Policy Council
WeConservePA’s Policy Council is charged with studying and discussing opportunities to improve public policy at all levels of government and private measures that could be taken by the land conservation community to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of conservation efforts. The committee makes recommendations to WeConservePA board and staff on these matters.
Committee members are appointed by the board of directors. Individuals wishing to serve should contact WeConservePA for more information.
In addition to members of the Board of Directors, the following individuals serve on the committee.
Oliver Bass, President, Natural Lands
Oliver is president of Natural Lands. Before becoming president, he was the vice president of communications and engagement, where he oversaw communication and engagement efforts, including publications and Force of Nature volunteer program. He also works to foster partnerships between Natural Lands and area organizations, and advocates for natural resource conservation and related causes to state and national policy makers.
Oliver takes much satisfaction from his role in making Natural Lands’ preserves more accessible for people to enjoy. “The results of our work are tangible, permanent, and accessible to everyone regardless of means or background. It doesn’t get any better than that!”
Prior to joining Natural Lands in 1997, Oliver was executive director of the Philadelphia Singers and Performing Arts League of Philadelphia. Before that, he worked in radio.
He earned a B.S. in communications from Northwestern University.
Leanna Bird, Executive Director, Westmoreland Land Trust
Leanna began her career with the Student Conservation Association—a national nonprofit dedicated to building the next generation of conservation leaders—coordinating youth conservation and trail restoration programs in city and county parks in underserved communities in Pennsylvania and Alaska. She later served as program and communications coordinator for the Cambria County Conservation and Recreation Authority, where she developed recreation and volunteer programs, managed community partnerships, and led the organization’s marketing and outreach.
She holds a Master of Public Policy and Management and Master of Arts in Teaching, both from the University of Pittsburgh. Leanna currently serves on the Board of Directors for Women for a Healthy Environment and has previously served on boards for the Conemaugh Valley Conservancy, Cambria County Library System, and Cambria County Conservation and Recreation Authority.
Steve Carter, President, North American Land Trust
Steve brings more than 20 years of conservation planning and non-profit management to NALT and has spearheaded NALTs expansion of over 500 conservation projects in 24 states. Steve is passionate about preserving natural lands, ecological restoration and mitigation banking.
Steve works with government agencies, municipalities, major corporations, private landowners and non-government organizations to conserve and protect natural lands and open space. Steve has spoken at national conferences about mitigation banking, and he helped NALT launch conservation projects in 12 U.S Army Corps of Engineer districts.
In his first year as president, Steve created and led a strategic partnership of government agencies and private donors that raised more than $4 million to preserve 72 acres of the Brandywine Battlefield. In 2022, NALT will open its first public preserve, Brinton Run Preserve, offering a public hiking trails at the historic battle site.
Steve earned a bachelor of science degree from Colorado State University, where he majored in natural resource management and minored in forestry. Steve and his wife, Elisabeth, have three wonderful children. When he is not preserving natural lands, Steve volunteers in his local community and enjoys fostering rescue dogs.
John Conner, Treasurer
John was one of the original 1996 incorporators of the Manada Conservancy, and served as its president from its inception through 2007. He is a former member of the East Hanover Environmental Advisory Council and was active in efforts to update the zoning there. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1975 and is retired from the Internal Revenue Service, where he was employed for 35 years. Along with land preservation, John’s interests include working with other non-profit organizations, organic gardening and his golden retrievers. John serves on the Preservation Committee and chairs both Manada’s Administration and Finance Committees.
Brenda Costa, Executive Director, French Creek Valley Conservancy
Brenda Costa joined French Creek Valley Conservancy in 2016 as the Executive Director. Previously, Brenda worked in environmental and geologic consulting for more than 20 years, with a concentration on groundwater. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Geology from Allegheny College and her Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Penn State, and has served on the Board of the Pennsylvania Council of Professional Geologists. Brenda focuses on land protection and conservation efforts in northwest Pennsylvania, as well as providing educational programs to schools and community groups. She enjoys spending as much time as possible outdoors- traveling, hiking, kayaking, and skiing- especially in the company of her husband and two sons.
