Bedford Hills, NY—Westchester Land Trust’s current President, Lori Ensinger, will step down from her leadership role and pass the baton to Kara Hartigan Whelan, who currently serves as Vice President of the organization, according to Bruce Churchill, Chairman of the Board of Directors. Ensinger has led Westchester Land Trust (WLT) since 2013 and will join the organization’s staff as a Senior Advisor focusing on land protection projects. Whelan has been a valued staff member and leader at WLT since 2012, holding the role of Director of Conservation Programs before becoming Vice President in 2015. Ensinger and Whelan will shift roles later this year, enabling the team to continue seamlessly to advance the organization’s conservation goals.

During her tenure, Ensinger led the nationally accredited organization through the protection of more than 1,500 acres, including the protection of Stuart’s Fruit Farm, the oldest working farm in Westchester County. Ensinger negotiated complex projects that led to the protection of parcels ranging in size from 1/3 of an acre to 275 acres and spanning the organization’s entire geographic region from urban to rural landscapes. Prior to becoming President, Ensinger was a member of WLT’s Board of Directors from 2004 through 2013 and served as Chair of both the organization’s Investment Committee and Governance & Nominating Committee. She and her late husband, Bill Kuebler, donated a 17-acre conservation easement to WLT in 2005. In her new role, Ensinger will work with staff to implement WLT’s strategic conservation plan, lending her expertise to real estate negotiations and conservation finance.

“I’ve been honored to serve as President of the Westchester Land Trust over these past nine years and I’m immensely proud of what we’ve accomplished together as a team,” Ensinger said, “When I reflect on the special places we’ve protected, relationships we’ve forged in the

community, and connections to nature we’ve helped spark throughout Westchester, I’m confident that we have made a difference. I feel that now is the perfect time for me to pass the leadership torch to Kara, whose unique perspective and expertise will allow WLT’s work in the community to continue to grow, and I look forward to remaining a part of those efforts as Senior Advisor.”

Whelan, a Westchester native, is a highly regarded land conservationist and industry thought leader who currently directs WLT’s fundraising, events, marketing, and conservation programming. She has overseen community outreach initiatives at WLT and has worked closely with Ensinger on strategic land protection projects. “Lori has done a tremendous job stewarding this organization and I look forward to building upon all that she has achieved during her tenure,” Whelan said. “I’ve learned so much about leadership from Lori over the years and I’m grateful for the opportunity to step into this new role knowing she will continue to work as a member of our professional team.”

In 2016, Whelan helped to launch and coordinate a regional conservation partnership known as Hudson to Housatonic (H2H) which is a collaboration of more than 50 conservation organizations in Connecticut and New York. She leads WLT’s farmland linking and food justice work and represents the organization as a regional navigator for American Farmland Trust. Whelan holds degrees from Boston College and the University of Michigan and has more than 25 years of conservation experience, including land protection and fundraising positions with The Trustees of Reservations, United States Environmental Protection Agency, City Parks Foundation, and most recently, The Greenwich Land Trust.

“Kara is a passionate and talented conservation professional who brings a wealth of experience in fundraising and collaborative conservation to the Presidency position,” said Bruce Churchill, Chairman of the Board. “The Board of Directors are thrilled that she will be leading Westchester Land Trust to ever higher levels of mission impact and implement our ambitious conservation agenda. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Lori, on behalf of the Board, for all that she has done for WLT in various capacities for close to two decades.”