Reflections to Staff on My First Week

Greetings to all of you after a whirlwind first week as the new President of The Trustees of Reservations. It is an incredibly exciting time to be joining this fantastic organization and I am thrilled that I've had the opportunity to meet some of you already as I begin my learning journey.

My first day on the job included the Employee Orientation at our Doyle Center in Leominster. It was wonderful to meet new colleagues and participate in a training on diversity and inclusion. I really enjoyed spending the day together and look forward to routinely participating in employee orientations. In addition to Doyle, I spent the week visiting Moose Hill Farm in Sharon, Appleton Farms in Ipswich and Hamilton, and Boston Natural Areas Network's offices, as well as participating in various committee and group meetings and meetings with volunteers throughout the Boston area. These visits will be the first of many stops through my listening tour to learn your insights and ideas for the future of The Trustees.

My first week has really amplified my belief that we are the most exciting conservation organization working in Massachusetts today. We have an amazing group of professionals and a committed audience of partners, donors and volunteers who believe in the important work we do. Our history is sound and our future, inspiring. I am humbled to be a part of The Trustees and even more so to be your colleague. We have significant opportunities ahead of us and I look forward to working alongside all of you to ensure our momentum continues.

I know it can be difficult when we are in the day-to-day activities of our work to truly appreciate the value and impact our contributions achieve. It is the culmination of all of our work combined that creates significant, lasting change. Thus, it's important to appreciate and value the different talents and perspectives of our colleagues that together, create a powerful and influential fabric. Even in challenging times, we've maintained our identity and purpose as a driving force in conservation and preservation and we deserve to be proud of this accomplishment. From the recent closing on our newest reservation, the Governor Ames Estate, or the restoration of the Grand Allée at Castle Hill, these efforts are conservation catalysts, providing permanent benefit to generations ahead.

While we are a conservation organization, we really are an organization all about people. It's even represented in our name. We are a movement of thousands, committed to connecting people to place. The people who work and volunteer here further our mission and I applaud you all for this commitment. I look forward to hearing what makes The Trustees special for you and what your hope is for our future. I am also excited to visit all of our properties and offices to see our work in action. Finally, I look forward to partnering with you to shape a vision and priorities that will drive our impact. This process won't be overnight so I ask for your patience and positivity as we move forward. Feel free to be in touch with me over email with questions and/or ideas, and be sure to follow my first months with The Trustees right here in this blog.
 
Thank you, again, for your work on behalf of The Trustees.

Celebrating Success on the Grand Allee at Castle Hill

The Grand Allée on the Crane Estate

Last week I had my first “formal” Trustees experience, taking part in a celebration at one of our famed properties, Castle Hill at the Crane Estate. More than 200 friends of The Trustees of Reservations came together to recognize the completion of the Grand Allée and Casino, a three-year journey that was demanding and inspiring all at once. Striving to attend to history and yet looking forward can be very challenging. 

Board Chair David Croll, Board Member Nathan Hayward,
Barbara Erickson, & former President Fred Winthrop

Through the dedication of volunteers and staff, especially Cindy Brockway, our Cultural Resources Director, and Bob Murray, The Crane Estate's Superintendent, The Trustees restored this century-old landscape to its original beauty and charm. It took the tireless leadership of Board member Nathan Hayward, Board Chair David Croll, and so many others to see this project through to its wonderful completion. My sincere thanks to all who ensured our success. And, as you can see from these photos, thanks to the generous support of an anonymous donor, I know we honored their magnificent accomplishment in style.

It was a spectacular evening with amazing weather and great friends. The energy fit the environment and I am sure the Crane family would have been pleased. As I looked down the Grand Allée abuzz with guests towards the ocean in the distance, it reinforced that The Trustees are all about connecting people to place. With our iconic reservations like Castle Hill, we inspire people. This is incredibly special and even more so on a beautiful night to recognize the work of so many. Congrats to Castle Hill and our generous supporters on a fantastic, and important, achievement!

Rick Sullivan, Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs addresses attendees.