Kathy Leavenworth speaks up for conservation

This story originally appeared in the Spring 2024 issue of Saving Land magazine.

Kathy Leavenworth knows a thing or two about speaking up on behalf of the issues she cares about — in particular education and the environment.

“Back in my early days in advocacy, my mentor at the Junior League encouraged me to give reports at meetings of 400-500 people,” said Leavenworth. “My voice would shake, my knees would shake. But I really appreciated that because by the time I was president of the Ohio School Board Association, I could speak in front of thousands.”

For anyone who knows Leavenworth — and many in the land trust community do — those early days of shaking knees might be hard to imagine. An Alliance board member since 2017 and chair of the Alliance’s government relations committee, Leavenworth is a champion of land trusts’ work and has a particular interest in helping them grow their advocacy efforts.

“We’re so lucky to have Kathy on our team,” said Lori Faeth, the Alliance’s senior director of government relations. “She’s an incredible conservationist and advocate for land trusts.”

Leavenworth helped bring about the Alliance’s first advocacy events for land trusts, launched in 2012 as Lobby Days and now called Advocacy Days, to bring staff and board members to Washington, D.C., for training and opportunities to advocate on Capitol Hill. She has attended every year, showing up to share her expertise, mentor new advocates and “walk the walk” herself, putting in long hours cruising the halls of congressional office buildings and talking with legislators. As an adviser to newcomers, she shared some of her top tips: Sharpen your message, be prepared and know how to talk with your legislators. The importance of being an engaged constituent can’t be overstated, she said — get to know your representatives and their staff, educate them, follow-up and be a resource.

“I’m hoping our advocacy will grow and more people will see how important it is. I’m always trying to get more people to come be ambassadors,” said Leavenworth. “Especially if you’re on a board, you should participate. Advocacy Days is one of the most important things to be involved in.”

Leavenworth is not only an advocacy champion, she is a land trust leader in her own right. She joined the Chagrin River Land Conservancy in 1997, becoming president of the board in 2000. Under her leadership, the conservancy merged with seven other land trusts to become Western Reserve Land Conservancy in 2006.

Leavenworth takes pride and joy in all of her roles, especially as a woman — leader, advocate, mother, daughter, sister and grandmother. She found a strong female role model in her mother, Miriam Hamilton Keare, who earned a law degree — the only woman in her graduating law class at the University of Chicago Law School — and used her legal knowledge to build connections and advocate on behalf of the environment, taking young Kathy around with her to meetings.

“Women need to support one another, and stand up for each other,” said Leavenworth. “I encourage any young woman I talk with to speak up and get involved — don’t be afraid.”