American Farmland Trust (AFT) announces that Lisa Bertelson will be its new Pacific Northwest regional director. She will assume the role July 17 and be based in Seattle.
“We are very pleased to hire Lisa to lead the Pacific Northwest region,” says John Larson, AFT’s senior vice president of policy and programs. “She brings a wealth of experience in finding solutions to complex natural resource issues by working with partners to implement commonsense approaches.”
Bertelson served as special advisor to former U.S. agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack, advising him on high-priority policy issues including drought, climate change and biogas. She also led the implementation of multimillion-dollar pollinator conservation efforts in key regions across the country. Bertelson has bachelor’s degrees in political science and German from Southern Illinois University, and a master’s degree in environment and development from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
“I look forward to directing AFT’s Pacific Northwest office to increase the visibility of AFT’s mission to protect farmland, promote sound farming practices and keep farmers on the land,” Bertelson says. “AFT is a trusted partner and convener that can help connect state and local governments, nonprofit organizations and landowners interested in participating in conservation programs, to find long-term solutions that are good for both business and the environment.”