PORT TOWNSEND — A new leader, but one well-known to those who have worked with the Jefferson Land Trust, soon will take over the agency.
The board of directors for Jefferson County’s nonprofit land conservation agency has hired Sarah Spaeth, currently serving as the trust’s conservation director, to take over as executive director on April 15.
Spaeth is replacing Heidi Eisenhour, who has worked as the top administrator for the trust for 2¬½ years.
Eisenhour is stepping into a part-time position as the agency’s development director so that she can work part-time in the sculpture business owned by her husband, David Eisenhour.
“Directing Jefferson Land Trust was my dream job, and the past two years I lived that dream,” Eisenhour said. “Now the needs of my family have come into focus.”
Spaeth has worked at Jefferson Land Trust since 1996, when she began as a half-time project coordinator for the North Quimper Peninsula Wildlife Corridor.
Spaeth has the longest history at the trust of any staff member.
“I’m going to step in and continue to oversee our projects,” Spaeth said.
“Heidi has been an excellent executive director for two years, so much of it will be business as usual moving forward.”
Eisenhour said she is taking a step back from her role as the head of the trust but not from the agency as a whole.
“This is the perfect solution for me and for the land trust,” she said.
“Sarah has pretty much been the backbone of the land trust for the past 12 years, so she’s perfect.
“I will take a part-time role and be able to help my husband.”
During Eisenhour’s two-year tenure as executive director, JLT has worked with conservation partners to develop innovative models such as Jefferson LandWorks Collaborative, engaged the community in a long-range conservation planning process and become one of the first land trusts in the nation to apply for professional accreditation.
Spaeth said she hoped to continue the trust’s work in partnerships with others in the community, continue to listen to the community needs for land preservation and keep up the work on current projects.
The trust’s projects include the health of chum in Chimacum Creek, the preservation of historic Glendale Farm in Chimacum and the acquisition of land in the Quimper Wildlife Corridor along Port Townsend’s flood plain.
Grew up in Northwest
Spaeth grew up in the Northwest, in Seattle and the San Juan Islands.
She received her undergraduate degree in marine biology from Western Washington University and a graduate degree in coastal zone management from the School of Marine Affairs at the University of Washington.
Prior to working at Jefferson Land Trust, she worked as a marine consultant and with the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, and she had a long career in baking and cooking on natural history charter boats in southeast Alaska.
“I have watched Jefferson Land Trust evolve into an effective, successful community organization,” Spaeth said, “and I am honored to step into the role of executive director.”
“We are fortunate that Heidi is willing to continue sharing her skills and knowledge of the community as our development director,” said Owen Fairbank, president of trust’s board of directors, “and it seems particularly fitting that Sarah Spaeth has agreed to take over as executive director.
“Sarah is well-known and respected for her creative, wide-ranging and collaborative work with landowners, agency professionals, governments and many others.”
Jefferson Land Trust has conserved or actively stewards 7,865 acres of open space, working lands and habitat in Jefferson County.
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Reporter Erik Hidle can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at erik.hidle@peninsuladailynews.com.
