The Commission is honored to announce that Harry Pollack and Becky Thornton have joined the board of commissioners. The Commission is governed by a diverse board of 19 volunteer commissioners involved in land conservation around the country. Harry and Becky bring with them years of knowledge and expertise in land protection.

Harry Pollack
Harry retired in 2022 as General Counsel at the accredited Save the Redwoods League, based in San Francisco. In that role, Harry was responsible for anticipating, identifying and evaluating legal risks and analyzing legal issues, negotiating and drafting the League's land conservation and general business contracts, and assuring legal compliance. Harry worked with and supported each staff member to enable them to better accomplish their work while serving as a member of the leadership team and advising the Board of Directors. Prior to the League, Harry had a private law practice representing land trusts throughout the State of California.

Harry continues to advise Save the Redwoods League as an outside counsel. He also volunteers on the Board of Directors of the California Council of Land Trusts and on its policy committee. His prior roles with Land Trust Alliance include serving as a (board) Member of Terrafirma, on the Standards (and Practices) Advisory Team, and the Legal Defense Advisory Council.

Harry lives in Berkeley, California with his wife Joanne; they very much enjoy having their two daughters, their partners and grandchild also living in the SF Bay Area. Hiking and biking in the beautiful hills of the East Bay and Marin County are Harry's favorite, routine outdoor activities.

Becky Thornton
Becky is the President/CEO of the accredited Dutchess Land Conservancy in New York. She is a dedicated conservationist who is passionate about her work and about the DLC's mission. When she first joined the DLC team in 1989, she loved the idea of working for a grassroots organization that was building momentum during a time when conservation wasn't well known. At that time 2,500 acres had been protected; today, the DLC has preserved over 46,000 acres of land.

Becky has had the pleasure of working with hundreds of landowners to plan for and preserve their land, negotiating hundreds of conservation deals, and helping to raise millions of dollars to protect working farms and public conservation land. Her love for the outdoors, her deep sense of commitment, and care for the people she works with, combined with her background, give her a unique perspective that helps connect people with the importance of land.

Becky proudly served on the Terrafirma Members Committee, and its Advisory Council, is a member/past Chairman/Vice Chairman of the Land Trust Alliance New York Advisory Council, and has served on a number of other boards and committees throughout the years.

You can often hear Becky say that she loves her job because she can feel good about her work, every day, as she heads home.

Thank You

We would like to thank Jamie Brown for his dedicated service to the Commission. His wisdom, guidance and leadership will be missed. Learn more about Jamie and his time serving on the Commission.