MALT Announces a Leadership Transition
December 30, 2021
December traditionally marks a time of transition. As we pass the Winter Solstice, and as 2021 gives way to a new year, MALT announces our own transition in leadership.
Jennifer Carlin, who many of you already know as MALT’s director of advancement, has been promoted to acting CEO following the resignation of CEO Thane Kreiner, Ph.D.
“Jennifer is the right person to take the reins of MALT during this transition period,” said Robert McGee, chair of MALT’s board and longtime board member. “She knows MALT inside and out and believes strongly in the mission of permanently protecting Marin’s agricultural land for agricultural use.”
Jennifer has more than 20 years of leadership experience in the nonprofit sector, with a focus on development, community engagement, philanthropic partnerships, and organizational capacity building. She is committed to strengthening relationships with all the members of MALT’s extended community and to advancing MALT’s core programs of conservation easements and stewardship—while a search committee, headed by Tamara Hicks, vice-chair of the MALT board and owner of Toluma Farms, conducts a search for a permanent CEO.
“MALT’s work is so important, especially with the extra challenges facing the region, with drought, threat of wildfires, climate change, economic insecurities, and all the rest,” Jennifer said. “I’m really looking forward to working with our high-performing staff, board members, farmers and ranchers, our members and supporters, our agency partners, and the entire Marin community to build on what we’ve achieved together in 2021.”
Among the 2021 accomplishments that MALT can point to are:
- The success and popularity of the emergency Drought Resilience and Water Security (DRAWS) initiative, which helped Marin’s ranchers and farmers weather the year’s historic drought.
- Closing of an agricultural conservation easement with Hog Island Oyster Company and its 250-acre Leali Ranch, including a mariculture aspect in addition to the agricultural protection.
- Continued work through the Stewardship Assistance Program (SAP) to provide resources and technical assistance to help owners of MALT easement-protected property to improve the health of their land and their operations.
Jennifer’s connection with MALT began with her interest in locally produced food. Her time at MALT has given her a real appreciation for the hard work that it takes to be a rancher or farmer in today’s challenging economic and climate environment.
“For me, one of the most important elements of MALT’s work is the stories,” Jennifer said. “We have 91 easements, each of which has its own story, and none of them are alike. When you understand that a rancher is having to get up at 1 a.m. to haul water or 5 a.m. to milk the cows, when you understand how hard the work is, when you understand how invested they are in the work and in the community and how connected we all are—it’s really important to convey that human element. Because ultimately, the opportunity to shine a light on the stories of farmers and ranchers, and to amplify their voices, is why we at MALT do the work we do. It’s why we’re here. We’re all in this together.”
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