Sessions
Oconomowoc Watershed Protection Program and Tall Pines Conservancy: A Partnership to Protect and Improve Soil and Water Quality in the Oconomowoc River Watershed
2:35 PM - 3:15 PM Thu
As the first Executive Director, Susan began working with Tall Pines in the Spring of 2008. Susan brings a wealth of experience and a diversified background to help further the mission of Tall Pines---to preserve remaining farmland, water resources and open space impacting and adjacent to NW Waukesha County. She led the charge to become an Accredited Land Trust, a distinction that Tall Pines received in 2015 and was renewed in 2020. During her tenure, Tall Pines has grown from 237 acres of protected land to 2,200 and counting. And the Oconomowoc Watershed Protection Program was born.
Susan has over 20 years of experience working specifically in the areas of land-use planning, marketing, real estate, historic preservation, architecture and construction. She holds a Master’s degree in Land Use Planning from UW-Milwaukee’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning. She is a licensed real estate broker.
In 2014, She joined the board of directors for Gathering Waters, Wisconsin’s Alliance of Land Trusts and also served as chair of its Land Trust Council and on the Policy Committee. She is also active with the “Friends of Farmland Protection” actively advocating for farmland preservation initiatives in the State. Most recently she was instrumental in creating the new RCCP statewide farmland preservation program with the American Farmland Trust.
Susan and her husband own two farms, one on Washington Island and the other in Windsor, Connecticut, where they are members of the Door County Land Trust and Windsor Land Trust, respectively. Susan is a avid cycling enthusiast and enjoys kayaking, sailing and skiing in her free time.