Staff

Executive Director: Jeff Darlington

The Placer Land Trust Executive Director manages our land protection efforts including fund-raising, membership, acquisitions, outreach, and operations. Hired in May 2002, Jeff is the first Executive Director of Placer Land Trust and has dramatically increased the pace of land conservation for the Trust.

Jeff grew up in Auburn and is the 4th generation of his family to reside in Placer County. His great-grandparents settled in Penryn in the 1920s, and his family has resided in Auburn since then. He lives in Auburn with his wife Christa and their sons Connell, Paul and Spencer.

Jeff is a graduate of Placer High School and has a BA in History with a Minor in Geography from the University of California, Berkeley. He came to Placer Land Trust from the Mono Lake Committee, a highly successful nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to the preservation of the Mono Lake Basin in the Eastern Sierras. Prior to that he worked for Electronic Data Systems in Rancho Cordova, First Health Services in Alaska, the California Department of Conservation, and two Northern California outdoor news publications (Western Outdoor News and Fishing & Hunting News) based in Sacramento. He is also a freelance writer and has been published in several regional and national publications.  Jeff currently serves as the President of the Sierra Cascade Land Trust Council.

I feel honored to spend my days working to preserve the wonderful landscape of Placer County, a place where I have fond memories of growing up. Many of the places where I used to hike or fish are now sadly diminished, or even paved over. But we have the chance to save this beautiful place by acting now to preserve the natural areas and family farms and ranches that together make this County the best place on earth.

Assistant Director: Jessica Daugherty

The Assistant Director assists the Executive Director in implementing the programs and operations of the organization.  This includes implementing policies, strategic conservation planning, completing land acquisitions, and assisting the Executive Director.  Jessica Daugherty was hired as our second staff person in June 2005. In 2010, she received a promotion to the newly created position of Assistant Director.

Raised in rural Georgetown, Jessica spent over 18 years in the foothills of Placer and El Dorado Counties. Jessica has a B.A. in Geography and a minor in Political Science from Humboldt State University. Prior to joining Placer Land Trust, she spent time in the field working for the El Dorado National Forest, Blodgett Experimental Forest (a research station managed by UC Berkeley), and Simpson Timber Company. Jessica has spent the majority of her professional career in project management and community development in the public, private and non-profit sectors. Avid climbers and skiers, Jessica and her husband Josh live in Georgetown with their son Wyatt.

Jessica currently serves as a member of the Placer County Conservation Plan (PCCP) Biological Working Group and is a board member alternate for the Pacific Forest Watershed Lands Stewardship Council and serves on their Watershed Planning Committee and Forestry Working Group.

Growing up with the outdoors at my front door, as well as working in the local forests as a kid, I learned to greatly appreciate open space. I am very excited to have the opportunity to work with Placer Land Trust to ensure that conservation and open space remain a balanced focal point during such a pivotal time of growth and development in Northern California. I couldn't be happier for the opportunity to balance my professional life with my love for the outdoors.

Community Relations Manager: Karrie Thomas

The Community Relations Manager is responsible for developing relationships and raising funds to support our operations, programs and overall mission. Karrie Thomas was hired in November 2008.

Karrie grew up in New Hampshire before beginning a westward journey that landed her in California in 2000. She graduated from Colorado College with a BA in Anthropology and then spent five years managing organic farms in Washington state and California. In an effort to broaden her professional skill set, she began working for the Community Alliance with Family Farmers while her husband went to graduate school. She has been managing programs and raising funds for non-profits ever since.

Karrie and her husband, Culley, are passionate whitewater kayakers and back-country skiers. They live in Folsom with their son Finn.

While farming outside of Seattle, we watched the sprawl spill over the hill, threatening to cover our valley with houses in place of fields . The urgency of open space and agricultural land protection really hit home. Now that I live and play in the Sierra foothill s, I am thrilled to be part of the team at Placer Land Trust helping preserve the places I love close to home.    

