BELLEVILLE – Environmental nonprofit celebrates its 30th anniversary amid new leadership, staff, and office location.
HeartLands Conservancy, a nonprofit serving southwestern Illinois since 1989, is devoted to conserving land and water, building resilient communities, and engaging people with nature. To date, HeartLands has conserved over 9,000 acres of land through acquisition, private easements, and partnerships with government entities. Examples include Drda Woods in Edwardsville, Engelmann Farm in St. Clair County, and Kidd Lake in Monroe County.
This year, 2019, is a big year for HeartLands Conservancy — it is the organization’s 30th anniversary. It is also a year of new beginnings for the nonprofit; while HeartLands’ mission of preserving and protecting the natural resources of southwestern Illinois hasn’t changed, it is doing so with some new faces and in a new office.
In the fall, HeartLands Conservancy moved its office from Mascoutah, Illinois, to downtown Belleville (3 N High Street, Belleville, IL 62220). The move provided a centrally located, easily accessed headquarters in HeartLands’ primary service area of Bond, Clinton, Madison, Monroe, Randolph, St. Clair, and Washington counties.
The organization, which is governed by a Board of Directors, has also elected new officers: Bill Reichert of Farnsworth Group is the new Board Chair, Ronda Latina is the Vice Chair, William Boardman of Firehouse Contracting is the Second Vice Chair, Stephen Parrish of Farmers and Merchants Bank is the Treasurer, and Robert Nelson of Nelson & Nelson Attorneys at Law is the Secretary. Anne Werner of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering has also signed on as a new Board Member .
In addition to changes in the Board of Directors, HeartLands has added two new staff members: Shelli Bement as the Director of Finance and Administration, and Emily Kinard as a Project Specialist.
President & CEO, Mary Vandevord, who just wrapped up committee service on the Illinois Governor’s Transition Team, is excited about the changes. “Our 30th Anniversary gives us a chance to reflect on our three decades of accomplishments, as well as our challenges, and opens the door for a new decade for the organization,” Vandevord said. “We will be launching a few new initiatives in 2019, as well as continuing our long- standing partnerships with Metro East communities, Scott Air Force Base, and other partners.”
All of these changes ensure that HeartLands Conservancy’s conservation efforts in southwestern Illinois continue for the next 30 years and beyond.
ABOUT HEARTLANDS CONSERVANCY
HeartLands Conservancy, a nonprofit serving southwestern Illinois since 1989, is devoted to the conservation of open spaces, sustainable and environmentally friendly community planning, and engaging our neighbors with nature. We are investing in the nature of southwestern Illinois. Visit: www.HeartLandsConservancy.org for more information.
