Four valued board members are reaching the end of their ten-year terms this summer. We asked each of them to reflect and share some thoughts about their time serving on the Sheriff’s Meadow board.
Chris Alley
We are all creatures of habit. The more chaotic the world becomes, the more we need and appreciate regular benchmarks in our lives. They give us security, perspective, anticipation, reference.
Five years ago, when I became president of Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation’s Board of Directors, Adam Moore and I decided to meet every Thursday morning at the Black Dog Café to discuss ongoing issues involving the organization. It was set up as a practical way for Adam and me to confer on current and planned projects, staffing, fundraising, event planning, and the myriad other issues that he attends to. It served its purpose and evolved into more. When Brien O’Brien succeeded me as president of the board, neither Adam nor I had any intention of quitting what had become our weekly ritual. Our meetings continued to revolve around Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation issues but we also solved, and continue to solve, many of the world’s other problems from getting daughters into and through college and finding the perfect recipe for filé gumbo. Over the years we have been joined by many guests, invited or surprise; state officials, fellow board members, others in the Vineyard conservation scene, and the regular cast of Thursday morning Black Dog patrons. Our meeting has become a functional, purposeful, open agenda opportunity to actually get things accomplished.
Beyond that, I have grown to appreciate it as an oasis within my hectic week. I look forward to it, schedule around it, it breaks the week, and provides a regular touchstone in my life, and for this I thank Adam and all those who have joined us over the years. Though I cycle off of the board in June, the world still has many problems to be solved—and Adam still has many children to get through college—so we will continue to meet on Thursday mornings at 7:30. All are welcome to join us over a cup of coffee to discuss Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation, other Vineyard issues, and the world at large.
Susannah Bristol
While on the train from Boston heading down the Atlantic coast, I penned a few thoughts about my ten years serving on the board of Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation. The years have flown by, and, during that decade, Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation has evolved into a conservation organization of national renown stature. Readers of our publications anticipate the thoughtful writing of our Executive Director, and if Adam Moore were in my seat this afternoon, he would describe the raging nor’easter outside the train windows and how the train tracks might include iron ore similar to that found in the bogs located near Cedar Tree Neck. He would comment on the sturdy osprey nest by the tracks which resembles a similar nest found on Quansoo. The very specific observations we have come to revere in Adam’s writing reflect the breadth of Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation’s ever-increasing presence as the largest island land trust.
During my years serving on the Board, Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation has more than flourished. Green Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation signs blanket the island and demonstrate what a varied and comprehensive land trust Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation has become. The ever-increasing sites to hike and visit are enriched with Director of Stewardship, Kristen Geagan’s discoveries of rare species that populate the island.
Notable projects have included: strategic plans, Land Trust accreditation, a vastly increased and committed donor base, and remarkable additions to our universe of properties. It has been an inspiration to work with Adam, his professional staff, and the dedicated board of directors. All bring a range of talent, hard work and humor to our organization. Appreciative of how this organization has expanded my Vineyard horizons, I sense the Island will continue to benefit from the vision and stewardship of Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation.
Kathy Ham
I joined the Board of Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation in 1995, and served for several years. Back then, the Board was much smaller, made up almost entirely of Island tradespeople and it was significantly less diverse and sophisticated than the Board of today. The Foundation did not yet have the benefit of the talents of Kristen Geagan, a lifelong Islander with a gift for expertly identifying, cataloging and monitoring rare and/or indigenous vegetation, nor the technology to fully appreciate the unique attributes and variety of the spectacular sites preserved over the years by Foundation efforts. Bill Bridwell, the Foundation’s able property manager, may be the only remaining Foundation employee from that era. When asked to join again in 2009, I was happy to oblige, and only hoped that my background in real estate law would be of some service during my tenure. I am grateful to have served, to have had the opportunity to participate in the dialogue as the needs and challenges of the Foundation have evolved, and to have met the insightful and dedicated people who have served alongside me.
Bill Maloney
In 1993, I joined the Board of the Jackson Hole Land Trust and had no idea that I would continue to serve on land trust boards for 27 consecutive years. During a dinner on Martha’s Vineyard in 2001, a then Board Member of Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation discovered that I had land trust experience. I got a call the next day asking me to join the Sheriff’s Meadow Board. I served on the Board for seven years and was invited to rejoin the Board again in 2010. It has been a very rewarding ride. During my first term on the Board, I was asked to compare the Foundation to Jackson Hole, which was regarded as one of the top half dozen land trusts in the country. There was no comparison at that time. Since 2010, I’ve had the pleasure of watching Sheriff’s Meadow evolve into one of the most respected land trusts in the country. The Foundation’s work has been a major contributor to preserving and enhancing the beautiful landscape of the Vineyard and providing the public with opportunities to recreate on our many properties and our extensive trail systems. Absent the work of Sheriff’s Meadow, Martha’s Vineyard would have a far different look and character.