Harvard Conservation Trust
Office: 249 Ayer Road Suite 202
Mail: PO Box 31, Harvard MA 01451
Ph: 978-456-9292 or 978-772-2354
NEWS
Harvard Conservation Trust hires executive director and opens office
The Harvard Conservation Trust has selected Marylynn Gentry to be its first Executive Director
in its 36-year history.
Gentry has spent the last 15 years in the land protection field. She is a board member of the
Sudbury Valley Trustees, a regional land trust based in Sudbury, where she served as president
for the last four years. A Wayland resident, Gentry has volunteered on her town’s Conservation
Commission and Community Preservation Committee.
A Vermont native and graduate of the University of Vermont, Gentry has always valued open spaces.
She also holds master’s degrees from Penn State and MIT and received the 2004 Conservation Award
from the New England Wildflower Society.
As Executive Director, Gentry will oversee administrative operations, budgeting, membership
development, education and outreach. She will also collaborate with the Conservation Trust’s
volunteer board to further the nonprofit’s mission of preserving Harvard’s unique character
and its valuable resources.
HCT president Vic Normand believes that Gentry’s qualifications make her a good fit for the
job and that her hiring comes at a crucial juncture. “Over time, our mission of protecting
open space has become more critical. With an executive director in place, we’re better able
to meet our conservation goals,” he said.
Gentry’s start coincides with the opening of the Trust’s new (and first) office, located in
the historic Blanchard House on Ayer Road, adjacent to the Maxant Land. “We’re delighted about
the new office,” says Normand. “We’re happy to finally have a centralized place where we can
conduct business.”
“I am delighted to be joining such a wonderful organization,” said
Gentry. “Harvard is a beautiful town and I look forward to playing a role in preserving its
natural environment.”
