Executive Director: Bill Leahy

bleahy@bigsurlandtrust.org

Bill joined The Big Sur Land Trust (BSLT) in November 2003. During his tenure at the Trust, Bill and the Board of Trustees have worked steadily to reposition the Land Trust to better address the key challenges and opportunities facing our communities today. In collaboration with a diverse array of community members and partners, the Land Trust has staked a future around five key measures of success: Healthy Communities, Ecological Health, Stewardship, Youth and Education and Durable Local Economy. Through its current array of projects, BSLT is integrating its historic practices of direct action to conserve and steward land with a more intentional strategy to develop strategic partnerships and alliances that will strengthen collective action, rather than divide disparate groups from one another, thereby increasing the odds for achieving a healthy and sustainable future for our communities.

Bill has helped guide the organization to conserve an additional 10,000 acres of land through private landowner agreements and public parkland acquisitions. Further, using its place-based projects as theaters of action for partnerships, BSLT is co-developing plans that identify, protect and restore thousands of acres of important wild lands, community park lands and working landscapes.

Prior to joining the Land Trust, Bill spent almost 12 years working for The Nature Conservancy (TNC), including three years as the Monterey County project director during which time he served as key liaison with BSLT on behalf of the Conservancy.

After spending eight years in commercial real estate, Bill decided to redirect his real estate expertise in the direction of his life long love of the outdoors and the conservation of our nation’s natural heritage. In addition to working for TNC in Monterey County, Bill held posts as TNC’s director of land protection in St. Louis, Missouri and its South Coast regional director in southern California. During his career at TNC, Bill successfully planned and implemented several landscape-scale conservation initiatives and oversaw or directly negotiated over $70 million in land protection agreements. He is recognized for developing effective partnerships and alliances and for testing innovative approaches to land protection.

Bill received his bachelor’s degree in economics from Vanderbilt University. Bill serves on the board of the California Council of Land Trusts and has served on numerous community boards and advisory committees in the communities where he has lived. Bill and his wife Lorien reside in Monterey with their ten-year old daughter, Amelia. They enjoy hiking, camping, fishing, skiing, gardening and just about any outdoor activity that California has to offer.

Conservation Director: Donna Meyers

dmeyers@bigsurlandtrust.org

Donna Meyers has more than 16 years of experience in coastal and watershed management, specializing in habitat restoration, floodplain management, endangered species conservation and water quality. She holds a B.A. in Biology from UCSC and a Masters in Environmental Planning from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo.

Donna has served on national, state and local advisory committees on watershed planning and policy and has managed the preparation of several watershed and restoration plans for rivers in the Central Coast. She previously was the founder and Executive Director of the Coastal Watershed Council, worked as an Environmental Analyst for the City of Santa Cruz and served as the Regional Water Quality Coordinator for the National Marine Sanctuary Program. Donna is currently a board member of the California Watershed Network.

Donna has been a resident of the Central Coast for more than 20 years and enjoys running her dogs on the beach, hiking, and surfing.

Director of Philanthropy: Lana Weeks

lweeks@bigsurlandtrust.org

Lana Weeks started at BSLT in 2004 and returned to the Land Trust in 2007 full-time as Director of Philanthropy. She previously enjoyed a 10-month stint consulting with BSLT and working with the Carmel Bach Festival.

A native of Iowa, Lana came to the Central Coast in 1995 after vacationing in the area for several years and pursuing her love of photography. Lana’s diverse and extensive marketing and fundraising experience includes work with several prestigious organizations such as the Houston Ballet and the Stanford University Lively Arts series. Lana is perhaps best known in our community for the key role she played in the six year capital campaign for Carmel’s Sunset Theatre Project, which raised more than $21 million. As a consultant, Lana has assisted several local non-profits with strategic planning, membership development, communications, public relations, and sales and marketing.

Lana remains active in the arts community by serving on the board of the Weston Family Photography Education Association. Her dog Fred still commands quality time at the beach.

Director of Communications and Community Affairs: Rachel Saunders

rsaunders@bigsurlandtrust.org

Rachel Saunders has more than 25 years of experience promoting conservation of coastal and marine environments through science, policy and community outreach. Prior to joining The Big Sur Land Trust in 2007, Rachel served as Community and Public Relations Coordinator for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Planning Director for Camp Sea Lab (a children’s ocean science education camp), and Field Office Director for the Ocean Conservancy, a national ocean conservation organization.

Rachel has an M.S. in Natural Resources Policy and Management and a B.A. in Environmental Science. She was a founder of the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Foundation and serves on its board of directors. Rachel has received numerous awards for environmental leadership and community service, including a national Environmental Hero Award in 1999 from Vice-President Al Gore and the Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Rachel adores her pup, Molly. The two of them can be found walking Carmel beach on Sunday mornings.

Land Acquisitions Manager: Joanna Devers

jdevers@bigsurlandtrust.org

Joanna Devers joined The Big Sur Land Trust as an independent contractor in January 2005 and became a full-time member of the staff in May 2006. She has worked in the field of private land conservation for more than 10 years. After graduating with a B.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of Maryland, Joanna worked five years with The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Mexico Program where she lead fundraising and marketing efforts that generated more than $5 million for approximately 50 conservation projects throughout Mexico.

Joanna left TNC to pursue a Master’s degree in International Environmental Policy at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. She was selected from a pool of 50 students to conduct a research project funded by the Tinker Foundation to document the use of conservation easements in Latin America. Her report, published in both English and Spanish, provided baseline information for a five-year study to evaluate the effectiveness of conservation easements in the Latin American region.

Joanna, fluent in both English and Spanish, resides in Salinas, California, with her husband Chris and their daughters Sofia and Ariana.

