OCT Welcomes Back Stephen O’Grady as New Director

The Orleans Conservation Trust is pleased to announce the appointment of Stephen O’Grady as the organization’s director, effective March 5, 2018. He will be the fourth person to head the Trust’s staff since its founding, replacing former director Elizabeth Migliore, who has taken a post with the town of Dennis.

O’Grady served as a summer intern for OCT in 2013 and 2015, so he comes to the Trust with considerable prior knowledge of its mission, programs, and the properties it owns or manages. During his internship, he was instrumental in documenting information about various Trust lands, including photographing and mapping boundaries. He also conducted regular trail maintenance and removal of invasive species.

O’Grady says, “I feel incredibly lucky to be taking on this leadership position with an organization I have admired and appreciated for many years.”

Stephen is a graduate of Colby College in Waterville, Maine, where he majored in environmental science with a concentration in conservation biology. He was captain of the football team and treasurer of the school’s environmental club. After graduating from college, Stephen fished commercially for salmon in Kodiak and Ketchikan, Alaska. He later worked as head fishmonger and assistant manager at Red’s Best, a Boston-based seafood company that focuses on supporting local fishermen and increasing seafood traceability and sustainability. Since returning to the Cape in May of last year, Stephen has been working as an oyster farmer for the Cape Cod Oyster Company.

“The Trust has enjoyed significant growth in membership and visibility in the last several years, especially since moving into our new headquarters on Route 28,” says OCT board president Kevin Galligan. “And we continue to expand our protected lands, with new properties acquired in Nauset Heights, South Orleans, and on White’s Lane on The River in 2017 alone.

“Yet as with all land trusts, it’s always a challenge to raise funds to acquire new lands, operate our education programs, and properly maintain the lands we own,” Galligan continues. “We’re excited about the energy, leadership, vision, and practical skills Stephen brings to the director’s position, and we look forward to introducing him to our members.”

Says the Trust’s new director, “As a child, I spent my summers enjoying the natural beauty of Orleans. I learned at an early age the importance of respecting the environment and preserving natural spaces.” Now, he adds, “It feels like I’ve come full circle, working to protect and restore the community’s valuable natural resources for current and future generations.”

For more information about the Trust and its work, call (508) 255-0183 or visit orleansconservationtrust.org.