Sleepy Hollow Resident Added To Westchester Land Trust Advisory Board

SLEEPY HOLLOW, NY — A Sleepy Hollow resident was one of five people added to leadership of the Westchester Land Trust.

The land trust, which is a nationally accredited land conservation nonprofit headquartered in Bedford Hills, recently announced the following additions to its leadership team:

• Anthony Barzilay Freund, of Bedford, to the Board of Directors
• Chantel McGee, of New York City, to the Board of Directors
• Ava Cohn, of Bedford Corners, to the Advisory Board
• David Michael, of Sleepy Hollow, to the Advisory Board
• Michael Rubbo, of Verbank, to the Advisory Board

The new leadership is a diverse group of professionals bringing a wealth of experience and expertise in the fields of community engagement, nonprofit management, ecology, art, technology and marketing, according to a spokesperson.

Bruce Churchill, chairman of the Board of Directors, said the five people joining the leadership represent a robust range of knowledge and experience that will be invaluable to the trust’s work.

“As we continue to grow and adapt to the changing needs of the communities we serve, we need big, bold, different ways of thinking,” he said, “and I’m confident that this group will bring that kind of fresh energy to our organization.”

Sleepy Hollow’s Michael is a sonic ecological artist and a technology professional in the cryptocurrency sector. He was first introduced to the trust when walking the organization’s preserves while capturing field recordings for artistic projects. He has lectured at SUNY Purchase College and the School of Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts and served in artist residencies in Alabama, South Africa and Brazil.

He said that, as he has come to know the patchwork of organizations involved in land conservation in the region, Westchester Land Trust has stood out on its drive to acquire small but important pieces of land and keep them open to the public.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to join Westchester Land Trust’s Advisory Board and looking forward to supporting the organization in raising awareness of the importance of conserving our natural public spaces,” Michael said.