By Maria Saporta
Katherine Moore, who has worked for the Georgia Conservancy for 11 years, has been selected to be the nonprofit’s new president. She will succeed Bart Gobeil in that role on Oct. 1.
Most recently, Moore has been serving as the Georgia Conservancy’s vice president of programs and as its director of sustainable growth.
The board of the Georgia Conservancy made the announcement on Thursday at mid-day in a press release.
“The future of the Georgia Conservancy under Katherine’s leadership could not look brighter,” Gobeil said in a statement. “We have recently held two of the most successful fundraisers in our organization’s history, general membership continues to grow in strength, and our advocacy and fieldwork continue to shape the future of this great state with such initiatives as ‘Georgia Now and Forever’.”
Gobeil went on to say that the organization has “successfully implemented key administrative processes that have increased organizational efficiencies and governance” so the environmental nonprofit “is primed for another 50 years of impactful work.”
Gobeil will be stepping down at the end of September, and the Georgia Conservancy will begin to develop a new five-year strategic plan under Moore’s leadership.
“The Board of Trustees extends its thanks to Bart for his tremendous leadership, as he has positioned the organization for a successful transition into a new strategic plan,” said Dr. Mark Berry, chair of the Georgia Conservancy’s board. “During this important period of growth, we couldn’t be more excited to welcome Katherine Moore into this new role. In her more than a decade at the Georgia Conservancy, she has proven herself as a visionary leader in meeting many of our state’s most pressing conservation and sustainability challenges.”
Moore has worked in the fields of community development and environmental conservation for more than 20 years, including 12 years in the private sector as a planner and the past 11 years with the Georgia Conservancy.
As vice president of programs, Moore has been responsible for the strategic direction of five areas of focus, including land conservation and advocacy.
And as director of the sustainable growth program, Moore has provided training, technical expertise and community engagement services on the topics of resiliency and planning.
Under her leadership, the program has worked with dozens of communities across Georgia, as well as nationally, and has put new emphasis on the opportunities within housing choice, small town stabilization, and redevelopment to increase community resilience.
“I look forward to serving as Georgia Conservancy’s next president and continuing to work with my colleagues, our board of trustees, and our partners to identify and act upon opportunities that will provide for a more conservation-focused and sustainable Georgia,” Moore said in the release. “The Georgia Conservancy continues to be uniquely positioned to advance conversations into actions and to serve our fellow Georgians, our precious natural resources, and the communities that we call home. I appreciate the support of the board and staff as our organization begins its next chapter.”
The next chapter will include the “Georgia Now and Forever” initiative, a statewide vision to ensure a healthy environment and the long-term quality of life for all Georgians in all geographies.
Central to the Georgia Conservancy’s strategic planning process, “Georgia Now and Forever” will incorporate historic land-use and demographic data to identify impacts to Georgia’s natural resources and our communities and will create opportunities for bold leadership and action to address current and future challenges.
“The seriousness of our times requires an honest exchange of thoughts, a humble perspective on our responsibilities toward our environment and an appreciation of the fragility of the resources we sometimes assume will be available and accessible tomorrow,” Moore said in the release.
“There exists every opportunity to ensure that the Georgia we enjoy now or would like to experience will be available to its future stewards,” Moore continued. “And I am excited by the role that the Georgia Conservancy will play in seizing these opportunities and leading these efforts.”
The Georgia Conservancy’s mission is to protect and conserve the state’s natural resources for both present and future generations through advocacy, engagement and collaboration.
The nonprofit was founded in 1967 to work on sound environmental policy, land conservation, a more sustainable built environment and outdoor stewardship by recognizing the connection between the economy, the environment and quality of life.
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