Nomination Statement for Mountains & Plains Region Candidate
Curt Gleaves

I am honored to have been nominated for the Mountains & Plains position on the Terrafirma Members Committee and hope to be elected to serve as a representative of land trusts in the middle of the country.  I believe that Terrafirma represents just the latest innovation of the Land Trust Alliance in bringing state-of-the-art business practices to the conservation of land.  It is important that Terrafirma be operated in a manner that is responsive to the needs of its members, in compliance with applicable corporate and tax regulations and in a financially prudent manner.  It needs to follow “best practices” in its own business operations and to encourage its members to adopt practices that mitigate risk and potential claims.

In addition to representing and serving as a liaison for members from the mountains & plains region, I feel that I can bring extensive business acumen to service on the Members Committee. 

I practiced corporate law in Portland, Oregon for over 25 years representing business from start-up high-tech companies to publicly-traded companies including two insurance companies.  I also served as my law firm’s chief financial officer overseeing accounting, risk management and tax compliance matters.  I have represented or served as an officer or director of more than 50 non-profit organizations including initial 501(c)(3) applications, preparation and filing of Form 990s and formation of corporate governance policies.  I have frequently served as the treasurer or chief financial officer of non-profit organizations and through my current firm, Chapin Financial Management, continue to do so.  These duties have included the establishment of accounting systems, tax filings, formation of investment policies and overseeing of investments and investment managers.

With the Estes Valley Land Trust I have served as a volunteer easement monitor, board member and a member of our legal committee.  As a member of our legal committee I have been involved in the drafting of easements and amendments and the resolution of violations or potential violations.  I also serve as our treasurer and a member of our finance and investment committee.  We are moving toward a structure where our stewardship and legal defense costs are fully funded by the investment returns from board designated funds.  These funds are invested prudently in mutual funds that generate returns at or above their benchmarks with very low management fees.

Thank you for your consideration.