Land Trust AllianceLand Trust Alliance

New York Advisory Board

The New York Land Trust Advisory Board was established in 1991 by New York land trust leaders to create a stronger and more cohesive land trust community in New York. In the early 1990s, the Advisory Board invited the Land Trust Alliance to launch a New York Program. This became the Alliance's first field office (the Alliance now has four regional program offices across the country.)

While the New York Advisory Board is not a formal board of directors and has no formal fiduciary duty to the Land Trust Alliance, its advisory function has been vital to the New York Program. The Advisory Board helps to shape the programming for New York by addressing land trust needs and emerging issues, reviewing and evaluating Alliance policies, and recommending programs and public policy initiatives to the Alliance.

The Advisory Board is comprised of leaders from across New York's land conservation community. Advisory Board members are executive directors or board presidents New York land trusts or other members of the community with land conservation experience and expertise. Advisory Board members are volunteers and participate as individuals and not as representatives of their organizations.

The New York Advisory Board has two officer positions, chair and vice-chair, both of whom are elected annually. There are five standing committees: Executive Committee, Fundraising Committee, Program Committee, Policy Committee and Board Development Committee. Committees may also include other qualified members of the conservation community that are not full members of the Advisory Board.

Meet current officers and members

Chair

Andrew Zepp, Executive Director, Finger Land Land Trust

Vice Chair

Teri Ptacek, Executive Director, Agricultural Stewardship Association

  • Judy Anderson, Community Consultants
  • Tally Blumberg, Chief Program Officer, Open Space Institute
  • Lori Ensinger, Executive Director, Westchester Land Trust
  • Melissa Fratello, Executive Director, Grassroots Gardens of Buffalo
  • Ben Gajewski, Executive Director, Genesee Valley Conservancy
  • Linda Garrett, Executive Director, Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust
  • David Haight, New York State Director, American Farmland Trust
  • John v.H. Halsey, President, Peconic Land Trust
  • Elliott Hillback, Board President, Indian River Lakes Conservancy
  • Glenn Hoagland, Executive Director, Mohonk Preserve
  • Seth McKee, Land Conservation Director, Scenic Hudson
  • Demetrice Mills, Board Member and Past President, Brooklyn-Queens Land Trust
  • Gay Mills, Executive Director, Genesee Land Trust
  • Lisa Ott, Executive Director, North Shore Land Alliance
  • Jessica Ottney, Director of Government Relations, The Nature Conservancy
  • Peter Paden, Executive Director, Columbia Land Conservancy
  • Nancy Smith, Executive Director, Western New York Land Conservancy
  • Becky Thornton, President, Dutchess Land Conservancy
  • Jake Tibbles, Executive Director, Thousand Islands Land Trust

Meet committee members

  • Andy Bicking, Director of Public Policy and Special Projects, Scenic Hudson Land Trust
  • Jim Delaune, Executive Director, Orange County Land Trust
  • Katie Petronis, Land Project Manager and Assistant Counsel, Open Space Institute