On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Land Conservancy, I want you to be among the first to know that after ten years of leadership, Nancy Smith will transition from her position as Executive Director at the end of 2022. Nancy has planned this change at a time when the Land Conservancy is experiencing great success, enjoys stability, and is poised for the next leader. We will have Nancy’s guidance onboarding the new Executive Director, and she has offered to continue in a role supporting the Land Conservancy into the future. The Land Conservancy is launching a nationwide search to find her successor. 

 

I am truly grateful for the tremendous leadership Nancy has provided to our community. Since her appointment to Executive Director in 2012, the Land Conservancy has experienced astonishing growth, protecting more than 2,500 acres and 27 properties. Along with you and the rest of our community, Nancy led the charge to save incredible forests, meadows, streams, wetlands, and farms throughout our region. She initiated our work to restore the forests in the Niagara Gorge and to create The Riverline in Buffalo. 

 

To do all of this work, we have expanded from a staff of three full-time employees to sixteen during her time as Executive Director. The Land Conservancy was founded in 1991, and since then—especially during Nancy’s tenure—it has grown to become one of the leading conservation organizations in our region. Our staff has never been more talented, our Board has never been more dedicated, and our financial position has never been stronger. Together with the new Executive Director, we will keep the organization running smoothly, confidently, and boldly.

 

As a result of Nancy’s tireless commitment to land conservation, she is admired as a remarkable leader in Western New York and beyond. In 2021, Buffalo Business First recognized her on its list of 200 Power Women in Western New York. She serves on the Land Trust Alliance’s New York Advisory Council and as a representative of The Riverline on the High Line Network.

 

We are sincerely grateful for Nancy’s steely and compassionate leadership over the past decade, and we are truly excited about the organization’s bright future. We look forward to celebrating Nancy’s accomplishments with every one of you as we find the next inspired leader to continue her legacy of conservation success.

 

With deepest gratitude,

 

 

 

 

Kathy Bieler

Board President