Logan Andrew Daly, Executive Director, Manada Conservancy
Logan joined the staff at Manada Conservancy in October 2025 after serving on the organization’s Land Protection Committee. He initially served as Land Protection Specialist, supporting Manada’s mission by monitoring conserved properties, investigating potential easement violations, and assisting with mapping, research, and compliance with legal and accreditation standards. In January 2026, Logan was named Executive Director.
Originally from the Endless Mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Logan holds degrees in Humanities and Philosophy and is a Ph.D. candidate in American Studies at Penn State University. As a former Graduate Fellow, he teaches courses in environmental humanities and studies the rhetoric surrounding humanity’s relationship to nature, bringing an interdisciplinary perspective to his leadership at Manada Conservancy.
Evan Endres, Pennsylvania Director of Government Relations and Policy, The Nature Conservancy PA/DE
Evan works to help Pennsylvania achieve reduction of the emissions that cause climate change. He works with constituencies, regulators and elected leaders to build Pennsylvania climate leadership and pass policies that contribute to healthy climate future for nature and people. “I enjoy building a better climate future and helping people make the connection between their love of nature and our need to take action on climate.”
Kate Etherington, President and Executive Director, Willistown Conservation Trust
After serving as a volunteer at the Trust since 2014, Kate officially joined our team in 2020 as Associate Executive Director and later transitioned to the role of Executive Director in 2021. Kate comes to us with an extensive background in nonprofit management, including serving as the Shelter Services Coordinator at Sojourner Center and the Senior Program Director and Interim Executive Director at Philadelphia Physicians for Social Responsibility. Additionally, she holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Colgate University and a master’s degree in nonprofit leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. As Executive Director, Kate is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the Trust and planning for its successful future.
Ellen Ferretti, Executive Director, North Branch Land Trust
Ellen M. Ferretti was named the executive director of North Branch Land Trust in 2021. She brings more than 25 years of natural resource management and conservation/environmental experience. She served as secretary for Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and deputy secretary for Parks and Forestry for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Under her leadership, land conservation was a key priority and, working closely with staff and stakeholders, significant natural areas were protected as public lands. She also has proven success in strategic planning, partnerships and collaborations, and fiscal management and operations. Ferretti oversees the conservancy’s important work to protect water, preserve land, and engage communities. The organization’s three programs—Land Conservation, Land Stewardship, and Municipal Assistance—are renowned for their multi-tiered approach to conservation through working with private landowners who wish to see their lands protected forever, and providing innovative community planning services to municipalities and other government agencies. She is a graduate of Wilkes College with a B.S. in environmental science.
John Ferro, Conservation Director, Wissahickon Trails
John oversees our work to protect open space and the health of the Wissahickon Creek, improve habitats and trails, and monitor wildlife communities. He has been with Wissahickon Trails since 2008 and in that time has built strong relationships with partners and volunteers. John grew up close to the Wissahickon and spent his childhood around the creek.
Andrew Fetterman, Vice President for Land and Conservation, Berks Nature
At Berks Nature, Andrew’s work centers on the oversight of the land and water conservation programs in Berks County and beyond. In his role, he facilitates a proactive approach to conserving and stewarding Berks County’s exceptional natural and cultural assets by building and maintaining relationships with private individuals as well as local, regional and state organizations.
Andrew holds an undergraduate degree in Geology from St. Lawrence University and a Master of Arts in Earth Science Degree from the State University of New York, College of Oneonta. He has been a Professional Geologist in Pennsylvania since 2002.
Andrew volunteers for various organizations including teaching hunter trapper education with the Pennsylvania Game Commission and painting songbird decoys for the bird conservation program at Willistown Conservation Trust. He and his spouse Alison enjoy birding, gardening and camping in addition to lots of other fun outdoorsy stuff with their two children and budding naturalists Gus and Etta.
Sarah Fugett, Vice President of Land Conservation, Allegheny Land Trust
Sarah joined ALT in October 2024 to lead land conservation efforts, deploying various methods of land protection to help the organization meet its regional conservation goals. As a member of ALT‘s senior leadership team, she will collaborate with landowners, government agencies and other stakeholders to identify, secure, and protect green space in southwestern Pennsylvania.
Sarah holds master’s degrees in environmental law and policy from Vermont Law School and global communication and civil society from The American University of Paris, a certificate in water law from Vermont Law School and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and a minor in French from Lafayette College.
