Every June, the Westchester Land Trust holds its annual benefit honoring a group or individual whose commitment to our mission has been outstanding. 2014 was no different as 300 of our closest friends gathered on June 14th to celebrate our preservation work and the achievements of former WLT Executive Director, Candace M. Schafer.

Guests marveled at the extraordinary view from Old Salem Farm’s double decker tent, generously donated by Ellen and Kamran Hakim and Pamela and David Small. Tastefully Yours catered an amazing mea, and there was dancing, a silent and live auction, and the premiere of WLT’s new video “Voices of Conservation.” (Visit Media to view the video.)  But the highlight of the evening was Candace who was honored with the Preservation Angel Award.

Jonathan Wiesner, Chairman of WLT’s Board of Directors applauded Candace’s commitment to the organization, saying, “She worked to revive regional thinking across county and state borders through partnerships with other land conservation organizations and municipalities and she oversaw the protection of almost 450 acres of land.”

WLT applauds the outstanding generosity of all of its friends, supporters and sponsors. As we know we couldn’t do it alone, we are especially grateful to the members of the Benefit Committee including: Nanette Bourne & John Delfs, MD, Amy & Keith Ferguson, Susan & James Henry, Jackie & Peter Kamenstein, Vivien G. Malloy, Gretchen & Peter Menzies, Mary Ann Petrilena, and Pamela & David Small.

All of the funds raised through this year’s Benefit will support WLT’s efforts to protect environmentally-important open space and care for and manage the 29 preserves it owns.

Our Honoree, Candace M. Schafer

Candace received a degree from Northwestern University in Art History and worked at the Art Institute of Chicago in the Oriental art department. She then moved overseas, living in Tripoli, Libya and Athens, Greece for two and a half years. After several years in Chicago, she moved overseas again to Paris and then Toronto for a year and returned to Chicago and pursued a Masters of Architecture at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Her career in architecture spanned fifteen years, during which time she worked on some of the early adaptive reuse projects turning warehouses into corporate uses, health care and education buildings, and corporate interiors for various firms in Chicago.  In 1996, she moved to New York and received a Masters of Science, Real Estate Development, at Columbia University in 1998. She was senior project manager for projects for Spinnaker Real Estate Partners, completing the urban waterfront development plan for mixed use projects in Norwalk, CT; acting as development manager for adaptive reuse of projects throughout Connecticut for Tarragon Development in New York, and as senior manager for Sun Products headquarters in Wilton Connecticut for Marcus Partners, Boston and Connecticut.

During her development career she was active in Urban Land Institute, serving as Program Chair and Chair of District Council for Westchester/Fairfield Counties, during which time she brought a regional approach to key issues such as affordable housing, sustainability , infrastructure, and placemaking. In 2010, she became the Executive Director of Westchester Land Trust.  As Director, she worked to revive regional thinking across county and state borders, through partnerships and broader initiatives that included land preservation as one of the keys for all development.  She resigned as Executive Director at the end of 2013, but continues to serve as a Board Member on the Westchester Land Trust.  Candace lives with her husband, Rob Mills, in Norwalk, Connecticut where their home on the Silvermine River reminds them daily of the importance for balance with nature and the resulting rewards when that is achieved. Candace and Rob have six children, three in-law children, and six grandchildren.