Stewardship Manager: Jeff Ward

The Stewardship Manager oversees our stewardship program which includes monitoring the conservation and

agricultural easements, and managing lands owned by Placer Land Trust.  The Stewardship Manager coordinates restoration and enhancement projects on our preserves, leads preserve tours, and works with community volunteers to ensure that our preserves are protected for future generations. Jeff Ward was hired in November 2008 after serving a year as our Stewardship Assistant.

Jeff was raised in Baltimore, MD where he spent time exploring natural communities, camping, hiking, and playing music. He spent six years pursuing a career as a musician in southern California before deciding to get back in touch with nature. He moved to Florida to get a degree in the environmental field. Jeff earned a BA in Environmental Studies with a focus in Ecology from Florida Gulf Coast University.  He then interned at the City of Cape Coral and Estero Bay Preserve State Park working on invasive species management projects. He lives in Sacramento with his wife April.

Growing up in the rural countryside of Maryland, I spent most of my free time exploring the nearby forests and streams learning as much as I could about the different critters and the habitats that they live in. As I grew older, I continued to spend a lot of time in the outdoors hiking and camping, which further developed my fond appreciation of nature. While traveling the U.S. and returning to some of the areas that I once explored as a kid, I realized that a lot of these natural areas are disappearing and kids today may not have the opportunity to experience the natural world as I did. This really sparked my interest in land and wildlife habitat conservation. Serving as an AmeriCorps member and Stewardship Assistant at Placer Land Trust for a year, I experienced the beauty of Placer County and realized that we still have a chance to make a difference here. I feel privileged to work in a field that I thoroughly enjoy and look forward to everyday as I work with the trust to reach its conservation goals

Land Manager: Justin Wages

The Land Manager manages properties that Placer Land Trust owns in fee title, assists with general stewardship activities, and coordinates the interactive use of our properties for education, outreach, and scientific research. Justin Wages was hired in 2009 after a year of internship.

Justin was raised in Fairfield, CA by his grandparents who emigrated from Spain in 1906 to raise sheep in the famous California grasslands. Justin graduated with a degree in Computer Science in 2002, yet having spent much of his life fishing, hunting, and enjoying the outdoors - he naturally turned towards a continuing education in the biological sciences and is working towards a degree in Ecology & Biodiversity with an emphasis in grasslands. He has served as the President of the Sierra College ECOS environmental club and volunteered for the Dry Creek Conservancy.

I’ve spent most of my life playing in creeks and exploring grasslands, and now because of Placer Land Trust I’ve been able to turn this activity into a profession: I couldn’t be happier. Knowing that my work is serving to protect and enhance the natural world as well as my local community brings a smile to my face that no amount of material possessions ever could. I’ve traveled the wildlands of California and with wonderful instructors like Joe Medeiros (mentor); one cannot help but fall in love with this amazing state and thus work to protect it! As a society we need to become more ecologically literate and understand the importance of ecosystem services, for only then can we develop the change of heart required to save the remaining open space we have and do what is best for the long term prosperity of our children, as well as current social and ecological systems.

Project Manager: Janet Voris

The Project Manager works on the implementation of various projects and programs, with primary focus on administration, capacity building, communications and fundraising. After nearly a year of serving as a volunteer and an independent contractor, Janet Voris was hired in July 2011.

Janet grew up on 120 acres in Beavercreek, Oregon, where she spent her childhood wandering in the woods, exploring nature, and helping on the family farm. For much of her adult life, she lived in the Portland area before moving to the outskirts of Lincoln in 2000. Janet has a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies with a minor in Biology from CSU Sacramento and graduated magna cum laude. Before attending Sac State, Janet went to Sierra College where she was very active in the ECOS environmental club as well as being a volunteer for the Save Clover Valley foundation.  She and her husband live on nine acres in the foothills which they share with a variety of entertaining wildlife in addition to their own animals.

“I sort of feel like I’ve come full circle in life, moving back to the country and living on a small farm. The country lifestyle was something that was missing from my life when I lived in Portland. Instead of conifers and a creek, now I have oak trees and an NID ditch.  It has been hard to watch Lincoln grow from a small town to the populated city it’s become, reinforcing my desire to help preserve land in Placer County. I am very excited to be part of the Placer Land Trust team and help protect the area in which I live and play.”