Glen Deven Ranch Manager: Jim Cox

Jim Cox has been the caretaker and ranch manager of Glen Deven Ranch for more than 30 years. He has served on the Mid Coast Fire Brigade for 24 years (15 years as Chief or Assistant Chief), handling fires, medical emergencies and rescues on the Big Sur Coast. In 1998, Jim was nominated Volunteer Fire Fighter of the Year by the Monterey County Fire Chief’s Association.

Director of Finance: Adrienne Otis

aotis@bigsurlandtrust.org

Adrienne Otis joined BSLT in 2007 as Accounting and Finance Manager. Before coming to The Big Sur Land Trust, Adrienne served for more than 11 years as Finance Director for Breathe California Central Coast (formerly The American Lung Association). She has strong nonprofit accounting experience including working with finance committees and boards, administering grants and handling HR responsibilities.

Adrienne has donated many hours assisting small, start-up nonprofit organizations and is committed to supporting local programs that benefit underserved communities in Monterey County. A native of Monterey, she received a B.A. from the University of California at Irvine. She loves traveling, learning new languages and her dog Ellie.

Staff Accountant: L. J. Warton

ljwarton@bigsurlandtrust.org

L. J. Warton joined The Big Sur Land Trust in 2009. L.J. has over 30 years of office management, accounting, payroll and human resources experience acquired during her residence all over the U.S., including Tennessee, Texas and upstate New York. L.J. also spent a number of years self-employed as a seamstress and interior decorator.

L. J. moved to Carmel in 2002. “I longed to return to California’s Central Coast, where I’d spent several years of my childhood,” she said. “I’ve never been any place more beautiful or more nurturing to the soul and creative spirit. There’s nothing like watching the rising moon reflected in Monterey Bay, slowly dancing its way to shore. I am truly home.”

Community Affairs Manager: Todd Farrington

tfarrington@bigsurlandtrust.org

Todd Farrington joined The Big Sur Land Trust in 2007. He brings more than eight years of experience in customer relations and operational management. Todd honed his skills and knowledge while working in the luxury hospitality industry and is passionately committed to providing exemplary customer service. His experiences include serving as Guest Relations Manager at the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur.

Todd first came to Big Sur in 1985 when he spent the summer with his uncle in a historic coastal cabin on the breathtaking Smith Ranch. The trip was a surprise birthday present from his parents who knew Todd’s passion for all things beautiful and out-of- doors. “I will never forget experiencing the power of this place for the first time,” he said. “It was one of the greatest gifts I have ever been given.”

Conservation Program Steward: Sarah Godfrey

sgodfrey@bigsurlandtrust.org

Sarah Godfrey came to The Big Sur Land Trust in 2007. Prior to joining the Land Trust she spent four years with the California State Parks Department of Natural Resource Management in Santa Cruz. Sarah has a B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of California at Santa Cruz. There, she worked for the Natural Reserves System conducting surveys of rare and endangered plants and restoring native plant habitats at Fort Ord and Younger Lagoon Reserves. Previously, Sarah worked as an instructor for Outward Bound Southern Land programs.

In addition to pursuing her outdoor passions of hiking, backpacking and bicycling, Sarah is an avid musician. She volunteers at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz and plays tenor saxophone in jazz, blues, and rock bands.

Executive Assistant: Donna Walden

dwalden@bigsurlandtrust.org

Donna Walden joined BSLT in October 2005 as Assistant to the Executive Director and is responsible for coordination of Board related matters. She is a native of Salinas and has enjoyed a 25 year career in residential real estate development and sales on the Monterey Peninsula.

Conservation Project Manager: Cameron Chabre

cchabre@bigsurlandtrust.org

Cameron Chabre has more than 10 years of experience working to preserve and restore diverse native habitats throughout the Central Coast. Cameron received a B.S. in Food Science from California Polytechnic, San Luis Obispo in 1996. She began her career in the agricultural research industry, yet soon gravitated toward her passion to conserve outdoor places. Most recently Cameron worked as the Stewardship Ecologist at the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, where she was responsible for woodland vegetation management, freshwater enhancement projects for critical amphibian species, and the coordination of an on-site native plant propagation program. Cameron has also worked as a Field Biologist for the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District and as a Resource Park Aid for State Parks where she implemented riparian and coastal dune restoration projects and collected field data to inform adaptive management and best stewardship practices.

Cameron enjoys hiking, traveling, gardening, cooking and sharing meals with friends. Currently she is taking a class in the art of printmaking and loving it.

Easement Program Manager: Jim Keller

jkeller@bigsurlandtrust.org

Jim Keller, a native of California’s central coast, has nearly 20 years of experience working in natural resource management and education. Jim earned a B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of California Santa Cruz in 1991 and did graduate work in geography at Chico State University. He previously worked for the City of Santa Cruz and the County of Santa Cruz where he led the development of Geographic Information Systems. He also worked for the University of California Natural Reserve System as a Steward for the UCSC Campus Reserve. Jim’s expertise is in biogeography, cartography, natural resource management, habitat and species research, environmental education and developing data management systems for natural resource programs.
Jim lives in Bonny Doon with his wife and daughter and is a passionate mountain biker and explorer of the natural world.

Philanthropy Assistant: Amber Sanchez Leon

asleon@bigsurlandtrust.org

Amber Sanchez Leon joined The Big Sur Land Trust in 2008 as our Membership and Support Services Specialist. Amber honed her senior level administrative and customer-service skills while working in real estate and property management, human resources and accounting. She also has experience in agricultural research, manufacturing and city government, as well as running her own retail business for more than 16 years.
Amber was born and raised in San Benito County on her father’s farm among the cherry and apricot orchards.