The Board of Directors of the Tejon Ranch Conservancy, one of the
West’s largest and most significant land trusts, announced today that Robert J.
Reid is the new president and CEO of the Conservancy.
Since its founding in 2008, under a groundbreaking
conservation agreement, the Conservancy has created a range of programs for
conservation, science and public access on the 240,000 acres of the Tejon Ranch
set aside for conservation. Reid will lead the nonprofit organization as it seeks
to expand those programs at Tejon Ranch, which is located at the southern end
of the San Joaquin valley.
“I am honored to join the Conservancy and build on its past
accomplishments while strategically guiding the organization as it grows,” said
Reid. “The Conservancy is protecting and sustaining one of California’s most
remarkable landscapes. Tejon Ranch is one of the West’s last great places and an
ecological treasure that many can experience and learn from.”
Reid brings experience in organizational development,
conservation, land trust management and communications to his new position. Prior
to joining the Tejon Ranch Conservancy, he served as the chief development and communications
officer of the Catalina Island Conservancy where, as a member of the Executive
Team, he focused on expanding the base of the organization through membership,
major gifts and program support.
“After seven years devoted to establishing the Tejon Ranch Conservancy
and its core programs, we are excited by the demonstrated potential that Bob
Reid brings for growth in programs, in geographic range and in institutional
support,” said Tejon Ranch Conservancy Board Chairman Joel Reynolds, the
Natural Resources Defense Council’s western director
and senior attorney. “His
vision and success on Catalina Island reflect the leadership qualities needed
to enable this unique land trust to thrive in fulfilling its conservation
mission at Tejon Ranch.”
Among other accomplishments at the Catalina Island
Conservancy, Reid secured funding for Trekking Catalina: A Master Trails plan, and
NatureWorks, a partnership with Long Beach Unified School District to enhance
learning through environmental experiences. He also launched a new magazine for
the Conservancy. Previously, he served as Los Angeles director of The Trust for
Public Land, and he is past chairman of the board of the Los Angeles Neighborhood
Land Trust, a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening neighborhoods
through the creation of parks and public gardens.
“Conservation has always been at the heart of Tejon Ranch,
and our partnership with the Tejon Ranch Conservancy has taken that to the next
level,” said Tejon Ranch Co. President and CEO Gregory S. Bielli. “We
congratulate the Conservancy Board on finding such an experienced and capable
leader as Bob Reid. We look forward to increasing our joint cooperation and
partnership under his leadership.”
Reid replaces the Tejon Ranch Conservancy’s founding
Executive Director Tom Maloney who left the organization in June to advise the
National Audubon Society on its western lands program. Maloney guided the
Conservancy since its inception and, among other things, led the organization
to accreditation by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission; secured over
100,000 acres of conservation easements at Tejon Ranch (including a viewshed
easement for relocation of the Pacific Crest Trail through the heart of the
ranch), and helped develop the first Ranch-Wide Management Plan, a blueprint
for protecting and restoring the Ranch’s native biodiversity and ecosystem. He is
continuing his association with the Conservancy as a senior fellow.
