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The Nature Conservancy in Pennsylvania & Delaware Announces Majority-Women Board with Addition of Three New Trustees

A close up of yellow colored fall ferns.
New Trustees in TNC PA/DE The Nature Conservancy in PA/DE Announces Majority-Women Board with Addition of Three New Trustees. © Kent Mason

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Pennsylvania and Delaware today announced that Allison Hamilton, Katie Hetherington Cunfer and Robin Spurlino have been elected to its Board of Trustees, additions that bring the Board to majority-women. Each will serve a three-year term.

“I am delighted to welcome Allison, Katie and Robin to our board,” said Lori Brennan, Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy in Pennsylvania and Delaware. “They are accomplished leaders whose unique perspectives span land preservation and planning, environmental and energy policy, agribusiness, and natural resource management. I am excited to collaborate with them as we tackle today’s toughest environmental challenges.”

A headshot of Allison Hamilton.
Allison Hamilton PADE Trustee © Courtesy Allison Hamilton

Allison Hamilton

Allison Hamilton has extensive experience as a conservation advocate and land use planner. She was a conservation planner for the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, a volunteer coordinator for the Land Trust of Bucks County, and a planner for land preservation programs for the Bucks County Planning Commission. She has implemented projects preserving open space, natural areas, farmland, and Delaware River access, working closely with partners at federal, state, county and local governments, land trusts, landowners and volunteers. Hamilton earned her M.S. in community and regional planning from Temple University and holds a B.A. in international relations from the University of Pennsylvania.

“Conservation action has been my life’s work, and I couldn’t be happier to join forces with fellow environmental champions at TNC as a member of the Board of Trustees,” said Hamilton. “I am always observing the land, water and community around me and considering the healthiest potential for all life now and in the future. I am dedicated to the ongoing conservation process, and I look forward to helping TNC safeguard our most precious natural resources across Pennsylvania and Delaware.”

A headshot of Katie Hetherington Cunfer.
Katie Hetherington Cunfer PADE Trustee © Courtesy of Katie Hetherington Cunfer

Katie Hetherington Cunfer

Katie Hetherington Cunfer brings significant experience in government relations, particularly environmental, energy, and agribusiness policy and advocacy, to TNC. She is the director of government affairs for SitelogIQ’s Northeast business unit, where she focuses on engaging with government entities at the local, state and federal levels. Prior to her current role, Hetherington Cunfer held leadership roles in community relations and advocacy for the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance, Congressman Dan Meuser, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and the Pennsylvania Landscape & Nursery Association, as well as several roles within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She is a seventh-generation farmer, operating a beef and grain farm with her husband, and serves as the Vice Chair of the Carbon County Open Space Preservation Board. Hetherington Cunfer earned dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Agribusiness Management and Agricultural & Extension Education-Leadership Development from Pennsylvania State University.

“I am thrilled to apply my policy and government relations background coupled with my experience in production agriculture to the incredible work that TNC is doing to protect and preserve our natural world,” Hetherington Cunfer said. “Working with and for communities on a range of important issues has been a pillar of my career, and I look forward to applying that advocacy to benefit people and nature in Pennsylvania and Delaware.”

A headshot of Robin Spurlino.
Robin Spurlino PADE Trustee © Courtesy of Robin Spurlino

Robin Spurlino

Robin Spurlino is a seasoned environmental health professional with extensive experience in water, air and waste management. She served as the assistant section chief with the City of Houston Public Works Department, where she oversaw industrial wastewater inspections and compliance with the Clean Water Act’s regulations around water pollution. She also led environmental education programs as a park ranger and technician with Chester County Facilities and Parks, and she is the past president of Friends of Springton Manor Farm. Currently, Spurlino serves on the board of Lundale Farm, a sustainable agriculture community farm in Chester County, Pennsylvania, where she has been an active board member since 2017. She also serves on committees for the Schuylkill River Watershed Congress, Natural Lands, and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Flower Show. Spurlino holds a Master of Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania and earned her B.S. in biology for environmental health from Wright State University.

“Sustainable agriculture, natural resource management, and public health are causes I am deeply passionate about, and I am excited to continue this work in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy staff and my fellow trustees,” said Spurlino. “It is an honor to join this board.”

In Pennsylvania and Delaware, TNC leads extensive conservation initiatives to protect the lands and waters essential for the health and well-being of both people and nature. In Pennsylvania, TNC focuses on reducing stormwater runoff in Philadelphia, safeguarding vital Appalachian landscapes like the Kittatinny Ridge, and engaging farmers to adopt conservation practices that enhance the health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. In Delaware, TNC’s efforts are directed towards building resilience against climate change, particularly along the state’s vulnerable coastlines, to protect natural habitats and human communities.

For more information, please visit nature.org/Pennsylvania and nature.org/Delaware.

The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. The Nature Conservancy is working to make a lasting difference around the world in 81 countries and territories (40 by direct conservation impact and 41 through partners) through a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit nature.org or follow @nature_press on X.