Ellen M. Ferretti, our speaker for June 11, was named the director of the Brandywine Conservancy in June 2016. She brought more than 30 years of natural resource management and conservation/environmental experience with her to the Conservancy. She served as Secretary for Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and Deputy Secretary for Parks and Forestry for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Under her leadership, land conservation was a key priority and, working closely with staff and stakeholders, significant natural areas were protected as public lands. She also has proven success in land use planning, partnerships and collaborations, and fiscal management and operations.
Ferretti oversees the conservancy’s important work to protect water, preserve land, and engage communities. The organization’s three programs—Land Conservation, Land Stewardship, and Municipal Assistance—are renowned for their multi-tiered approach to conservation through working with private landowners who wish to see their lands protected forever, and providing innovative community planning services to municipalities and other government agencies. She is a graduate of Wilkes College with a BS in Environmental Science.