Katie Pace
Executive Director
C: 828.329.2988
Katie assumes the role after most recently serving as the Marketing & Communications Officer with MAP International, a top ranked global Christian health and relief organization www.map.org.
“Katie was chosen from a strong field of exceptional candidates because of her extensive marketing and fundraising background, as well as a passion for land preservation in our communities. We are confident that she will lead the Southern Conservation Trust in protecting new land and developing environmentally sound programs and initiatives in the many communities we serve,” said Tami Morris, Board Chairman.
While at MAP, Pace managed programs and processes internationally and saw firsthand how local conditions affected the quality of life for individuals and communities. Her global-local perspective and strong desire to make a difference at home are a good fit for SCT as it begins an anticipated rise in land protection for individual and organizational land owners, said Morris.
“I’m honored to be selected by the SCT Board as the new Executive Director.” said Pace. ” I’m excited for the opportunity to work with the amazing communities where we protect land, wildlife and vital water sources to ensure they are around for many years to come. I look forward to building upon the strong foundation already established in Fayette County and the surrounding areas. My goal is to increase the protection and education of land, wildlife, and water conservation in the Southern Crescent that the Southern Conservation Trust is able to protect in the great state of Georgia,” said Pace.
A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Pace has 10 years of experience in the nonprofit world focused on marketing, branding, digital engagement, fundraising, writing, and humanitarian photography. Katie lives in Sharpsburg, Georgia with her husband Tom, two dogs, and three cats.
Nick Kilburg
Director of Conservation and Outdoor Education
C: 770.855.4772 E: nick@sctlandtrust.org
Bio coming soon!
Elizabeth Hall-Dukin
Assistant Director of Development
C: 561.632.3228 E: elizabeth@sctlandtrust.org
Elizabeth recently moved to Georgia from the Catskills region of Upstate New York, where she worked closely with the public and non-profit organizations to create community programming for the Mountaintop.
A graduate of the City College of New York and Rutgers University, Elizabeth holds degrees in both Museum Studies and Non Profit Management. She lives in Senoia with her husband, beagle, and possibly some zombies.
Matthew Ivey
Field Biologist & Land Steward
E: matthew@sctlandtrust.org
Matthew was born in Marietta, Georgia and raised in central Mississippi. His passion for wildlife began at a very young age and has continued throughout his education and professional career. During his undergraduate years he pursued a career in wildlife biology, including two summer stays as an intern and full-time zookeeper in Birmingham, Alabama. However, he decided ecology and wildlife conservation research better suited his interests. He answered the call to further his education and took on a graduate research assistantship at Mississippi State University in 2016. For the last two years he has researched feral swine and their effects on native wildlife in Mississippi. During his thesis research he honed his skills in geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and wildlife management. His projects include: GPS collar deployment on feral swine, remote camera trapping to monitor species richness, and assessing crop damage caused by feral swine. Upon the completion of his thesis, Matthew moved back to Georgia with his soon-to-be wife and their boxer Sully.
Our Board
Meredith Martin
Board Chair
Fayette County
Southern Crescent Management Group
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Jim Washburn
Vice Chair
Fayette County Director of Business Development, The Cadence Group
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Robert Black
Dan Cupertino
Treasurer
Fayette County
National Sales Director, Frontier Asset Management
Jerry Peterson
Land Committee,
Architect and Land Planner, Peterson Planning
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Jim Qualls
Fayette County
Realtor, Hathaway Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices
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Brian Cooper
Fayette County
VP of Operations, Pinewood Atlanta Studios
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Michelle Sawyer HamnerAtlanta Audubon Society
Randy Cardoza
Coweta County
Principle at Cardoza Consulting
Dr. Tami Randhal Morris
Past Board Chair
Fayette County
Retired Assistant Professor, University of West Georgia
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Daniel Lentz
Fulton County
Director of Corporate Relations, Technology Association of Georgia
Rich Cocos
Retired Regional Vice President
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