We've hired a new Executive Director!

After a wide-ranging search at the local, regional, and national levels that provided many strong applicants, the Board of Directors selected Curt Soper to lead the organization to higher levels of service to conservation and community.

Curt is from Washington State, with family connections in the area. He brings over 30 years of professional natural resource conservation experience to the organization. He has worked for two national conservation organizations, The Nature Conservancy as Director of Conservation for Washington State and most recently, The Trust for Public Land as State Director for the Georgia office. Curt has also served as the Land Resources Division Director for the State of Georgia.

Bob Bugert, the Land Trust’s Executive Director for 9 years, will be staying on with the Land Trust in a part-time role as Partnerships Director, increasing capacity and ensuring a smooth transition. “We are more than delighted to have someone of Curt’s caliber to lead our community organization onto its next level. He has the experience, skills and demeanor that are a perfect fit for the Land Trust,” says Bugert.

“Land and water conservation has been the driving passion of my entire professional career,” says Curt. “The best places to live and work are those that connect people to nature, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to build on the Land Trust’s work to deliver this way of life in North Central Washington. With family roots throughout Eastern Washington this is a homecoming, and conserving these places matters deeply to me.”

Curt will be relocating from Atlanta, Georgia in late August.