Movers and Shakers | Staff and Trustee News

Meet Our Executive Director & Associate Executive Director

KATE ETHERINGTON | Having been a volunteer at the Trust since 2014, Kate officially joined our team in 2020 as Associate Executive Director and later transitioned to the role of Executive Director in 2021. Kate comes to us with an extensive background in nonprofit management, including serving as the Shelter Services Coordinator at Sojourner Center and the Senior Program Director and Interim Executive Director at Philadelphia Physicians for Social Responsibility. Additionally, she holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Colgate University and a master’s degree in Nonprofit Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. As Executive Director, Kate is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the Trust and planning for its successful future. Outside of the office, she spends plenty of time outdoors, hiking, horseback riding, skiing, reading, and spending time with her husband and three daughters on their small farm.

JULIE S. GRAHAM | We first met Julie in 2013 when she began to serve the Trust as an outside finance consultant and advisor. Now we are fortunate to welcome her back in the Associate Executive Director role. Julie was raised in Chicago, attended Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana, and began her career as a CPA with a global accounting firm. She has since worked for a diverse array of for-profit and non-profit organizations in financial accounting, reporting, administration, and strategy. In addition to being an active volunteer in the local community, Julie has served on several boards and committees and enjoys playing tennis, gardening, and spending time with her husband and two grown children.

KATIE KOURAKIS | Katie joined the Trust in 2021 with over 15 years of experience in the private sector where she worked as a marketing and corporate events director. As the Event Support Manager at the Trust, Katie is responsible for working with Lindsay to develop marketing materials for the Rushton Conservation Center. Outside of the office, Katie enjoys hiking and traveling with family, birding, and volunteering at her children’s school. And of course, she loves organizing and planning social events.

MONICA MCQUAIL | Monica came on board in 2021 after working for over 5 years in communications at North American Land Trust and even longer for a variety of local media publications. Here at the Trust, she assists with all things communications, from creating social media posts and writing press releases, to helping plan events and working on the website. She has found that her background in French helps her to translate technical scientific writing into fun digestible facts for everyone. In her spare time, Monica enjoys practicing calligraphy and ceramics, as well as hiking, cycling, and camping with her family.

ANNA WILLIG | While pursuing her Bachelor of Arts in Conservation Biology at Middlebury College, Anna joined our Watershed Protection Team as an intern in 2018. During the summers of 2019 and 2020 she conducted research on nitrogen fixation in mosses and studied stream salamander ecology at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest before returning to our team in 2021. As a Watershed Conservation Associate, Anna assists with monthly water chemistry sampling, maintains the tree planting at Ashbridge Preserve, and analyzes water quality data from sampling and from our EnviroDIY sensors. Out of the stream, Anna enjoys going on walks with friends, family and dogs, and tending to her veggie garden.

Meet Our New Trustee

Staff photos by Jennifer Mathes.

MICHAEL BURG, ESQ. |

Michael Burg has been a member of the Board of Directors and has acted as solicitor for Open Land Conservancy for many years. Mike is a partner in the law firm Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP. He has practiced real estate law for over 30 years, with a focus on commercial, land use and conservation matters. He is a board member of Community Volunteers in Medicine and Willistown Conservation Trust. Mike spends time outdoors fly fishing, golfing, biking, and rowing. Mike and his wife Linda reside in Berwyn and enjoy hiking and traveling together.