Eagle Valley Land Trust names Daus executive director
EAGLE COUNTY — The Eagle Valley Land Trust has named Jim Daus as its new executive director.
Daus replaces Kara Heide, who held the position since 2009.
“Jim is a terrific addition to the Eagle Valley Land Trust team and has extensive experience conserving land,” said Dan Godec, president of EVLT. Daus will manage all aspects of EVLT’s local land conservation and protection mission. “The board is very pleased that we were able to recruit someone of his caliber in land conservation to our organization.”
Daus inherits a strong organization from his predecessor. During Heide’s tenure, the Eagle Valley Land Trust added over 1,300 acres of conservation to its holdings and increased its reserves by 89 percent. EVLT partnered with Vail Resorts Echo the past two years bringing over 400 Vail Resorts volunteers to the Eagle Valley Land Trust conservation projects and the Land Trust was named Small Non-Profit of the Year in 2012 by the Vail Valley Partnership. Kara also implemented the Future Conservationist Program enabling hundreds of local youth the opportunity to learn and appreciate conservation.
“I am thrilled to continue the fantastic land conservation work of EVLT and look forward to getting to know and working with the members of this community. “
Jim Daus
Executive Director of Eagle Valley Land TrustSupport Local Journalism
Looking Forward
“EVLT owes its recent success and flourishing to Kara and we thank her for her years of productive and loyal service” said Andie Bombard, Eagle Valley Land Trust vice president. “We look forward to the next chapter in EVLT’s growth as we welcome Jim. He has worked on some very complex projects with Boulder County Parks and Open Space and that experience will increase EVLT’s options when we consider new land for conservation.”
Daus earned his bachelor of arts from Vassar College and an MBA in real estate development and finance from the University of Colorado. After working in commercial real estate brokerage and development for 13 years, he decided his true passion was in protecting and preserving land and began working for Boulder County Parks and Open Space in 2006. During his time at Boulder County Parks and Open Space, he protected over 3,500 acres of land and received numerous awards for his achievements including a 2012 recognition for “teamwork, personal commitment, dedication, and performance.” Daus and his wife have been visitors to the valley for many years and are excited to now call Eagle County home.
“I am thrilled to continue the fantastic land conservation work of EVLT and look forward to getting to know and working with the members of this community,” Daus said. “Conservation easements, such as those held by EVLT, are an essential tool for high-level community planning and ensuring the future economic vitality of the community they support. By preserving not only scenic backdrops, wildlife habitat, watersheds and recreational access, but also the extremely important natural buffers between towns, conservation easements help preserve Eagle County’s rural character. With its tourism-based economy, preserving the rural character of the county is good business — and I’m excited to continue bringing this message to our community members.”
Eagle Valley Land Trust was founded in 1981 as a nonprofit environmental conservation organization. The Land Trust currently holds 28 parcels and over 7,000 acres of protected lands under conservation easements in Eagle County. These properties stretch from East Vail to the entrance of Glenwood Canyon and from Tennessee Pass near Leadville to Yarmony Mountain near the Routt County border. For more information about the Land Trust, visit http://www.evlt.org.
