit Association of Oregon, the Northwest's largest and most comprehensive capacity-building resource for community-based nonprofit organizations. She is an Oregon Licensed Public Accountant, active in the Oregon Society of CPAs, and an active nonprofit Board member and volunteer.

is the President/CEO of the Dutchess Land Conservancy in New York. She is a dedicated conservationist who is passionate about her work and about the DLC's mission. When she first joined the DLC team in 1989, she loved the idea of working for a grassroots organization that was building momentum during a time when conservation wasn't well known. At that time 2,500 acres had been protected; today, the DLC has preserved over 46,000 acres of land.Becky has had the pleasure of working with hundreds of landowners to plan for and preserve their land, negotiating hundreds of conservation deals, and helping to raise millions of dollars to protect working farms and public conservation land.

Her love for the outdoors, her deep sense of commitment, and care for the people she works with, combined with her background, give her a unique perspective that helps connect people with the importance of land.The DLC was one of the first land trusts in the country to become accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission in 2007, consistently striving for organizational excellence, and successfully renewing ever since. Becky proudly served on the Terrafirma Members Committee, and its Advisory Council, is a member/past Chairman/Vice Chairman of the Land Trust Alliance New York Advisory Council, and has served on a number of other boards and committees throughout the years.

You can often hear Becky say that she loves her job because she can feel good about her work every day as she heads home.

Chris Vaughn serves as Executive Director for Lord Berkeley Conservation Trust located in Charleston, South Carolina. Prior to joining the Trust, Chris enjoyed a variety of staff assignments in land conservation including Director of Field Operations with Lowcountry Land Trust, Lowcountry Program manager with Ducks Unlimited and Land Protection Specialist with The Nature Conservancy. Chris holds a masters degree in forestry from Clemson University which complements his hands-on experience in stewardship and land protection. He resides in Charleston with his wife Kathryn and their two young children, Will and Emma.

is the Land Conservancy Director with Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy, an accredited land trust in North Florida and South Georgia. He has been part of Tall Timbers since 1996, working as a wildlife biologist for many years before transitioning to the Land Conservancy in 2011. Shane is involved with conservation easement project development, stewardship of existing conservation easements, and extension services to landowners. He serves on the Boards of the Partnership for Gulf Coast Land Conservation, the Alliance of Florida Land Trusts, and the Association of Georgia Land Trusts.

Before joining the Commission, he served on the Land Trust Standards Advisory Team. Shane enjoys exploring the Red Hills region and beyond with his wife, two daughters, and three bird-hunting dogs.