Kittleman & Associates Assists Columbia Land Conservancy in President Search
September 10, 2020 – Chicago-based search firm Kittleman & Associates has placed Troy Weldy as the new president of Columbia Land Conservancy (CLC). He will succeed Peter Paden, who is retiring after 14 years leading the organization.
“We are delighted that Troy will be joining us,” said Mark A. Levy, chair of CLC’s board of trustees. “With his extensive background in conservation and land management, Troy is well suited to carry forward the work under our recently adopted strategic plan and to build on CLC’s many successes as a national leader in the land trust community.”
For over 20 years, Mr. Weldy has held leadership roles with The Nature Conservancy at the state and North American levels, working closely with government agencies and partners. Most recently, he was director of lands at The Nature Conservancy of New York. Mr. Weldy has been responsible for the organization’s conservation strategies, natural climate solutions, land management, land stewardship and land protection activities.
In previous roles with The Nature Conservancy, Mr. Weldy served as North American director, guided the Eastern New York chapter’s reorganization and led the business development of a new forest carbon program. Mr. Weldy’s extensive involvement in the conservation community has also included serving on the boards of the New York Flora Association and the Invasive Plant Council of New York State as well as authoring numerous technical reports, journal articles and other publications.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to lead the Columbia Land Conservancy,” said Mr. Weldy. “I am looking forward to working with our staff, trustees and partners to inspire our community to more deeply connect with, care about and protect the natural world.”
The Columbia Land Conservancy works with the community to conserve the farmland, forests, wildlife habitat and rural character of Columbia County, strengthening connections between people and the land. Since its founding in 1986, the organization has conserved more than 30,000 acres of farmland, forests and wildlife habitat to ensure clean air and water, healthy ecosystems, a strong agricultural sector and a rich variety of outdoor recreational opportunities.
Serving Non-Profits
Kittleman & Associates, established in 1963, is one of the nation’s oldest executive recruitment firms exclusively serving non-profit organizations. Search services include recruitment counsel, organizational assessment, development of position specifications, prospect research, source identification, candidate development, background assessment and verification, reference checking, offer preparation and transition assistance.
The firm has led searches for the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN), Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation, Space Center Houston, Paws With a Cause, Indiana Historical Society and Community Foundation for Muskegon County.
The Decade Ahead for Non-Profits: Great Pressure, Transformation and Big Impact on Talent
It’s the turn of a new decade, and several social, technological, economic and political forces promise to shape the future of the non-profit sector. Some are already in play–or have been for some time –and are already challenging non-profit organizations.
These ingredients have the potential to fundamentally transform the sector, says James Abruzzo, global non-profit practice leader at DHR International. “A convergence of these factors will alter the landscape, necessitating a major shift in the way non-profit organizations operate,” he said. How talent is sourced and recruited, already a major challenge across the sector, will also undergo a radical shift.
“We work closely with our client organizations to bring candidates with varying points of views and life experiences to the search process,” the firm said. “We hire staff that reflects the broad diversity of our community and that of our client organizations. We retain a diverse group of product and service vendors and we strive to select vendors who are committed to promoting a diverse workplace.”
Cory King, president and CEO, leads Kittleman’s search practice as well as the overall management of the firm. He focuses on CEO searches across the non-profit sector, with a particular emphasis in social services, grantmaking foundations, cultural institutions and conservation organizations. Mr. King has been in the non-profit sector since 1998 and brings executive-level experience in higher education, healthcare and social services.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
