Paul Gallay, executive director of the Westchester Land Trust, will leave that position at the end of the month to head the Maine Coast Heritage Trust.
Starting July 1, the position of interim executive director will be filled by Tom Andersen, who is currently the Westchester Land Trust director of communication and special projects. The land trust is working with search firms to find candidates to serve as the permanent executive director.
Under Gallay”™s eight years of stewardship, the Westchester Land Trust created five local conservation chapters, upped staff and achieved a seven-fold increase in conserved lands. It now protects 5,700 acres of Westchester County. Working with four partners, it has preserved the 690-acre Valeria property in Cortlandt, one of the largest land preservation deals ever in Westchester. The Valeria easement brings the amount of land the trust has protected in those towns to 2,044 acres: 896 in Cortlandt; 183 in Yorktown; and 965 in Somers.
Gallay was previously a special assistant to the commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Conservation. He has a law degree fro Columbia University and has served as visiting professor of environmental studies at his alma mater, Williams College.
“Paul”™s superb leadership qualities, his passion for land conservation, and his impressive track record of success make him an excellent fit for the trust,” said Tom Ireland, Maine Coast Heritage Trust”™s board chairman.
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