Maggi Blomstrom is the Rappahannock-Rapidan conservation initiative coordinator for The Piedmont Environmental Council in Virginia – a multi-faceted initiative to promote land conservation, water quality improvements, natural habitat protection and restoration, and public access throughout the upper Rappahannock River watershed. She holds a bachelor’s degree in geography and urban and regional studies from Virginia Commonwealth University and a master’s degree in community development and planning from Clark University in Massachusetts.

Maggie Hines, director of land stewardship for Ducks Unlimited (DU), is a transactional attorney licensed in the state if Tennessee. From DU’s national headquarters in Memphis, Maggie directs the stewardship efforts for over 550 conservation easements as well as DU’s growing fee-title portfolio. Her experience includes contract drafting, negotiations, and policy and procedure development. Maggie holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and biology from Saint Louis University and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Tennessee College of Law.

Marc Smiley has been in conservation since 1982 as Land Trust Alliance employee #3. For three decades, Marc has presented dozens of workshops at Rally, in webinars, and at regional conferences. Marc’s regularly facilitates conversation within and among land trusts on critical issues, including 13 years of the Berkley Land Trust Alliance/Yale Conservation Workshop Series. Marc was an inaugural Accreditation Commissioner, and has served as staff, executive, board member and advisor to multiple conservation and community organizations.

Margaret graduated from Washington College in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in environment studies. Before joining Wissahickon Trails in 2015, she worked on research projects focused on declining bird populations in different habitats across MD, NJ, NY, PA, and FL. As conservation manager, Margaret plans and implements habitat enhancement, restoration, and maintenance of Wissahickon Trails’ 12 nature preserves and 24 miles of hiking trails, manages the conservation easement program, and oversees all bird conservation initiatives.

During her professional career, Maria Whitehead has held positions as an ornithologist, professor, and conservation professional.   She was worked for 15 years in the direct conservation of land and water and the interdisciplinary realm of climate adaptation and community resilience.  As a coastal program manager for The Nature Conservancy, she worked at the land-water interface – helping to initiate a water fund program, establish oyster restoration sites, and protect tidal wetlands and wetland migration space.  Today, as Vice President and Director of Land for the Southeast at Open Space Institute, she works across the eastern United States on varied conservation projects and initiatives including landscape-scale conservation projects, comprehensive community engagement strategies, and conservation finance tactics.

Mark Robinson has served as executive director of The Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts, Inc. since its founding in 1986. The Compact provides technical assistance to 32 land trusts and watershed associations in SE Massachusetts, including landowner negotiations, fundraising, land management, and state/municipal coordination. Mark previously worked on coastal management and water quality issues for the Cape Cod Planning and Economic Development Commission. He has served on the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy Conservation Study Group and founding director of the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition. He has received numerous conservation honors, including a Merit Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Mark Weston is a consulting appraiser. He retired as Colorado’s first Director of the Division of Conservation in September 2019 and continues to teach (the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law’s Trying Times seminar, as well as webinars, workshops, and seminars for the Land Trust Alliance) and consult. Weston was elected to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission in 2021. Prior to joining state government in 2016, he practiced more than 30 years as an independent real estate appraiser, with special interest in valuation of conservation easements encumbering private land. Mark helped develop and instructed the initial five-day conservation easement valuation seminar developed by the American Society of Farm Mangers and Rural Appraisers, the American Society of Appraisers and the Appraisal Institute, and was an Appraisal Qualifications Board Certified USPAP Instructor, 2004-2020. Mark co-authored the Land Trust Alliance’s “Tax Benefits & Appraisals of Conservation Projects,” 2007. He is a contributing author of the “Water Rights Handbook for Colorado Conservation Professionals,” Colorado Water Trust, 2011, and “Appraising Easements: Guidelines for Valuation of Land Conservation and Historic Preservation Easements,” 3rd ed., Land Trust Alliance & National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1999. Mark served two terms on the Colorado Board of Real Estate Appraisers (1999 – 2005), the Colorado Conservation Easement Oversight Commission (2008 – 2011), the Cherry Creek Basin Water Quality Authority (2001 – 2008) and was an early board member and president of the Colorado Coalition of Land Trusts.

Mary Alice Holley is a strategic communicator with many years of experience helping land trusts use effective messaging strategies to advance their conservation goals. Currently, Mary Alice serves as Conservation Trust for North Carolina’s director of community innovation where she liaises with CTNC’s staff, board, and community partners to ensure the organization advances its mission to build resilient, just communities throughout North Carolina. In her spare time, Mary Alice enjoys hiking with her family and exploring the beauty of the Southeast United States from her kayak.

