Executive Director
Board of Trustees
Trustees
Volunteers
Peet Foster – Beekeeper
Trustees Emeriti
Ed Cosden
Linda Ferguson
Chris Filmer
Charlie Goodyear
Betty Jewett
Shirley Nichols
Quick Links
Support Us
Follow Us
Elizabeth moved to Darien in 2015 with her husband David and two sons. She is a native of Ithaca, NY and a 1992 graduate of Cornell University with a BS in Design and Environmental Analysis. Elizabeth practiced commercial interior design with the architectural firm Swanke Hayden Connell up to 2002, and has been very active in several school Parent Associations, including serving as Treasurer. She and her family spend part of the summer on Twin Lakes in Salisbury, CT and their 1766 home in Westbrook, CT that they have been restoring since 2002. In addition to interior design, Elizabeth enjoys graphic design, painting, gardening, walking their tireless 3-year-old lab and playing tennis. She and David have been members of the Darien Land Trust since 2015 and have enjoyed the annual Farm to Table Dinner.
Amy has lived in Darien for 21 years with her husband and two sons. Now President of the Board, Amy previously chaired the Outreach Committee, where she coordinated events to educate and inspire the community. Amy launched the Walk Your Land Trust series in collaboration with neighboring land trusts in New Canaan, Norwalk Stamford, and Wilton to broaden members’ understanding of our shared efforts to preserve land and improve its environmental value. Amy produced several video series with experts on conservation issues for the Land Trust website as well as a video series to celebrate the Land Trust’s 65th anniversary. A veteran magazine journalist, Amy now enjoys writing for regional magazines as a contributor to Moffly Media, writing for Stamford Magazine and Darien, New Canaan & Rowayton Magazine. She is a graduate of Connecticut College and the Radcliffe Publishing Course.
After many years in Manhattan, Julie and her husband were drawn to Darien’s natural beauty and its coastal waters and became Darien residents in 2011. Julie has spent over twenty years practicing private equity and hedge fund law. In 2020, she decided to pursue a lifelong desire to focus her time and attention on conservation. Julie serves on Darien’s Advisory Commission on Coastal Waters and heads the Commission’s contributions to Save the Sound’s Unified Water Study of Long Island Sound. In the fall of 2022, she completed a Graduate Certificate in Natural Resources Management and Sustainable Ecosystems from Harvard University. She also has degrees from Middlebury College, William and Mary School of Law, and Durham University in England. Julie can often be found hiking one of the many trails around the tri-state area, photographing nature, sailing on the Sound, traveling to far-flung locations around the globe, or enjoying the company of her husband and their two cats.
John joined the board of the Darien Land Trust in 2015. He served as Co-President for two years and as President from 2021-2022. John and his wife Dale have been residents of Darien for 20+ years where they have raised their three daughters, all Darien High School graduates. John has actively supported local organizations including Joshua House Fund, ABC in Darien, Darien EMS – Post 53 and the Fresh Air Fund. Appreciation for open space and the integration of natural habitats is driven by living earlier years in densely populated metropolitan areas.
Serena has lived in Darien since 1996 with her husband and four children, with a seven year interval in Boulder, CO, where she developed her passion for the outdoors and its preservation. In 2020, Serena was hired as the Development Advisor to the newly formed Lake Agawam Conservancy in Southampton, NY, a non-profit organization dedicated to reviving the lake, its watershed, and its surrounding ecosystems to protect human health and ecological vitality. Serena has considerable experience implementing the planting of bioswale gardens and looks forward to working with the Land Trust on new endeavors. Serena is currently earning a Certificate in Sustainability from UCLA which she hopes to complete in 2025.
Scott and his wife, Allison (a Darien native), have lived in town since 2011. They both love exploring nature and the local DLT properties with their two daughters and a pair of [always leashed!] golden retrievers. Scott is an avid outdoorsman and spends as much of his time as he can on the water locally, and on Martha’s Vineyard, both fishing and exploring new areas with his family and friends. He especially loves teaching his kids and their friends about the marine wildlife the Sound has to offer, with hands-on experiences (including tagging sharks for the National Marine Fisheries Service). Scott is a Founding Partner of DeepCurrents Investment Group, a Relative Value hedge fund in New York. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2004, and is a graduate of the Kent School.
Kevin and his wife Jyotsna have lived in Darien since 2018. They love sharing the outdoors with their two children, often observing bird and aquatic life on their pond. Kevin is active in Darien youth sports, coaching lacrosse and soccer. He currently runs an energy investment fund and previously held portfolio manager roles at Graham Capital and Taconic Capital Advisors. Kevin earned an MBA from Columbia Business School in 2010 and a BA in History from Connecticut College in 2001.
Emma has lived in Darien since 1996 with her husband and three children. Her childhood was spent in the beautiful landscapes of Cape Town. In South Africa, Emma saw how poor environmental policies can destroy pristine landscapes. This experience shaped her commitment to sustainability. Emma studied marketing at the Central College of Commerce in Glasgow, Scotland. She applied her organizational skills as a project manager in the banking sector, then transitioned to a role at Crate and Barrel, focusing on innovative design, merchandising and sustainability. Emma is passionate about preserving the environment for the next generation through active stewardship and community engagement.
Amy has lived in Darien since 1992 with her husband and three children. She has been active with the Parks & Recreation Commission and has served in various capacities for Person-to-Person, the Darien Nature Center, Tokeneke Club and local schools. Amy has 42 years of experience as a legal executive. As a Senior Managing Director at Hire Counsel, Amy works with the nation’s important legal departments and law firms on eDiscovery for large scale legal matters including insurance claims, construction litigations, antitrust, internal investigations, SEC investigations and EEO litigations. A passionate conservationist, Amy hopes to bring her skills to the Land Trust to advance their mission.