She previously served as the Land Protection Director of the Western New York Land Conservancy. Sarah has served on the board of the Buffalo Niagara River Land Trust and volunteered with Standing Up for Racial Justice Buffalo Chapter, Ranked Choice NY, Genesee RiverWatch, Genesee Finger Lakes Chapter of Air and Waste Management Association. Sarah is a passionate advocate for land protection and is committed to fostering a culture of conservation in the community.
Brian Gallagher, Public Policy and Government Relations Manager, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
Brian has been with WPC since 1999, first in the garden and greenspace and conservation programs before joining the public policy team in 2004. He works on a number of issues including the federal farm bill, abandoned mine lands, and wildlife funding, and is also involved with WPC’s accreditation efforts.
Prior to joining the conservancy, he worked for an arts agency in Florida. He has a degree in cultural anthropology from Florida State University. He grew up in the Mid-Mon Valley, south of Pittsburgh, where he frequently visited Mingo Creek County Park.
Debra Wolf Goldstein, Esq., Executive Director, Philadelphia Environmental Film Festival
Debra Wolf Goldstein, Esq., is president of Conservation Matters, LLC, a law firm providing legal, policy, and strategic planning services to municipalities, landowners, and organizations in the land conservation field.
Debra began her legal career as an attorney with Wolf Block in their litigation, real estate, and environmental departments. She served as Regional Advisor for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), Bureau of Recreation and Conservation, overseeing park, recreation, and natural areas grants for southeastern Pennsylvania. She also served as General Counsel to the Heritage Conservancy, assisting with municipal funding initiatives and with the preservation of thousands of acres of woodlands, stream corridors, and agricultural lands.
Debra currently chairs the Land Use Committee of Philadelphia’s newly formed Commission on Parks and Recreation, having previously served on the Fairmount Park Commission as vice president and Mayor Michael Nutter’s designee.
Kathie Gonick, Director of Land Protection and In-House Counsel, Lancaster Conservancy
As director of land protection, Kathie works with landowners, businesses, funders, and local and state government to identify and protect Lancaster County’s most vital natural lands. Kathie, a native of Lancaster County, previously held a position at the Brandywine Conservancy in Chadds Ford, PA, drafting subdivision and land development, and zoning ordinances, and working on general land use and historic preservation planning. Kathie also held the position of cultural resource and environmental planner/archaeologist for the Pinelands Commission and developed a program in archaeology for Cheyney University teaching several courses and establishing a laboratory and university guidelines.
Kathie practiced land-use law for over 25 years before receiving her M.A. in Anthropology/Archaeology from Temple University where she is a doctoral candidate. Kate holds a B.A. from Sweet Briar College and a J.D. from Penn State University Dickinson School of Law. Kathie enjoys all types of winter activities, including downhill and cross-country skiing and hiking. Other hobbies include gardening and writing. Kathie and her husband, Jeff, live in Manheim Township.
John Goodall, Western Area Manager, Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art
John conducts conservation easement outreach, participates in marketing efforts associated with the Conservancy’s Municipal Assistance Program, assists with monitoring, enforcement, and administration of conservation easements within our program area which encompasses approximately 24 townships in southwestern Chester County as well as adjacent townships in Lancaster County. He also coordinates and manages agricultural preservation outreach efforts that include conservation planning and implementation of best management practices to mitigate agricultural impacts on water quality. John is Director at the Conservancy’s 771-acre Laurels Preserve located in nearby East Fallowfield, Newlin and West Marlborough Townships and oversees the stewardship of the natural areas and trails.
Dawn Gorham, Director of Land Preservation, Wildlands Conservancy
Before joining Wildlands in summer 2015, Dawn served as the executive director of Pocono Heritage Land Trust where she was responsible for the planning and implementation of a comprehensive land conservation program, as well as the day-to-day management of the small land trust. Today, Dawn’s years of land conservation expertise are supporting Wildlands’ mission to protect critical natural areas and waterways. She holds a Ph.D. in environmental and forest biology from SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry and resides in the Poconos.
Kelly Herrenkohl, Vice President of Communications and Engagement, Natural Lands
As Vice President of Communications and Engagement, Kelly oversees a team of people who focus on connecting people to nature—from events and volunteers, to communications and graphic design. She also oversees the organization’s Urban Program, which is working to foster opportunities for city residents to enjoy the outdoors.
