STAFF

Mike has worked in Adirondack conservation for more than three decades, leading protection of more than 360,000 acres featuring some 730 miles of rivers and streams and 350 lakes and ponds. The portfolio of accomplishments behind those numbers includes iconic places like Lyon Mountain, Boreas Ponds, Round Lake, OK Slip Falls, Glenview and High Meadow preserves, VIC Forestlands. Mike is a recipient of the 2017 Adirondack Council Conservationist of the Year award and 2018 Howard Zahniser Adirondack Award. In addition to serving on the Land Trust Alliance New York Advisory Council and Black River Environmental Improvement Association board of directors, Mike is a volunteer with the Keene Valley Fire Department. His commitment to conservation and interests in paddling, hiking, and skiing are inspired by family ties to the Adirondacks dating to the 1800s. He shares space in his Hornbeck canoes and time on the trails with his Labrador retriever, Ella.

Kimberly worked in fundraising for independent schools in the Adirondacks and Vermont before joining Adirondack Land Trust. Kimberly grew up in Lake Placid, where her family produces maple syrup. She and her family can be found cross-country or telemark skiing in winter, and swimming and canoeing in summer.

Theadora Duane recently graduated from Dickinson College in Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in environmental science. She minored in studio art and has developed environmental curriculum and hands-on activities for preschoolers, school-aged children, and college students. Theadora’s intern project for the Adirondack Land Trust will focus on researching and developing education materials to connect conservation work with community interests. She also enjoys photography, hiking, weightlifting, and reading.

Sam joined the staff after working as the distribution manager for Essex Food Hub in Westport, NY. Prior to that, she spent a decade building her own business and managing a market garden for a nonprofit food co-op. Those experiences, combined with an education in environmental studies, give Sam an appreciation for land conservation and effective operational systems. Outside of work, Sam enjoys growing food and herbs, mountain biking, running, rock climbing, hiking, and every kind of skiing.

Olivia’s appreciation for wild lands and waters began with the many treks of her Adirondack childhood. She earned a BS in natural resources from Cornell University, then worked as a journalist focused on outdoor recreation, public lands, environmental issues, and the social concerns of North America’s mountain communities. She currently serves her community as an elected official on the Jay Town Board.

Becca has previously worked as a sustainability fellow with the City of Pittsburgh and a preserve steward with The Nature Conservancy’s Western Massachusetts Field Office. She first came to enjoy the Adirondacks as a leader of volunteer trail crews while earning a BA in environmental science from Skidmore College. Becca volunteers on the Climate Smart Communities Taskforce for the village of Saranac Lake and loves to hike, bike, paddle, and play hockey.

Chris previously led land protection for the Adirondack Chapter of the Nature Conservancy and the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, overseeing conservation of 15,000+ acres of parks, farms and forests. Prior to that, he was a wilderness ranger with the Bureau of Land Management in Yuma, Arizona, and a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Guatemala. He holds a BS in environmental resource management from Penn State and an MS in crop and soil environmental sciences from Virginia Tech.

The Adirondacks have been a cornerstone for Bill for as long as he can remember. From his summers in the southern Adirondacks as a youth, to visiting extended family in Saranac Lake for rugged excursions as a young adult. There’s no place he’d rather be. With a degree in Natural Resource Management and Policy from Paul Smith’s College, he has worked for The Nature Conservancy in the Adirondacks and Wyoming, the Watershed Agricultural Council in the NYC watershed, and other conservation organizations.

Connie is fascinated by the relationships between land protection/stewardship, outdoor recreation and community wellness and identity. She has worked primarily in the conservation field for the past 25 years, communicating about threats to water, forests and wildlife; advocating for resources to address them; and cheering for every acre and every shoreline protected for current and future generations. She serves on the board of the Barkeater Trails Alliance (BETA) and lives in Wilmington with her husband.

Derek has worked for more than 15 years in conservation, beginning with The Nature Conservancy on Long Island, as a preserves director, prior to relocating to the Adirondacks to work at Champlain Area Trails. Derek is an accomplished birder and volunteers for several ornithological organizations. A SUNY Plattsburgh alumnus, he is thrilled to work to conserve the dynamic North Country landscape. He lives in Willsboro with his wife and two daughters.

Susie has managed operations for a number of Adirondack nonprofits as well as her own nature photography business, Alpine Images. Susie enjoys hiking (she is a 46er), camping, canoeing, cross-country and backcountry skiing—and brings her camera on almost all of her adventures. Susie volunteers for the ambulance service in Wilmington, where she and her husband raised two daughters.

Joe formerly worked in stewardship, interpretation, and education roles at Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Yosemite Conservancy, Asbury Woods Nature Center in Pennsylvania, and 350Vermont. Joe brings community outreach and coalition building skills from political campaigns to his conservation career. Joe was introduced to the Adirondacks while obtaining a BS in environmental studies from the University of Vermont. In his free time, he enjoys exploring new summits, playing music, and watching movies.

Mary has worked in the Adirondacks for 30 years in journalism and conservation. She is a member of the Saranac Lake Parks & Trails Advisory Board, and she volunteers with the Town of Harrietstown’s Dewey Mountain Recreation Center, an in-town network of trails and supported outdoor activities, where she loves to ski and mountain bike.

Aaron joined the Adirondack Land Trust after working with the Vermont Association of Conservation Districts and NRCS. He was raised on a small farm in Central New York and studied at SUNY Plattsburgh and William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute, earning a BS in environmental science with a focus on climate change and agriculture. He enjoys road trips to see family and friends, live music, and relaxing on the shores of Lake Champlain with his dog, Levon.

Nancy has worked in nonprofit management and fundraising for 40 years, 20 of them with Adirondack Land Trust. She has a BA in environmental science from University of Vermont, an MBA from SUNY Albany, and has earned Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) status. She lives in Westport, where she and her husband run Crane Mountain Valley Horse Rescue.

Before moving to the Adirondacks, Kathy worked in higher education in Western New York, most recently as Vice President of Student Affairs at Alfred University, where she won awards for work toward cultural diversity and unity. Outside of work, you’ll find Kathy hiking, cycling, kayaking, snowshoeing and reading. She also serves on the Adirondack Health board of trustees.