Staff

Ken Grudens - Executive Director
As Executive Director of the Indian River Land Trust, Ken works closely with the Board of Directors to develop and implement a variety of programs which protect farmland and conserve the natural resources and special places of Indian River County. Ken has a Master's Degree in Landscape Architecture from the State College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, New York and a Bachelor's Degree in Architecture from the University of Buffalo. Prior to joining IRLT in 2004, Ken was the Program Manager for the Farmland Protection Program for the Department of Agriculture and Markets in Albany, New York. Before accepting that position, he was Director of Land Protection for the Columbia Land Conservancy in Chatham, New York where he negotiated numerous conservation easements and managed several projects and conservation areas. Currently, Ken is the Vice President of the Florida Land Trust Alliance, is on the Board of Sustainable Treasure Coast, Inc. and is a member of the Indian River County Conservation Lands Advisory Committee.

Ginny Blossom - Marketing and Philanthropy Director
Ginny joined IRLT in January 2008 as our first Director of Marketing and Philanthropy. Prior to joining IRLT, Ginny, a seasoned professional in marketing, fund development and event planning, was the Manager of Marketing and Development at the Indian River Medical Center Foundation. Previously, she owned her own marketing and strategic planning company in Laguna Beach, CA, worked for Warner Bros. Studios in Los Angeles, CA, and spent several years as a public relations professional in New York City. Ginny holds a Masters Degree in Advertising & Communications from Syracuse University and a Bachelors Degree in Art History & English from Bowdoin College. She is responsible for membership, fundraising, public relations and marketing designed to bolster our increasing land protection work in Indian River County. She is a Trustee of the William Bingham Foundation and a Member of the Board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Indian River Chapter.

Ralph Monticello - Land Protection Manager
Through the generosity of the Elizabeth Ordway Dunn Foundation, Ralph joined our staff in Spring 2007 as our highly experienced Land Protection Manager. Ralph was previously Project Manager for Palm Beach County's $250 million environmental and agricultural land acquisition program. Prior to moving to Florida, Ralph, an economist by training, was the Conservation Easement Manager at the Trustees of Reservations, a well regarded land trust in Massachusetts. He earned his Master's Degree in Economics from the University of Vermont and a Bachelor's Degree in Business and Economics from Hofstra University.

Danielle McDougall - Administrative Assistant
Dana joined IRLT in November 2007 as our Administrative Assistant. Dana, a Vero Beach native and graduate of Vero Beach High School, has several years of professional experience in the administrative field. In addition to managing the day to day office operations, Dana maintains our extensive Raiser's Edge database and provides invaluable board and membership support.