Prior to joining Natural Lands, Kelly spent a decade working for Vetri Community Partnership, which promotes health and wellness through teaching cooking skills to children and families. “While cooking and land preservation may seem at odds with one another, they are actually the flip sides of the same public health coin…getting your body moving and engaging with nature is just as important to physical, mental, and emotional health as feeding yourself more fruits and vegetables,” she shares.
She has a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and International Studies from Washington University in St. Louis, MO, and a Master of Arts in English Literature from the University of Missouri.
Abbie Kessler, Land Preservation Director, Brandywine Red Clay Alliance
Abbie monitors our conservation easements and fee lands with the help of volunteer Her duties to the protected lands require this annual monitoring to ensure that the conservation terms are being upheld and our management plans are being followed.
Abbie has a background in archaeology and history to coordinate all aspects of easement projects to conserve both natural and historic resources in support of the Brandywine Red Clay Alliance’s mission.
She also serves on the West Bradford Township Historical Commission and the Township’s Land Preservation and Sustainability Committee.
Bill Kunze, President & CEO, Heritage Conservancy
Bill joined Heritage Conservancy as President & CEO in fall 2021, after 15 years as a senior leader with The Nature Conservancy. He brings deep experience helping organizations accelerate the pace and scale of land conservation and developing innovative strategies around conservation funding, community engagement, sustainable forestry and agriculture, urban conservation, and climate resilience.
Before becoming a conservation leader, he was a Division Chief at the Federal Communications Commission and worked as a management consultant, an attorney, and in academic publishing. Bill brings to Heritage Conservancy a passion for nature and history, the two foundations of the Conservancy’s mission: he earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in history, and as a young child, he fell in love with nature through birding excursions to Hawk Mountain in Berks County and Brigantine (now Forsythe) National Wildlife Refuge near Atlantic City.
Mike Kuzemchak, Associate Vice President for Government and Community Relations, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
In this role, Mike provides oversight of WPC’s public policy work, along with the Conservancy’s conservation science and natural heritage programs. He also leads the sustainability initiatives across WPC’s offices.
Mike has worked with the Conservancy since 2004, most recently as the Senior Director of Operations at Fallingwater. Prior to his role at Fallingwater, he worked in WPC’s Land Conservation department, focusing on the Laurel Highlands of southwest PA. Previously he worked as the Projects Coordinator for Indiana County Parks and Trails, where he managed development of the Hoodlebug Trail, a six-mile rails-to-trails project. He began his career in conservation as an instructor/naturalist at Echo Hill Outdoor School, an environmental education center on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
He holds a master of science in environmental planning and a bachelor of science in secondary English education, both from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He has served on the Boards of the Westmoreland Land Trust and the Ligonier Valley Library. He lives in Rector, PA.
Annie Socci Maloney, PhD, Executive Director, Foundation for Sustainable Forests
Annie began working with the Foundation for Sustainable Forests in 2016, first as Conservation Outreach Manager in 2016, and later as the organization’s first executive director. Her primary focus is on the conservation of working forests, which will be managed sustainable in perpetuity for the benefit of both the forest ecosystem and the surrounding community. In addition, she coordinates educational offerings and outreach to private forest landowners who are seeking to achieve their conservation objectives through active management.
No stranger to natural lands and wild places, before joining FSF, Annie spent 15 years in outdoor education and leadership development with the Voyageur Outward Bound School and Cornell University’s Team and Leadership Center. She holds a PhD in Forest Ecology from Boston University and a B.S. in Natural Resources from Cornell University. She occasionally teaches as an Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Environmental Science and Sustainability at Allegheny College in Meadville, PA.
Chris Mendel, Executive Director, Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust
Chris is a landscape architect who has practiced for the last 15 years with internationally recognized firms that specialize in ecologically informed, place-based design. His completed projects range from therapeutic green roofs for hospitals, to the revitalization of Frederick Law Olmsted-designed parks, to designs that have pushed the boundaries of ecological and sustainable design. He is driven to foster areas of ecological function and richness for the benefit of humans and other species. As Executive Director of the Trust, Chris serves as an advocate for nature, the environment, ecological research and education, while always being focused on creating an emotional and intellectual experience for all those visiting the Pennypack Preserve.
