KEN GRUDENS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
As Executive Director of the Indian River Land Trust, Ken is working closely with the Board of Directors to develop and implement a variety of programs which protect farmland and conserve the natural resources and special places of Indian River County.
Ken has a Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture from the State College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, New York and a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture from the University of Buffalo. He is on the Board of Sustainable Treasure Coast, Inc, and member of the Indian River County Conservation Lands Advisory Committee. Prior to joining the Land Trust in 2004, Ken was the Farmland Protection Program Manager for the Department of Agriculture and Markets in Albany, New York. In this position, he administered a $68 million program to protect farmlands from non-agricultural development.
RALPH MONTICELLO, LAND PROTECTION MANAGER
Through the generosity of the Elizabeth Ordway Dunn Foundation, which awarded IRLT a three-year $75,000 grant, Ralph Monticello joined our staff last spring as a seasoned Land Protection Manager. Ralph was previously Project Manager for Palm Beach County’s $250 million environmental and agricultural land acquisition programs. Subsequently, Ralph, an economist by training, was the Conservation Easement Manager at the Trustees of Reservations, a well regarded land trust in Massachusetts.
NEW LAND TRUST STAFF: GINNY BLOSSOM & DANA MCDOUGALL
The Land Trust is pleased to announce the addition of two new full-time staff members to our organization. Dana McDougall joined the Land Trust in November as our new Administrative Assistant. Dana, a Vero Beach native, has several years of professional experience in the administrative field. She will be managing our office operations and maintaining our new database program.
Ginny Blossom joined IRLT in January as our first Director of Marketing and Philanthropy. Ginny, a seasoned expert in marketing, membership and event planning, was recently the Manager of Marketing and Development at the Indian River Medical Center Foundation. Previously, she owned her own planning and marketing company and spent several years in New York City in the public relations field. Ginny holds a Masters degree in Advertising & Communications and a Bachelors degree in Art History & English. She will assist IRLT with outreach activities and help bolster our increasing land protection work in Indian River County.
We are excited to have both Dana and Ginny on board to help meet our goals for land protection for the future!
|
