The Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space (FoHVOS) have announced that they have hired a new Executive Director, Jennifer Rogers, with an expected start date at the end of the month.
Board President Dan Rubenstein said: “Jenn is the perfect person to lead the organization bringing with her an extensive environmental and management background. She was Mercer County’s naturalist for over a decade. She designed programs and connected the public to nature, especially children and she forged relationships with conservation groups like ours which will position her well in furthering partnerships that preserve open space and make nature preserves people friendly. She also has built relationships with many local businesses and corporations and will expand our community conservation initiatives to include them as they develop and manage their own landscapes in sustainable ways. Her track record is strong on rehabilitating habitats to foster biodiversity which aligns well with one FoVHOS’ major goals.
Rubenstein continued: “We welcome Jenn to FoHVOS and look forward to her fostering our primary goal of conserving the Valley’s habitats, wildlife and open spaces. As an existing long-time fixture in Hopewell Valley’s conservation community, please join us in welcoming what may be an already familiar face to an exciting new role with us.”
Rogers told MercerMe: “I am overjoyed and honored to join the talented staff and dedicated board of Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space as their Executive Director. This organization, while small in size, is steeped in significant preservation efforts and is recognized regionally for their science-based stewardship: actions that inspire and influence New Jersey’s conservation community.
“My career in conservation started here in the Hopewell Valley 20 years ago, and the majority of my professional endeavors centered around this region of the state. While I was Director of Stewardship at Mercer County, I had the pleasure of partnering with FoHVOS on many impactful and productive initiatives from large scale habitat restoration to sensitive species conservation. From those experiences, I cultivated long-term professional relationships with much of the team. I have told both the staff and board that moving into this position feels like coming home.”
Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space is a 501c3 organization formed in the late 1980s to combat urban sprawl by conserving and stewarding open space. You can learn more about them at www.fohvos.info