Mary Burke is the director of Educational Services at the Land Trust Alliance, the national leader in policy, standards, education and training for the land trust community. Mary leads the Alliance’s work on Land Trust Standards and Practices, serves as the executive editor of digital and print publications, and supervises its online training program and online learning management system. Mary holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in English Literature as well as a degree in journalism.

Spending nearly a decade in the project development sector of the carbon inventory, Mary’s experience in carbon project design and development is demonstrated by her many successful forest projects, both internationally and domestically. Her insights on project design and messaging have been fundamental in creating a meaningful landowner experience and promoting the Forest Carbon Works brand. As the Chief Customer Officer at Forest Carbon Works, Mary leads an enthusiastic and dynamic team whose objective is to familiarize forest landowners with the basics of carbon projects, help assess project feasibility, and guide landowners through the project experience. Mary holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of San Francisco.

Mary Pfaffko joined Defenders of Wildlife in 2017 where she conducts policy analysis and advocates for science-based wildlife conservation on private lands. This includes engagement with Congress, agencies, and organizations. Prior to joining Defenders, she served as Assistant Chief of Nongame for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources working for fish and wildlife conservation and funding. She has also served as a Wildlife Biologist for DC Fisheries and Wildlife.

Mary Vandevord is the president & CEO of HeartLands Conservancy, a conservation land trust serving southern Illinois. Mary has a master’s degree in regional and city planning from the University of Oklahoma. She previously served as a member of the Illinois Governor’s Transition Team for Energy and the Environment and as President of the Prairie State Conservation Coalition in Illinois.

Mary-Carson Stiff is director of policy at Wetlands Watch where she specializes in the National Flood Insurance Program and sea level rise adaptation planning and policy. She is a Certified Floodplain Manager, chair of the Coastal Virginia Community Rating System Workgroup and board member of the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation and the Living River Trust. Before joining Wetlands Watch, she worked as Consulting Manager for Policy & Programs for the Virginia Coastal Policy Center at William & Mary Law School, where she obtained a juris doctorate in 2013. Mary-Carson graduated from Bates College with a bachelor’s in 2008.

Maya Miller is the executive director of Cape Fear River Assembly, working in 21 counties in North Carolina. She partners in many Native-led projects and has a background in working with land and water initiatives with Original People.

Megan is the strategic projects manager for TomKat Ranch Educational Foundation in California.

Melinda Ching is a senior attorney for The Nature Conservancy where she has provided legal counsel to a range of programs within The Nature Conservancy, including establishing offices in Australia and Mongolia and managing complex legal transactions such as debt for nature swaps in Indonesia.  Her current practice includes providing all legal support for conservation programs in Hawaii, Palmyra Atoll, Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado and Idaho. Her current areas of focus are conservation easements and other conservation real estate transactions, lobbying and electioneering counsel and carbon projects.  She has been with The Nature Conservancy since 2001. She is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and The King Hall School of Law, University of California, Davis. She is active in supporting diversity, equity and inclusion at the Conservancy and provides assistance to the Conservancy’s Employee Resource Groups as well as serves as a mentor for various internal mentoring cohorts and young legal professionals.

Melissa joined Keep It Colorado after a decade in the parks and recreation field where she focused on policy development, community programming and strategic partnerships. She has a bacheror’s degree in parks, recreation and tourism administration from Western Illinois University and a law degree from The John Marshall Law School. Melissa is passionate about protecting and preserving Colorado’s beautiful landscapes and rich heritage. When not at work, Melissa can be found hiking, biking, climbing, fishing or running with her husband, son and black lab.

Melissa Kalvestrand served many roles at the Commission since joining in November 2009. After 10 years of consistently taking on more responsibilities, she was named executive director in January 2020. During her tenure at the Commission, she has overseen the accreditation review process and facilitated the accreditation decisions for over 100 applicants each year. She partnered in developing, interpreting, reviewing, and revising the accreditation requirements and maintaining the Requirements Manual. She also co-facilitated the public participation process resulting in the 2017 revisions to Land Trust Standards and Practices.As executive director, she has been leveraging the successes of the accreditation program and of accredited land trusts to advance the Commission’s next phase of work. That work includes maintaining the strengthen of land trusts, maintaining public trust, and engaging with land trusts in new ways to improve their return on investment in the program. Melissa has a master’s degree in biodiversity, conservation, and policy from the University at Albany and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Cornell University.

