Tammara Van Ryn, Executive Director

Tammara Van Ryn is the founding executive director of the Land Trust Accreditation Commisssion. Van Ryn brings a deep knowledge of land conservation and Land Trust Standards and Practices to the position and extraordinary skills in managing complex projects, honed through 20 years in the field. Prior to joining the Commission, she was the director of Standards and Research for the Land Trust Alliance and previously served as the policy director of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests as well as working as a forester.

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Phone: 518-587-3143, ext. 210 

 Jennifer Brady-Connor, Program Manager

Jennifer Brady-Connor joined the Commission in March 2008. Previously she worked for the Land Trust Alliance Standards and Research program, assisting in the research and program design that led to the development of the current land trust accreditation program. As program coordinator for the Alliance’s Northeast Program, Jennifer provided technical assistance to land trusts across New York while promoting and administering the NYS Conservation Partnership Program. While working for the Saratoga Land Conservancy (now Saratoga P.L.A.N.) for many years, Jennifer was involved in all aspects of land trust management with a focus on developing promotional materials, workshops and events to support wetland and land conservation in Saratoga County, NY. She has served as board chair of the New York State Wetlands Forum and has held many other volunteer leadership positions within the land conservation community.

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Phone: 518-587-3143, ext. 209

Melissa Kalvestrand, Review Manager

Melissa Kalvestrand joined the Commission in November 2009. Previously, she worked at The Nature Conservancy to develop key ecological indicators for the Hudson River adaptive management plan. She also collected data to assess the success of invasive species reduction programs. Melissa earned her Master’s degree in Biodiversity, Conservation and Policy from the University at Albany in December 2009. Her thesis work examined how land use impacts water quality. Melissa also spent six years as a wetland scientist, where she completed wetland delineations, prepared environmental permits and collaborated with engineers and clients to devise solutions to avoid, minimize and mitigate wetland impacts.

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Phone: 518-587-3143, ext. 214

Lindsay Blair, Program Associate

Lindsay Blair came to the Commission in August of 2011 with several years of experience as an event coordinator and administrative assistant. She has a strong interest in community development around the preservation of natural resources and earned a BS degree in Plant and Soil Sciences/Sustainable Landscape Horticulture from the University of Vermont. Lindsay previously worked on plant assessment and mapping at the Queens Botanical Gardens and will be responsible for office administrative tasks, scheduling review team and applicant calls and coordinating Commission meetings.

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Phone: 518-587-3143, ext. 213

Greg Good, Review Specialist

Greg Good has an educational background and experience in the fields of environmental science, regional planning, natural resources management and finance. He began his land conservation career as a Colorado Conservation Trust fellow with Larimer County Open Lands then became the deputy director of Orient Land Trust in Colorado. As the former executive director of North Olympic Land Trust in Washington, Good became familiar with accreditation as while leading that organization through the process..

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Phone: 518-587-3143, ext. 211

Valerie Roof, Review Specialist

Before joining the Commission in January 2012, Valerie Roof served as executive director of the Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy in Michigan. Prior to that she served in various roles with the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, Alliance for Bay County Schools, United Way, and VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America). Valerie has an extensive background in non-profit organizations through her work as a consultant and facilitator with Crystal Planning Solutions, serving on the boards of several nonprofits, as well as serving on the board of a private foundation. Her educational background includes a master’s degree in quality management. She served as a senior examiner for the State Quality Leadership Award through the Michigan Quality Council and was a mediator and a trainer for 10 years.

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Phone: 518-587-3143, ext. 212