Katherine Eddins

Executive Director

(404) 861-8567 

katherine@galandtrust.org

Katherine graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law, Juris Doctorate in 1986 and subsequently received a Master of Forestry degree from Auburn University, graduating summa cum laude in 1997.  She has been published in the Journal of Forestry and has practiced law and natural resource management as well as working in the land trust for seven years.  Katherine serves on the board of directors for the Southeast Watershed Forum and serves on the advisory committee for Auburn University School of Forestry and Wildlife Resources.

Mark Pentecost
Alabama Program Director
(256) 239-7617

pentecostm@allandtrust.org

Mark received a B.S. in biology from Jacksonville State University in 1975, has a master's degree in international relations and is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, as well as  the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, KS.  Mark is a retired United States Army Colonel who served for over 26 years in various Command and Staff assignments in Special Operations worldwide.

While serving as Director of Operations and Training at  Ft. Benning, Georgia, Mark was instrumental in directing and creating an Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan for Ft. Benning's 180,000 acres.  This program is recognized by the Department of the Army as a model land stewardship program. Currently he oversees projects and manages personnel for the land trust in Alabama.  Mark has extensive experience with farm and land management, and he also owns and manages both forest and agricultural land.

Stephen Kirk

Land & Wildlife Manager

(256) 283-4259

gismapper@allandtrust.org

Stephen graduated from Auburn University School of Forestry in Spring of 2001 with a B.S. in Forestry. While at Auburn , Stephen worked as the land manager of the Auburn University's campus Arboretum. He also worked in the School of Forestry's Longleaf Lab. Stephen's senior year was emphasized in spatial analysis of geography and GIS. For his senior project he compiled a database to be used by the state of Alabama for Escambia County's state forest, which included management practices, stand dynamics and records of past applications.

Josh Holmes
Administrative Assistant (AL)  & Conservation Planner
(256) 282-8600
jholmes@allandtrust.org

Josh Holmes graduated from Jacksonville State University with a Masters in History in 2007.  While at Jacksonville, Josh researched the Depression-era South, focusing his studies on the agricultural rehabilitation efforts in the Black Belt region and the Skyline farms project in Jackson County, Alabama.

Walt is responsible for all management activities on the nearly 3,500 acres of Lula Lake Land Trust properties. A native of Birmingham, AL, Walt graduated from Auburn University in 2005 with a B.S. in Wildlife Management and a B.S. in Horticulture.  While at Auburn, he worked in the herpetology lab, served as treasurer for the Wildlife Society, and spent two summers doing black bear research on the White River National Wildlife Refuge and in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Walt completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail before attending college.

Jared Williamson    Administrative Assistant (AL) (256) 405-8474 jwilliamson@allandtrust.org

Jared’s background is Civil Engineering and pipeline drafting. After participating in the Civil Engineering program at Gadsden State, Jared worked for a Survey Company based out of Fort Worth, Texas drafting natural gas pipeline. Jared also worked nine years with United Parcel Service in Texas. Having grown up in northeast Alabama he longed for the beauty of the area and is happy to have returned home to the Land Trust.

Marc graduated from Geneseo College in Western New York with a B.A. in History in 2007, with a senior thesis on an in-depth history of the Cuyahoga River Fire in Cleveland, Ohio. He also worked for New York State Parks as a grant administrator, responsible for providing funds to charitable conservation organizations all over Western New York. Still in college Marc then took a job with the Genesee Valley Conservancy and was successful in securing a three million dollar grant for farmland protection. Done with college, Marc became tired of New York winters and wanted to do as his father had done after college, and take a job in the Appalachian Mountains.