Melissa Luetje is a science teacher at Kennebunk High School in RSU 21, which serves the towns of Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, and Arundel in southern Maine. She has a Master’s of Science Degree in Teaching and Learning and is certified in both physical and life science and is committed to getting her students out and into the field as much as possible. She is passionate about place-based education and experiential learning. Melissa is a tireless advocate for amplifying youth voices and providing opportunities that give youth agency so that they can make positive impacts in their communities in the fight against climate change.  Melissa, along with her fellow presenters, Pam Morgan, and Leia Lowery, was awarded the Gulf of Maine Visionary Award from the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment in 2019.

Before coming to Maine, Mike worked as the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Area Manager in Anchorage, Prince William Sound and the North Gulf Coast. He also directed Kuskokwim Native Association. Mike dealt with Fisheries and Natural Resources Department in cooperative research, monitoring and management within the Middle Kuskokwim area. Mike graduated in 2005 from the University of North Dakota with a bachelor’s degree. in fisheries and wildlife biology.

Michelle joined the Open Space Institute’s Southeast office two years ago as director of development, communications and special projects to lead program-wide fundraising efforts including the public and private fundraising strategy for the Black River Initiative. Prior to joining OSI, Michelle assisted private and public entities in developing and executing land conservation strategies to improve quality of life for South Carolina communities. Her clients include The Nature Conservancy, the Lowcountry Land Trust and the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation. She has 25 years of experience in advocacy, communications, campaign management, strategic planning and public relations. She was formerly the land use director for the Coastal Conservation League, where for 6 years she helped communities advocate for improved land use and development policies. Michelle graduated from Wellesley College in 1991 and the University of Colorado, School of Law in 1995. She lives with her husband and two children in Mount Pleasant, SC and spends much time on their permanently protected family farm on Wadmalaw Island.

Mike Okma is the manager of easement stewardship for the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy (GTRLC) and oversees the stewardship of 300+ conservation easements in GTRLC’s five county service area. Mike graduated from Michigan Technological University with a bachelor’s degree in applied ecology as well as wildlife management. Mike is the Midwest stewardship representative for the Stewardship Network and is a member of the Land Trust Alliance Conservation Defense Advisory Council.

Mikey Goralnik, PLA, AICP is a landscape architect and leads innovative community planning efforts for Mariposa County Planning Department. Goralnik holds an master’s degree in landscape rchitecture, master’s degree in city and regional planning and a bachelor’s degree in American studies.

Mirella Ramos, bilingual youth programs manager at Sonoma Land Trust, coordinates in- and out-of-school time programs for youth through culturally relevant and accessible programming. They play a major role in reaching the Latine and Spanish-speaking communities through partnerships and collaboration. Mirella is an accomplished field technician having worked for California Conservation Corps, National Park Service and Forest Service. They previously coordinated field work, environmental education and youth development for Saguaro National Park’s Youth Conservation Corps.

Misti Schmidt is a partner at Conservation Partners LLP in Oakland, California, where she focuses her practice on the real estate and tax aspects of conservation transactions, including donative and mitigation conservation easements and carbon projects, as well as tax-exempt organization governance. Misti received her Master of Laws in Taxation from New York University School of Law and her juris doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, where she received a Certificate in Environmental Law.

Having previously served as the director of transactions at the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust (CCALT), Molly is now the staff attorney at CCALT. She provides guidance on all new transactions and the resolution of stewardship issues in addition to managing a portfolio of new conservation easement transactions. Molly grew up on a cattle ranch in Carbondale, Colorado where she and her husband are now raising their daughter alongside their puppy.

Molly recently joined the team of C-Change Conversations, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting productive, non-partisan discussions about the science and effects of climate change. With deep-seated dedication to the nonprofit sector and a life-long commitment to protecting the environment, Molly has spent her career working for non-profits dedicated to addressing climate change. Prior to joining C-Change, Molly served as the Executive Director of Sustainable Princeton, a non-profit focused on community-based climate action in Princeton, NJ. Under her leadership, Sustainable Princeton charted a 22% reduction in locally produced greenhouse gas emissions between 2010 and 2020, a reduction attributed to the fulfillment of strategies defined in the Princeton Climate Action Plan and cultural shifts brought on by the pandemic.

Monique Verdin is an interdisciplinary storyteller documenting the complex relationship between environment, culture and climate in southeast Louisiana. She is a citizen of the Houma Nation and director of The Land Memory Bank & Seed Exchange.