Chris was a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer, serving as a natural resource management volunteer in a wildlife sanctuary in Thailand not far from the Mekong River. He holds a Masters of Landscape Architecture from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and a Bachelors in Environmental Studies from the University at Buffalo.
Andy Pitz, French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust (retired)
A key leader and thinker within the conservation community, Andy has spent his entire professional career working to permanently protect Pennsylvania’s natural resources. From 1986 to 2012, he worked in various capacities for Natural Lands, where he coordinated public-policy activities, developed strategic and ecological management plans, supervised transactions on hundreds of projects, and initiated several landscape-scale conservation efforts. Pitz retired as the executive director of the French and Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust in 2019. Under his leadership, the organization has expanded its staff and conservation holdings, achieved accreditation, developed a new strategic plan, increased revenue, and undertook the largest conservation project in its 50-year history.
Pitz was a founder of PALTA and served as president for six of the organization’s early years. He was instrumental in the hiring of PALTA’s first executive director in 2000 and the passage of the Conservation and Preservation Easements Act in 2001. He rejoined the board in 2013 and served until his retirement.
He has also been active in the Climate Reality Project as a presenter and activist. He participated in one of the first groups trained by Al Gore in 2007, and in the following years presented more than 80 times in 15 states, focusing on the links between land conservation and climate change.
Todd Pride, President, Mid-Atlantic Youth Anglers; Commissioner, PA Game Commission District 8
Todd, appointed to the PA Game Commission as the commissioner for District 8 in 2022, is the President of Mid-Atlantic Youth Anglers, a new conservation and wildlife organization focused on the preservation of culturally-significant and strategic natural resource properties, expanding diversity in conservation and mission-driven organizations and training of students and adults in fishing, hunting heritage, agriculture, and conservation activities.
Todd previously served as Managing Director of The Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County (TLC) and remains one of the only professionals of color managing a conservation organization. Prior to this, he led the Mid-Atlantic Youth Anglers organization since 2008 as their Managing Partner and Lead Coach, headquartered on the border of Chester and Lancaster County in Nottingham, PA and in Philadelphia, PA. The Mid-Atlantic organization has been a nationally recognized fishing, hunting heritage, conservation and diversity training operation having trained and introduced over 12,000 diverse youth and adults to our 5-state region’s outdoor natural resources (PA, NY, NJ, DE, MD). Land preservation has been the core of these activities around protecting and enhancing wildlife habitats in the Delaware River and Chesapeake Bay Watersheds.
Todd brings over 20 years in corporate management experience in the financial services and merchant banking industry. He is also an avid hunting heritage and fishing trainer and spends as much time as he can on the water or in our region’s beautiful natural resource areas.
Lauren Pregmon Tetreault, Attorney, Pregmon Law Offices
Lauren Pregmon Tetreault grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and attended Kenyon College where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. After graduating cum laude from Kenyon, Lauren attended Wake Forest University where she received her law degree. While at Wake Forest, Lauren studied in both London and Venice.
After graduation from law school, Lauren moved to Atlanta to practice commercial real estate law for Parker, Hudson, Rainer and Dobbs. It was not long, however, before Lauren had the opportunity to relocate to Philadelphia to partner with her mother, Patricia, at Pregmon Law Offices. Since 2000, Lauren has practiced general real estate with a strong emphasis on conservation law. Lauren is proud to have counseled land trusts and landowners in conservation transactions which have resulted in thousands of conserved acres throughout the Commonwealth. As a frequent lecturer on conservation easements, she shares her passion for protecting critical natural resources with seasoned professionals as well as new members of the conservation community.
Diane Rosencrance, Executive Director, Delaware Highlands Conservancy
Formerly a senior director at Natural Lands, Diane joined the Conservancy in 2016 with twenty years’ experience in land conservation. She is a registered landscape architect and her portfolio includes assisting landowners in preserving their properties through conservation easements and fee-simple transactions, landscape and watershed-scale projects, stewardship and trail plans, and park master plans. Diane has a B.S. in landscape architecture from Temple University.
Steve Schiffman, Serratelli Schiffman Shaffer, P.C.
