The Bragg family farm and barn provided the perfect setting for DLC Annual Board Retreat, held Saturday, April 2. The Bragg farm, positioned in the heart of the Ramah Creek Conservation Area, was established by the leadership efforts of Frank Bragg, a long-time, committed advocate for regional and statewide conservation.
The retreat was particularly impactful on the heels of COVID isolation and resulting 2-year period of limited interaction among Board members. Attending were 100% of the Board members, Davidson College student intern Catherine Edmondson, and volunteers Zee Berl and Cambrian Nielsen. Dave Cable, executive director, was also present.
While the meeting agenda was segmented to cover key areas of the Conservancy’s business, including goals, vision, and fundraising strategies, the forum provided Board members a chance to share their journeys in life contributing to their passion for conservation. The story-sharing was moving, and the authenticity and vulnerability on display was moving and real. The content and tone of the event revealed the Board’s unfettered commitment to local conservation and the Conservancy’s mission and goals.
Paul Freestone, Board chair, commented “the Conservancy is blessed with an amazingly capable and committed Board. Everyone has an oar in the water, and it is really special to be part of an effective team where we are all pulling together for the betterment of community and conservation”.
The Board ratified a 3-year action-oriented plan which articulates mission, vision, guiding principles, and clear goals. The plan is organized in a framework of DLC’s four conservation pillars: land conservation; urban forestry; greenway and trails; and wildlife habitat.
The retreat builds on the 2+ year journey the Conservancy has been on to ensure sustainability and maximum impact given the challenges of capital constraints, extremely high land costs, and consumption rates, and the vital importance conservation plays in the future of the Davidson region
