Land Trust Staff

Wendy Jackson

Executive Director

Wendy Jackson has over 18 years of experience in the field of real estate with most of those years spent in conservation. Prior to working in the field of conservation, Wendy worked in the commercial real estate market and the banking industry as a real estate loan officer.

Since joining the Freshwater Land Trust in 2001, Wendy's passion for river and land conservation has fueled her work to establish preserves and projects such as the Turkey Creek Nature Preserve, the Five Mile Creek Greenways project, and Red Mountain Park. During her tenure as Executive Director, the Land Trust has helped to protect almost 8,000 acres of land in north-central Alabama. She has also helped to secure almost $17 million dollars in gifts of land, cash and other contributions.

Wendy started her career in conservation with The Nature Conservancy, serving for over eight years as the Alabama Chapter's Director of Land Protection and Government Relations. She served as the lead negotiator for Nature Conservancy land acquisitions and partnerships helping to effect large scale partnership conservation projects such as the 14,000 acre Mountain Longleaf Pine National Wildlife Refuge, the Bibb County Glades Nature Preserve, the state's 48,000 acre Forever Wild Mobile-Tensaw Delta purchase and the Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge. During her tenure with the Conservancy, their acres protected increased from 32,000 to 102,000.

Wendy has been recognized across the state for her businesslike approach to conservation and her unique ability to bring diverse partners together for the benefit of conservation. She is the 2005 recipient of the James Dockery Environmental Leadership Award that is presented to individuals who have played a leadership role in preserving the South's environment.

Brian Rushing

Director of Land Conservation

Brian Rushing is the Director of Land Conservation and came to the Land Trust in March 2003. With an educational background in forestry, geology, environmental planning and management, business, and real estate, Brian tailored his academic pursuits for a career working with land trusts. He is a graduate of the University of the South (B.S.), Louisiana State University (M.S.), and the University of Alabama (M.B.A.) and has worked in natural history and environmental education for a number of years.

Since coming to the Land Trust, Brian has worked to complete the Land Trust's implementation of the Jefferson County Greenways Program, and to date has negotiated the acquisition of over 600 acres of streamside buffers and secured over $400,000 in donations and discount sales of land. Brian has also implemented the first large-scale stream and bottomland restoration project within the Jefferson County Greenways System on a 40-acre tract that lies along Shades Creek near Bessemer. In addition to on-the-ground land acquisition and stewardship activities, Brian has also worked with the Land Trust's Board of Directors to develop a number of policies and procedures that guide the land acquisition and stewardship work of the Land Trust and that keep these activities consistent with the Land Trust Alliance's Standards and Practices.

Libba Vaughan

Director of Philanthropy

Libba joined the Freshwater Land Trust in 2005. Her experiences in the beautiful outdoors of north Alabama and Tennessee inspired her love of land and land conservation. As Director of Philanthropy, she enables others who also value the outdoors to help preserve - and enjoy- their natural environment.

Libba earned a bachelor of science degree from the University of the South (Sewanee) in natural resources, and a master's degree in horticulture from the University of Minnesota. She loves the many opportunities she has on Land Trust preserves to see what's in bloom.

Rhonda Blevins

Office Manager

Rhonda Blevins began working as Office Manager for the Freshwater Land Trust in July of 2007. Previously, she worked for nine years as administrative staff on the Jefferson County Commission. She also worked in Congressman Spencer Bachus's campaign office and worked at Alabama Republican Headquarters for over three years.

Rhonda and her husband Tom have been married for 26 years. Outside of work, Rhonda stays busy with 4 children and 5 grandchildren, and she loves to enjoy the outdoors with them!

Karl Peters

Land Steward

Karl Peters joined the Land Trust in 2007 as its first ever Land Steward. As Land Steward, Karl manages and cares for the extensive Land Trust properties. Upon joining the Land Trust, Karl brought over eight years of ecological consulting experience, including wetlands delineation, permitting, mitigation, and endangered species surveys. Karl is a graduate of the University of North Alabama with a degree in Environmental Biology as well as an Outward Bound graduate.

One of the most interesting jobs Karl had (before joining the Land Trust, of course) was as a USGS field research technician for the Palila (Hawaiian Honeycreeper) endangered species project in Mount Mauna Kea, Hawaii. In his work and free time, Karl enjoys being outdoors. He is a member of USA Cycling's National and Southern Off-Road Bicycling Associations.

Valerie Wilson

Village Creek Coordinator

Valerie Wilson came on board with the Freshwater Land Trust in August of 2009 as its first-ever Village Creek Coordinator.

Valerie has a background in communications and marketing. Before joining the Land Trust, she worked as a television news producer at NBC13 in Birmingham. Valerie is from Foley, Alabama, and she graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in telecommunications and film. Valerie lives just five miles from the headwaters of Village Creek. She is married and she and her husband have a two-year old son.