The Board of Directors of the Mount Desert Land & Garden Preserve welcomed four new directors and elected a new slate of officers at their August meeting.
Incoming board directors are Camilla Rockefeller, Story Litchfield, Vassar Pierce, and Eric Lindquist.
Kate Macko was voted in as the new board chair, succeeding Sam McGee who served in that role since 2018. Eileen Growald became the new vice chair, and Will Thorndike continued in his role as treasurer.
“The lands and gardens of the Preserve have been important to me since I was very young,” said Kate Macko. “I remember thinking they were magical then, and I still do now. It is a true honor to take on this board role, and I look forward to our continued, shared stewardship of these special places on MDI.”
Sam McGee added, “I am so pleased with these timely leadership changes and look forward to continuing to serve with these talented, appropriate additions to the Preserve’s Board – further strengthening our organization as we live out our mission to steward and share our precious lands and gardens.”
The board also acknowledged departing director Sheldon Goldthwait who served on the board since 2000 through the Preserve’s organizational evolution, holding the roles of Treasurer as well as participating on the Audit, Executive, and Governance Committees and Personnel subcommittee. The board recognized Sheldon’s thoughtful efforts developing organizational frameworks, his valuable knowledge of historical context, and his commendable volunteer work with the trails crew to maintain the hiking trails at the Preserve.
The Land & Garden Preserve is a nonprofit organization located in Seal Harbor and Northeast Harbor, Maine. The mission of the Preserve is sharing the beauty of historic lands and gardens on Mount Desert Island. The Preserve manages the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden, Asticou Azalea Garden, and Thuya Garden, as well as Little Long Pond and over 1,000 acres of natural lands.
