People

Staff

Susan Lackey — Executive Director

Susan joined the Conservancy in 2005, and she has a background in public affairs with an emphasis in planning. She grew up in west Michigan in a small farming community where her family still lives. She now lives west of Chelsea near the Waterloo Recreation Area with her husband Steve and their dog Chili, both of whom are excellent companions on the Discovery Center’s Bog Trail.

Dana Wright — Stewardship Coordinator

dana@legacylandconservancy.org/

Dana has spent the last seven years doing conservation and volunteer coordination with the City of Ann Arbor’s Natural Area Preservation. She has joined the conservancy to broaden her skills, and is very excited to work with a new group of volunteers! She lives in Ann Arbor with her two children. Her current hobby/craze is edible landscaping and backyard farming.

Erika Taylor — Operations Manager

erika@legacylandconservancy.org/

Erika came to Michigan from the San Francisco bay area in 2001, where she worked in nonprofit management for 15 years. Erika has an undergraduate degree in natural resource management and an MBA in finance and accounting. Kayaking, mountain biking, disc golf, and gardening are her passions. She lives in Ann Arbor near the river with her husband, two kids, and a cat named Joe.

Susan Cooley — Development Director

susancooley@legacylandconservancy.org/

Susan loves the outdoors and has a long history as a naturalist. She collaborated in developing the Michigan State University Jr. Master Gardener program in 1994 certifying hundreds of students throughout Washtenaw County and Detroit.
She loves to hike, kayak, birdwatch and of course garden.
Susan comes from the March of Dimes as their State Director of Corporate Development. She has owned her own Advertising and Public Relations agency while residing in Miami, Florida. With a strong marketing, fundraising and public relations background, she will serve her position as Director of Development and Communications well.

“There is nothing like working in a job that you love its mission and the footprints they make on this earth”

Robin Burke — Land Protection Coordinator

robin@legacylandconservancy.org/

Robin is a native of Kalamazoo, Michigan and enjoys reading, running, drawing, and being outdoors. She has an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies from Beloit College in Wisconsin and a MLA (Master of Landscape Architecture) from the University of Michigan. She currently lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan with her husband and two dogs. Robin is our newest staff member and we are so excited to have her.

Board

The Conservancy is proud to have an active Board of Trustees which provides expertise in areas of law, financial planning, fundraising, farming and natural resources. Our Board meets six times a year, with additional committee meetings as necessary.

We welcome inquiries from potential new board members. Interested in becoming a board member? Contact us!

Janet Crone – President

A former tax accountant, Janet operates a personal gardening service and has long been interested in the preservation of local farming land. She earned a BA from Denison University (Granville, Ohio) and an MBA from the University of Michigan. Other volunteer activities include the Ann Arbor Thrift Shop and select gardening projects for local organizations. Recent returnees to Washtenaw County from years of living in both east and west lower Michigan, Janet and her husband, Charlie, now live in Scio Township.

Adam Smith – Vice President

Adam is an attorney specializing in various aspects of business, commercial and employment litigation. He holds business and law degrees from the University of Michigan and previously worked in commercial lending before attending law school. Because of their love for all types of outdoor activities, he and his wife, Theresa, moved to Washtenaw County in 2001. In his free time, Adam enjoys taking advantage of the many biking, canoeing and hiking opportunities available in southern Michigan.

Kristen Schleick – Secretary

Kristen is an architect and planner with Hobbs+Black of Ann Arbor. She holds masters degrees in architecture and urban planning from University of Michigan, and bachelors degrees in architecture and Japanese language, also from UM. She is LEED certified, and previously served on the board of the American Institute of Architects Huron Valley Chapter.

Robert Aldrich – Treasurer

Rob is the President of MAVDevelopment Company, where he guides the firm’s acquisition and development activities. His background is in real estate finance, and he has taught real estate finance courses at the University of Michigan. His past and current service includes the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority, the Ann Arbor YMCA, and the Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce. Rob is a licensed real estate broker and member of Ann Arbor Board of Realtors. Rob earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

James C. Adams

Jim is a partner with the law firm Butzel Long. He is the former President of the Old Mission Conservancy (Traverse City) as well as one of the members of the steering committee that organized the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy. He holds an undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and a law degree from the University of Michigan. He resides in Ann Arbor with his wife, Naz Edwards.

Rosanne Bloomer

Rosanne is a Senior Financial Service Officer for GreenStone Farm Credit Services, an agricultural cooperative which provides credit and financial services to rural Michigan and Wisconsin. She is also co-owner of Bur Oaks Farm LLC, a family farm operation in Ann Arbor which processes and markets dry roasted soybeans and gourmet popcorn. Rosanne has a bachelor’s degree and post graduate work in business administration from Michigan State University. Rosanne also serves on the Washtenaw County Ag Advisory Committee, Washtenaw County Extension Advisory Committee, and FSEP (Food System Economic Partnership).