Steven J. Schiffman concentrates his practice in the fields of business, taxation (including business and estate planning and administration), commercial loans, bank asset recovery and workout and non-profit corporation law. He also provides counsel in the areas of general litigation, real estate and personal injury.
For an experienced tax attorney, Harrisburg, PA residents trust Steven J. Schiffman, of Serratelli Schiffman Shaffer P.C., for legal counsel. He is a graduate with distinction of the Pennsylvania State University, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1974. In 1977, he graduated from Capital University School of Law with a Juris Doctorate magna cum laude. In 1983, Mr. Schiffman received his Master’s of Law in Taxation from Temple University School of Law. After graduation from law school in 1977, Mr. Schiffman served as an Assistant Attorney General with the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue until the beginning of 1980.
Bret P. Shaffer, Serratelli Schiffman Shaffer, P.C.
Bret Shaffer was admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania in 2010. His practice concentrates on civil litigation, with an emphasis on business disputes, municipal and land use law, debt collection, and creditor rights. He is admitted in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Western District of Pennsylvania, and each of their respective Bankruptcy Courts, as well as the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.
Attorney Shaffer regularly engages in litigation in bankruptcy court, presenting land use applications before municipal boards, and appealing tax assessments for commercial properties. His land use practice includes work for conservancies and land trusts, property line disputes, and quiet title actions. He also represents businesses and developers in contracts and asset purchase agreements.
Originally from Snyder County, Pennsylvania, Attorney Shaffer attended Penn State University, Schreyer Honors College, in University Park, Pennsylvania, graduating with high distinction and as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He attended law school at the Penn State Dickinson School of Law in University Park, Pennsylvania, where he was comments editor for the Penn State International Law Review and where he worked in the Civil Rights Appellate Clinic on several cases before the United States Supreme Court.
Kyle Shenk, The Conservation Fund, Vice President, Northeast Region and Pennsylvania Director
Kyle serves as our Northeast Regional Director and Vice President, overseeing the Fund’s work in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. He also serves as our Pennsylvania State Director, focusing on high-priority conservation acquisitions, working lands and mitigation fund management.
A native of Pennsylvania, Kyle brought his life-long love of the outdoors to The Conservation Fund in 2007. Working with the nonprofit, business and government sectors, Kyle spearheads conservation projects at multiple scales, from local parks and greenways to landscape-level ecosystem protection. He holds a B.S. in Geoenvironmental Studies and certificate in GIS from Shippensburg University, and an M.S. in Community and Regional Planning from Temple University.
Ryan Szuch, Grow Conservation
In January 2024, Ryan set out to start his own business to serve the conservation community and founded Grow Conservation. He presently serves in a volunteer capacity on the Boards of the PA Association of Environmental Professionals and the Cumberland Conservation Collaborative as well as on the Land Protection Committee of the Farm & Natural Lands Trust of York County.
He is a conservationist with 25+ years of experience working in the private and public sectors delivering environmental and conservation solutions with degrees and professional certificates in Ecosystems Analysis, Natural Resources, Soil Science, and Sustainable Business. Previously, in the last ten years, he worked in public service for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, managing land conservation, sustainability certification, and strategic planning.
Emma Thompson, Land Protection and Stewardship Coordinator, North Branch Land Trust
Emma Thompson comes to North Branch Land Trust with a passion for conservation and an enthusiasm to instill that passion in others. She was previously in an environmental consulting role and prior to that, she was a forester for the DCNR Bureau of Forestry.
Emma graduated from Virginia Tech with a graduate degree in Forestry and an undergraduate degree in Public and Urban Affairs focused on Public Policy and Leadership and Social Change.
Shelly Tichy, President, Westmoreland Conservancy
Shelly joined the all-volunteer Westmoreland Conservancy in October 2000 and stepped up to the Board in 2001. She has served as secretary, treasurer, and vice president at various times, and as president from 2008 – 2014, and again from 2016 – present. Westmoreland Conservancy achieved accreditation in 2013 and renewed in 2019. In addition to her work with the Conservancy, Shelly works full time and has also volunteered at an assisted living facility for the past 18 years doing a music & memories program with the residents. She retired from teaching ballroom dancing after 30 years.
About WeConservePA Board of Directors Policy Council Staff Page