The Westchester Land Trust family is deeply saddened by the untimely loss of former Executive Director and Board member, Candace M. Schafer, who passed away on Monday, November 17, 2014 after a courageous battle with cancer.
Candace possessed a unique energy that was informed by powerful intellectual curiosity.  Born in Kansas and raised in the Midwest, Candace studied Art History at Northwestern University–working in the Oriental Art department at the Art Institute of Chicago after graduation.  As a young mother, she spent a number of years living overseas with stints in Tripoli, Athens, Paris, and Toronto before returning State-side to pursue a Masters of Architecture at the University of Illinois, Chicago as well as Masters of Science in Real Estate Development at Columbia University.
Candace‘s wealth of knowledge in land use policy demonstrated an appreciation for the complexities and challenges involved in land preservation in our region.  Prior to becoming Westchester Land Trust’s Executive Director in 2010, Candace worked on early adaptive reuse projects—transforming derelict warehouses into commercial space as well as designing and implementing mixed use development along the formerly industrial waterfront of the Connecticut Sound.  In recent years, she served as District Chair for the Urban Land Institute’s Westchester/Fairfield District Council where she successfully nurtured collaborations with stakeholders interested in furthering best practices in land use and planning.
During her tenure as WLT’s Executive Director, Candace led the organization through its 25^th anniversary and, in the process helped to create a vision for our next 25.  She worked to revive regional thinking across county and state borders through partnerships with local municipalities and land conservation groups.  Overseeing the permanent protection of almost 450 acres of land, Candace’s fingerprint is etched on land conservation projects that include the Maryknoll Sisters of Saint Dominic campus in Ossining; as well as Jensen and Burdick farms and the Dextra Baldwin McGonagle Preserve in Putnam County.
In December of 2013, Candace stepped down as our Executive Director, but continued to be a visible and enthusiastic presence, joining WLT’s Board of Directors and serving on its Land Conservation Committee.  In June of 2014, Candace, joined by her family and friends, was the honoree at WLTs Annual Benefit where she was presented with the Preservation Angel Award for her outstanding dedication to this organization and the cause of land conservation.
Candace is survived by her husband, Rob Mills, 6 children and their spouses, and 6 grandchildren.
A memorial service for Candace will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, December 13, at The First Presbyterian Church of New Canaan, 178 Oenoke Ridge Road, New Canaan, CT.