Margaret Engle

Margaret Engle has (mostly) enjoyed a long career in communications as a writer, editor, translator, and strategist. Margaret was a founding editor and the executive director of AlterNet, the first online news service for the alternative and independent press. She has also served as communications director at the Center for Responsive Politics, and as a communications consultant for groups as wide-ranging as Public Campaign, which promotes public financing of elections, and Youth Venture, which encourages teenage entrepreneurship. Margaret studied anthropology at Virginia Commonwealth in Richmond, and German at the Rhenish Friedrich-Wilhelm University in Bonn, where she also worked as an editor and translator. While Margaret grew up in Hawaii and the Washington area, she has deep Michigan roots and as a child spent many happy summers in Petoskey. She and husband Gavin Clabaugh live in Scio Township, where she works as a freelance writer and tries to put her master gardener training to use fending off herds of marauding deer.

Rob Ewing

Entrepreneurial since pre-school days raising calves, Rob works with Charles Reinhart Company Realtors and is a certified EcoBroker, emphasizing green homes and energy efficiency. Since childhood Rob has worked with his family expanding YMCA Storer Camps from 250 to 1200 acres and developing its conservation, agriculture, and recreation programs. Rob successfully owned/managed retail, wholesale, and manufacturing businesses related to outdoor clothing and equipment before entering the real estate business, where he has been involved in residential developments and conservation properties. Rob has lived in Dexter with his family for 25 years. A charter member of the Dexter Rotary Club, he has also served as a trustee of the Educational Foundation of Dexter.

Joseph Fazio

Joe Fazio is Principal and Chair of the Managing Directors of the law firm, Miller Canfield. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Wayne State School of Law, and lives with his family in Ann Arbor.

Jennifer Fike

Executive Director of Food Systems Economic Partnership and member of the Michigan Agriculture Board.

Paul Glendon

Paul is an attorney who works primarily as a labor arbitrator. A two-time graduate of The University of Michigan (AB 1964, JD 1969), he and his wife Anne have lived in Ann Arbor since 1966. An active volunteer with local nonprofit organizations, he has served as a board member and chair for the Ann Arbor YMCA and president of the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor, and currently is a board member and Secretary of Leslie Science & Nature Center and president of the Northbury Condominium Association. In connection with a second life on Lake Michigan’s Beaver Island, Paul also serves as board member and president of the Beaver Island Association, an organization dedicated to the environmental and economic sustainability of the island, and is a long-time supporter and Beaver Island advisory council member of the Little Traverse Conservancy.

Robert Helber

Mr. Helber is chairman and CEO of Continental Capital Realty, Inc., a real estate development and management company with offices in Pittsfield Township. Mr. Helber holds a business degree from Eastern Michigan University. He is past president of the Washtenaw County Home Builders Association, a Trustee of Cleary University, and chairs the board of Continental Capital Equities, Inc., a real estate investment trust. Mr. Helber has a passion for wildlife and the outdoors, and has developed numerous environmentally sensitive housing projects. Mr. Helber and his wife, Cindy, both lifelong residents of Ann Arbor, live on their family horse farm in Scio Township.

Heather Price

Heather is Executive Director and co-owner of her family’s winery, Sandhill Crane Vineyards. She is currently President of the Michigan Museums Association and was appointed by the governor last year to the Michigan Grape & Wine Industry Council, where she serves as chair of the Promotions and Consumer Education Committee. She also serves on the board of the Jackson County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Other nonprofit experience includes 10 years with the Ella Sharp Museum, and past board service with The Dahlem Conservancy, Arts Alliance of Jackson County, and the PR & Marketing SPC of the American Association of Museums. She and her husband, Bob have lived in Jackson County for nearly 30 years. Their son Tommy is currently a student at Washtenaw Community College.

Scott K. Simonds

Scott is Professor Emeritus at the University of Michigan School of Public Health where, in addition to his teaching and research, he held several administrative posts between 1966 and 1994. These included Director of the Non-Residential Program in Public Health Policy and Administration, Assistant Dean for Curriculum, Director of the Program in Health Education, and management of the accreditation process for the School of Public Health. He has been President of the Board of the Epilepsy Center (now Michigan Epilepsy Foundation), served on the Governor’s Environmental Education Task Force, and has served on the Board of the Friends of the U-M Matthaei Botanical Gardens and as chair of its membership committee.

Charity Steere

Conservationist and resident of the Waterloo Recreation Area.

Robert Tetens

Bob is the Director of the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission, where his duties include management of the County’s Natural Areas Preservation Program. His prior experience includes serving as Executive Director of the Urban Area Transportation Study; and with the Washtenaw County Planning Department and Administrators Office. He is a resident of Dexter Township, where he was appointed and subsequently elected twice to serve as Dexter Township Supervisor. He has also served as a member and Chair of the Township’s Planning Commission, Zoning Board of Review, and Purchase of Development Rights Committee. Bob attended the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University.