Teresa Corwin - Executive Director
Terry served as Interim Executive Director for 6 months prior to her selection as permanent “ED” in October 2005. She spent most of her career as a CPA in corporate finance. She has been in charge of taxation, treasury and SEC reporting for Plantronics, controller for Brocade Communications, VP of Finance for Core Technology and CFO for technology start-up, Extenex. A long-time Santa Cruz resident, Terry brings strong business credentials, a passion for land conservation and a “can-do” attitude to her work at the Land Trust. Terry also serves as trustee on the Happy Valley School Board.

Stephen Slade – Director of Development & Communications
Stephen grew up in Virginia and on a dairy in the Central Valley and moved to Santa Cruz in 1980. He has two daughters who have grown up in Santa Cruz and he tells them no matter where they go as adults, it won't be as good as where they grew up. He's been a walker and hiker since he was a child and these days takes frequent walks on Moore Creek Preserve which is near his house. He saw his first Mountain Lion there just before joining the Land Trust in August 2006. He brings over twenty years of development and communications experience to the Land Trust, including recent work for public radio station KUSP in Santa Cruz and the Elkhorn Slough Foundation in Moss Landing.

Julie Anne Hopkins – Conservation Project Manager
Julie Anne says she was in awe of nature as a child and was always outside, usually in the woods or by one of the ponds near her house. Her love of nature led her to California in 1980 and to a career as a wildlife and plant biologist. Julie has a BA in Environmental Biology from California State University Fresno and MS in Ecology and Conservation Biology from San Francisco State University. She worked for the Bureau of Land Management throughout California for more than twenty years. Much of her work involved range and vegetation management. She has served on the boards of the California Native Plant Society and the Ventana Wilderness Society. She joined the Land Trust staff in August, 2006. She shares her love and knowledge of the natural environment on our Member Walks.

Lisa Larson — Finance & Administrative Director
Lisa brings over 30 years financial experience to the Land Trust, including over 17 years as Office Manager/Accountant for Chappellet Winery in the Napa Valley.  Upon moving to Aptos in 1996 she was the controller for a rose nursery and for the past 5 years she served as the Fiscal Officer for the Seniors Council, a local non-profit, and consulted financially for other non-profits. Her passion for the land is rooted in her childhood when she spent summers and weekends hiking, camping and fishing with her family.

Andre Lafleur - Major Gifts Officer
Prior to joining the Land Trust in June 2004, Andre had 13 years of nonprofit development experience with Peninsula Open Space Trust, San Francisco Opera, and the California League of Conservation Voters. His love of the land and interest in conservation are rooted in the writing of Wallace Stegner and a childhood spent in the rugged American west. He lives in Bonny Doon, where he designed and built a solar-powered house built from recycled materials and wood milled on the site.

Jeff Helmer - Land Steward
Jeff is a native Santa Cruzan, and has been a member of the Land Trust staff almost 20 years. His dedication and hard work keep the trails at the Byrne Forest and Antonelli Pond accessible and beautiful. Those who have explored the Forest with Jeff as their guide invariably remark on his devotion to the land.

 

Brianna Lehmann – Development Assistant
Brianna joined the Land Trust in May of 2006. She has past experience assisting Ph.D. candidates in their Ecology and Botany research projects at UC Davis and working at the Sequoia Natural History Association in Sequoia National Park. Additionally, she learned firsthand the benefits of land conservation through her volunteering experiences with North Carolina State Beach Sea Turtle program and the San Joaquin River Parkway. Brianna attends San Jose State University and majors in Television, Radio, and Film.

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