Land Trust has new leadership
Kate Sayles will be Council’s new executive director
The Board of Directors of the Rhode Island Land Trust Council recently announced the appointment of Kate Sayles as executive director, beginning July 6.
The current executive director, Rupert Friday, will be retiring after establishing the council and leading it for 17 years. “The conservation movement and local land trust work have benefited greatly from Rupert’s leadership and we are enormously grateful to him for his many contributions,” said Barbara Rich, Rhode Island Land Trust Council Board president.
The board formed a search committee composed of the board president, vice president, two board members and three non-board experts in conservation.
The board has recently adopted an updated five-year strategic plan and a new development plan to fund the vision. The board and staff remain committed to continuing our programs and initiatives without interruption.
Sayles comes to the council from the Northern Rhode Island Conservation District where she is currently serving as agriculture and forestry program manager. There she focuses on addressing issues on the ground through both funding and technical assistance to private landowners, nonprofits, land trusts and other organizations. Sayles graduated from URI with a degree in wildlife and conservation biology and has spent over 10 years leading and participating in several collaborative efforts with federal and state agencies, private landowners and other non-traditional partners. Sayles has been successful at obtaining grant funding in support of these efforts.
“We’re most pleased to announce our hire of Kate,” said Rich. “This represents the culmination of a transition process that started nearly nine months ago, and as a result, we believe we’ve found the ideal individual to lead the council going forward.”
“I am delighted to continue my work with the Rhode Island Land Trust Council in this new capacity and I look forward to a long and fruitful relationship,” Sayles said.
The Rhode Island Land Trust Council is the state coalition of land trusts. Its mission is to conserve open and natural lands by supporting land trusts, promoting responsible use and stewardship, and advocating for land conservation policy.