Our leadership

Ashley became interested in conservation while attending summer camp located on a South Carolina barrier island. Her days at camp, among the marshes and seagulls, deepened her curiosity about the land and solidified her commitment to seeing places like this saved for future generations. Her own family placed a permanent conservation easement on farmland they have owned for decades, committing her and her siblings to a vision of the future that brings the best of the past forward for the next generations.

A native Charlestonian, Ashley received her B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of Vermont. Since then, she has been active in working to protect the Lowcountry of South Carolina, first at The Nature Conservancy and then as President and CEO of the Lowcountry Land Trust. This work has given her the chance to see firsthand how land, and the work to conserve it, brings people together, provides much needed open space for health and wellness, and creates a community united by a sense of place. Ashley and her husband, together with their three kids, all enjoy hiking, fishing, hunting, surfing and gardening.

Before assuming her current role, Jennifer served as Eastern division director of field programs at the Alliance, where she has worked in different capacities since 2016. Jennifer has spent 22 years working in conservation on local, regional, national and binational projects. In her role as chief program officer, Miller Herzog oversees three of the Alliance’s key program areas — education, conservation initiatives and community-centered conservation — and provides strategic coordination across these departments to help advance land trusts’ ability to protect land and meet the needs of their communities.

Kristie brings more than 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector across conservation, education and social impact. Prior to joining the Alliance, Kristie served as senior vice president of strategic operations at the National Park Foundation, where she led strategic initiatives that supported a $1 billion fundraising campaign. Earlier in her career, she held leadership roles at mission-driven organizations including The Wilderness Society, where she advanced conservation and philanthropy initiatives in partnership with executive leadership. As chief operating officer at the Land Trust Alliance, Kristie works across the organization to translate strategy into coordinated, scalable action — strengthening the systems, structures and culture needed to support the Alliance’s next phase of impact.

Suzanne brings more than 20 years of experience to her role overseeing all strategies to develop philanthropic revenue from foundation, corporate, individual and agency donors and prospects. Since joining the Alliance in 2000, she has also served as Director of Foundation and Corporate Relations and Community Support Manager in individual giving. Previously she worked in admissions at her alma mater, Princeton University.

Lori is a veteran of both federal and state government as well as nonprofit organizations. Prior to joining the Alliance in 2017, she served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and International Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Interior where she advanced the Department’s cross-cutting and multi-stakeholder domestic and international policy issues. Before returning to Washington, D.C., in 2009, she spent six years as a senior advisor to Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano. She advised the governor on issues covering agriculture, energy, natural resources and the environment and worked on broad policy issues including forest health, climate change and water management. Previously, she spent more than 10 years at The Nature Conservancy, ending her tenure as the Director of Government Relations for Arizona responsible for federal, state and local policy.

Erin has been an Alliance staff member since 2006. Prior to joining the Alliance, Erin was senior program officer at the International Fund for Animal Welfare where he led programs to mitigate threats to endangered whales from ocean noise, shipping, and commercial fishing. He held several positions with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-New England, and served in the U.S. Peace Corps (1991-1993) in Senegal as a national parks volunteer at the Biosphere Reserve, Niokolo-Koba National Park. He holds a M.A. in urban and environmental policy and planning from Tufts University.

Forrest (he/el) brings over 10 years of experience working toward a more people-centric and relationship-focused future for conservation to his role at the Alliance. He holds a degree in wildlife ecology and management but often says that he learns best from hitting the trails, putting his hands in the dirt and listening to stories and wisdom from communities. At the Alliance, Forrest leads a department that develops programming and partnerships to support land trusts’ in advancing community-centered conservation. Outside of work, Forrest enjoys tending his houseplants, reading and getting outdoors with Out In Nature, an LGBTQIA+ affinity group that he co-founded with his husband.

An Alliance staff member since 2000, Renee previously served as the Midwest director and as national director supervising all field-based programs. Today, she oversees the Alliance’s education, standards and research, and conservation defense programs. Before joining the Alliance, she was the first executive director of the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy in Kalamazoo, Michigan, a land trust that serves a nine-county area.