Staff Report
Joseph R. Weiland of Santa Barbara has been appointed president of the Board of Trustees of The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County.
Weiland, a certified financial planner and 30-year veteran of the financial services industry, is managing partner of independent advisory firm Arlington Financial Advisors. He joined The Land Trust’s board in 2018. As president he will lead more than a dozen fellow trustees from the community whose expertise spans agriculture, law and finance, teaching, biology and planning.
The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County is a nonprofit organization working to enhance and permanently preserve the county’s natural open spaces. Since its formation in 1985, The Land Trust has helped safeguard nearly 30,000 acres of natural and agricultural land countywide, including high priority-wildlife corridors, watersheds and woodlands.
“Conservation opportunities in our county are extensive and complex. Joe brings business acumen to his role at a moment of growth for the Land Trust,” said Land Trust Executive Director Meredith Hendricks. “Our work is forever. Each decision we make must stand the test of time. I am thrilled to welcome Joe as board chair.”
Trustees, including Weiland, are volunteers. Weiland said his passion for hiking, surfing and Santa Barbara County’s natural beauty motivated him to join The Land Trust and lend his financial knowledge to helping further the organization’s mission.
“I’m incredibly excited and honored to take on this new role,” Weiland said. “The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County is a vital member of our conservation community working to preserve our county’s natural landscapes and resources for the benefit of future generations.”
Areas preserved by The Land Trust include the Arroyo Hondo Preserve, Sedgwick Reserve, Carpinteria Bluffs, Coronado Butterfly Preserve, Point Sal, Carpinteria Salt Marsh and several ranches on the Gaviota Coast. At times, The Land Trust buys and protects these scenic spaces.
It also creates conservation agreements with willing private landowners to safeguard and restore sensitive natural habitats and conserve family farms and ranches. Several of these properties are open to the public. At the Arroyo Hondo Preserve in particular, The Land Trust offers opportunities for expert-led, guided field trips throughout the year.
A graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Weiland also serves on the board of the Santa Barbara Club, a nonprofit social club; and is a member and past president of the Sunrise Rotary Club.
For more information about The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County, visit www.sblandtrust.org.
