It still amazes me that 27 years ago the idea of the Palouse Land Trust was formed, and a few devoted members of our community turned it into a reality that has flourished! I became a board member of PLT in 2010 because I wanted to help conserve lands in my community. After my first board meeting, I was asked to join the Lands Committee, which is the committee that works directly with landowners to craft a conservation easement.
I admit I was a bit taken aback because I had only attended a single board meeting, had just met the rest of the board members, and had a lot to learn about PLT. But I decided to jump in with both feet and accepted the invitation. I figured I could learn a lot by serving on the Lands Committee. Before the first meeting of the Lands Committee, I was asked by the then President of PLT, Charles Burke, if I would be willing to chair the Lands Committee because the current chair had decided to step off the board. Well, I had already jumped in with both feet to become a member of the committee, now I had to jump in with my legs, arms, and head to become the chair.
I learned by the seat of my pants the valuable work PLT does for landowners in our community. Today, I am no longer the chair of the Lands Committee, but I am still a member of it. It has been a wonderful experience to not only learn about PLT, but to meet the landowners that cherish their land and want to see it preserved for the future.
I am currently stepping in as President of PLT and I could not be prouder of where PLT stands today. We have the best staff who make PLT shine brightly even through challenges, such as a global pandemic. Our board is diverse, engaged, passionate, and just great fun! I am honored to be succeeding our current PLT President Janice Smith-Hill, who has led us with great passion and attention to detail while never letting pass a chance to insert a pun. She has shown great wisdom in times when we needed a strong leader. She brought PLT through the global pandemic and PLT is in better standing than it has ever been because of her leadership. I only hope I can fill her enormous shoes and keep PLT on the path it has followed over the last 27 years!