Kelly and her husband, Colin, were drawn to Darien because of its beautiful, diverse landscape, strong community appeal, and nostalgic summer memories spent with family in Coastal Connecticut. Colin and Kelly planted their roots in Darien during 2018 and lovingly restored a 1910 farmhouse a stone’s throw away from their favorite Darien Land Trust site, Olson Woods. Both Colin and Kelly have a deep passion for land conservation, protecting the environment and enjoying nature with their three children. Kelly loves that nature offers an abundance of recreational, educational and restorative opportunities which has led her to the Darien Land Trust. Kelly has a long-standing marketing career at Google.
Ron and his wife, Suzanne, have been residents of Darien since 2004 where they have raised their three children, all Darien High School graduates. Ron is a passionate conservationist, outdoorsman, sports enthusiast and community volunteer. Over 15 years, he coached multiple youth sports including football, baseball, softball and YMCA basketball. He and his family have been regular participants in the Feed My Starving Children program. He is a lifelong supporter of conservation activities to protect and preserve wildlife habitats. Ron is currently a software sales executive with a global technology company and has held prior leadership positions with American Express, Time Warner and WPP.
Berk and his wife, Susan, have been residents of Darien for 18+ years where they raised their three sons, all Darien High School graduates. Berk has nearly 30 years of experience managing the wealth of families and charitable organizations and is a Partner of Brown Advisory. He coached Darien youth league baseball and football teams for over a decade and was a member of the DJFL Board. Berk served on the Board of Boys Hope Girls Hope New York for ten years and is joining the Advisory Council for the Breast Cancer Alliance (Greenwich) in 2022. He enjoys camping and fishing and is a lifelong supporter of conservation organizations created to preserve and protect wildlife habitats and open space.
Sunil has lived in Darien since 2014 with his wife and two children. Since 2016, he has worked as founder and CEO of Proyash Capital Management. As an independent wealth manager using the Charles Schwab platform and a Certified Financial Planner, he develops and oversees relationships with high net worth individuals and small businesses. Sunil attended Cologne Business College in Germany and is fluent in German and Hindi. He earned his MBA from Thunderbird Business School in Arizona and is a chartered financial analyst. Sunil has been a frequent volunteer in stewardship and trail fixing at Selleck’s Woods and the DCA Bird Sanctuary. Sunil would like to make a difference in the community through his passion for nature preservation.
Caitlin has lived in Darien since 2008 with her husband and two daughters. She has served in volunteer capacities for OPUS, Person-to-Person, Tiny Miracles Foundation, the OxRidge PTO and on the Strategic Planning Committee for the YWCA. A business management major from Pine Manor College, Caitlin’s career included marketing and management positions. She served as Director of Marketing and Communications for the Washington DC Chamber of Commerce and later as Executive Director for Fundraising and Public Relations for Community Counseling Services in Washington, DC and NYC. Her most recent position was Deputy Executive Director at the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Caitlin would like to fortify the mission of the DLT with her skills in development and marketing. She is passionate about the urgent need to conserve our most precious resource, nature, at a time of rapid change and development, and to protect land from development.
In 2024, the Darien Land Trust was excited to welcome Juliet Cain as an Adviser. In her role, Juliet will guide the Land Trust on expansion and enhancement of meadows and woodlands on its properties using native plants, shrubs and trees, assist with formulation and management of long-term goals and objectives, and advise generally on stewardship best practices.
Juliet has been a resident of Darien for almost 20 years. Since retiring from the practice of law in New York City in 2012, she has focused on environmental issues. She is a cofounder of the Darien Pollinator Pathway which seeks, through events and publications as well as through advocacy at the state and local level, to eliminate the use of pesticides in our yards and public spaces, and to restore pollinator populations with native plantings. The DPP has helped create native gardens for residents and, with grant funding, has undertaken several native tree plantings in town.
Juliet served on the Policy on Resilient Forests for CT’s Future (the PRFCT Future) working group 2021 – 2022 and on the CT GC3 Climate Smart Agriculture & Forestry working group in 2022. She was Chair of the Conservation Committee of the Garden Club of Darien and Zone Representative for the Conservation Committee of the Garden Club of America 2020 – 2022. As former Chair of the Darien Beautification Commission, Juliet spearheaded the native plantings on the slopes at the Darien Town Hall. Juliet is an accredited organic land care professional certified by CT Northeast Organic Farming Association.
Laney has lived in New Canaan for 25 years where she and her husband raised their triplets. She recently retired from a career in investment banking and asset management, having worked at JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank. With more time for her passion for photography, Laney has recently donated her talents to the Darien Land Trust and the New Canaan Land Trust, where she was the official photographer for the 2020 New Canaan Sculpture Trail. She is also the volunteer coordinator for Food Rescue US/Fairfield County.
Nicole has lived in Darien for six years and has also worked in town for eight. She is editor-in-chief; media/government relations director for Friends of Animals, an international animal advocacy group. She brings 18 years of journalism experience to FoA’s Action Line magazine and to the front lines—protesting and documenting atrocities against animals. Nicole also helps direct FoA’s legislative outreach. She enjoys horseback riding at New Canaan Mounted Troop, photography, wildlife watching and wild places, especially the properties protected by the Darien Land Trust. She has recently become a volunteer photographer for the DLT.
