Westport Land Conservation Trust has hired Jennifer Dubois to serve as interim executive director. She replaces Ryan Mann, who resigned in November citing a need to spend more time with family.
Dubois has a long-standing relationship with the land trust, having worked in Westport for The Trustees of Reservations from 2007 until early 2016. She assisted the land trust with land protection projects through her position at The Trustees, completing some of the trust’s most complex projects, including the preservation of the Oscar Palmer Farm, acquisition of three destination properties, and managing The Trustees lease with the Town of Westport for the Westport Town Farm, which now includes offices for the land trust and The Trustees.
The Westport Land Conservation Trust celebrated many accomplishments in 2016, including the protection of 95 acres, connecting with 1,045 people on its properties, and logging more than 1,000 volunteer hours to help maintain those properties.
“We are thankful for the community’s support and our relationship with the town as we look to build upon these successes in 2017,” WLCT Board of Directors President Trip Millikin said in a statement. “We are thrilled to have Jennifer’s leadership during this time.”
Dubois will focus on daily operations, administration, fundraising and preparing for the transition to the next executive director.
Steve Sloan will stay on as land protection specialist, helping the trust navigate the protection of the Diocese of Fall River’s Saint Vincent De Paul Camp, an 82-acre property on Adamsville Road with wooded uplands and a complex of buildings at the center. The trust said it is “excited” to work closely with the diocese and the town to preserve “an icon of Adamsville” and “cannot think of better partners” than Dubois and Sloan.
“WLCT is a thriving organization and has made significant contributions toward protecting Westport’s special and unique landscapes over its 44-year history,” Dubois said. “I am honored to join the team during this transition, and to once again work in and with the community to further WLCT’s mission.”
Dubois lives in New Bedford with her husband and daughter. Her official start date with the trust is Jan. 17.
Since its founding in 1972, the Westport Land Conservation Trust has assisted landowners in protecting more than 4,000 acres in Westport. The organization accepts gifts of land and conservation restrictions on land, and assists farm owners in preserving farmland with agricultural preservation restrictions.