Christa Collins Receives Commendation from Massachusetts House

Image

Christa Collins, Director of Land Protection since 2008, announced her retirement earlier this month after 20 years at SVT. We honored her at our Annual Meeting on October 6, when Executive Director Lisa Vernegaard celebrated Christa’s many successes and highlighted several of them in a slideshow presentation.

A well-respected member of the Massachusetts conservation community, Christa played a role in the protection of more than 3,100 acres across 88 properties during her time at SVT.

She was integral to the conservation of some of the region’s most expansive and well-known landscapes, including the 218-acre Mainstone Farm in Wayland, the 300-acre Nobscot Scout Reservation in Sudbury, the 90-acre Sweetwilliam Farm and Whitney Conservation Area in Upton, and most recently, the 100-acre Horseshoe Pond on Mount Pisgah in Berlin.

At the conclusion of Lisa's tribute, State Representative Carmine A. Gentile presented Christa with a commendation from the Massachusetts House of Representatives that was signed by Speaker Ronald Mariano and Representative Gentile and that read: 

The Massachusetts House of Representatives offers its sincerest congratulations to Christa Collins in recognition of twenty years' of work at Sudbury Valley Trustees to protect the region's extraordinary natural areas and farmland. 

For her part, Christa thanked the SVT staff and board of directors for their hard work and support, and she acknowledged several local conservation partners with whom she has worked over the years. Ever dedicated to conservation, Christa will continue to serve the region as a board member for the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition.

After the meeting, Lisa was effusive in her praise of Christa, saying, “To a person, everyone I’ve spoken with has said what a pleasure it was to work with Christa. Her knowledge, dedication, and persistence, along with a great sense of humor, combined to make her a respected and successful partner in conservation projects throughout the region. Her impact will be felt for decades to come, as future generations will be able to explore the same beautiful natural areas that we enjoy today.”

Good luck, Christa. We miss you!