In November 2021, Ellen Ferretti, former Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Tuesday was named executive director of the North Branch Land trust.
Ferretti succeeds Paul Lumia, who served as the North Branch Land Trust’s executive director for the last 14 years.
“I am honored to join the North Branch Land Trust and help shape conservation strategy and land and water protection in this region,” Ferretti said. “Having grown up in this part of Pennsylvania, coming back to this land trust with this mission has special meaning to me, and I am thrilled to be home. I look forward to building on Paul’s accomplishments and working with the dedicated staff, board, and community partners who are committed to protecting the precious lands and waters of Northeastern Pennsylvania.”
The Board of Directors of the North Branch Land Trust announced Ferretti’s appointment, concluding a comprehensive search process conducted by the NBLT’s Executive Director Search Committee.
“Our board of directors is thrilled to welcome Ellen Ferretti to the North Branch Land Trust,” said board chair Christina Taylor. “Ellen has a track record of conservation success wherever she goes. She has a demonstrated ability to forge strong partnerships, build effective teams and execute complex land transactions. She brings a steadfast personal commitment to land conservation and deep connections in land trust communities across the northeast. We are excited that she has decided to move back home to Northeastern Pennsylvania and confident that she will continue to advance the North Branch Land Trust’s conservation initiatives throughout the region.”
Since 2016, Ferretti has served as Director of the Brandywine Conservancy in Chadds Ford in southeastern Pennsylvania. In this role, she oversaw a team of 25 people, 490 easements and 6 preserves throughout southeastern and southwestern Pennsylvania, all engaged in vibrant land conservation, stewardship and municipal assistance projects and programs.
Prior to this appointment, Ferretti served as Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources as well as Northeast Regional Director of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council. She holds a B.A. in Environmental Science from Wilkes University.
During Lumia’s tenure, the Land Trust permanently protected more than 15,000 acres and grew into a regional conservation leader. Today, the Land Trust is proud to oversee more than 70 conservation easements and 1,500 acres of preserves open to the public’s enjoyment.
“Ellen Ferretti is an exciting choice and I look forward to supporting her leadership of the North Branch Land Trust into the future,” Lumia said. “Ellen’s conservation expertise and dedication to protecting land will serve the North Branch Land Trust and the region well.”
Since 1994, operating as a non-profit, community-based land conservation organization, the North Branch Land Trust has worked diligently to conserve over 23,000 acres of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s natural lands and resources.
Beyond sustaining the area’s natural beauty, NBLT’s efforts improve the quality of life for everyone who lives in this region. From such projects as opening lands for public use and passive recreation, to improving water quality, to drawing in tourism, to promoting responsible development strategies, all residents benefit from land conservation.
An accredited member of the Land Trust Alliance, NBLT is one of more than 1,300 non-profit land trusts in the United States.
