Nomination Statement for Great Lakes Region Candidate
Ross Satterwhite

Having been involved with conservation for nine years now, I am very interested in supporting land protection, not only in my home state of Michigan, but broadly across the U.S. I am accepting the nomination to serve on the Members Committee as perhaps my business expertise, financial skills and analytical capabilities can be helpful to Terrafirma and the Members Committee's efforts to manage the organization and keep it strong. I have broad business development and management experience which may be relevant, and also a solid understanding of conservation practices, the various methods of land protection, and the legal issues that can arise from those activities. I also have experience with business and real estate related litigation, and a sense for looking at businesses and situations from a risk-management perspective. Perhaps this background can be helpful.

On a personal level, I am an ethical person with an open mind who enjoys working collaboratively with others. I am easy going, pragmatic, good at problem solving, and have reasoned judgement. I tend to synthesize complex issues down into their fundamental constructs and like to think creatively about situations. One of the things I enjoy most about my involvement with the Leelanau Conservancy are the relationships, interactions, energy (and lots of humor) that come from working with a very talented board and staff team.

It’s clear the protection defense resources Terrafirma provides its member land trusts is a critical aspect of ensuring the permanency of protected lands. If elected to the Members Committee, I would be happy to assist these efforts in any way I can.

Thank you.