ST. JOHNSBURY — Long-time Vermont Land Trust employee Tracy Zschau of St. Johnsbury, has been named Interim President of the organization by the Board of Trustees.
She takes the role after serving VLT for over 25 years, first as a conservation project lead in the Northeast Kingdom then later as Vice President for Land Protection.
She will retain her role as Vice President while also serving as Interim President.
“I have served VLT alongside many colleagues and friends for much of my career,” said Zschau. “To serve in a new way, at this time, feels deeply meaningful. The work of the organization expands every day as Vermont grapples with a changing climate, new development pressures, and a history of exclusion and injustice on the land. We’re learning and evolving to meet this moment—alongside partners old and new.”
Zschau lives with her husband, Kurt, in St. Johnsbury, where they have raised two children and explored the mountains, lakes, and forests of the Northeast Kingdom.
There, she serves on the St. Johnsbury Selectboard and on the Board of Passumpsic Savings Bank.
She is a graduate of the Vermont Leadership Institute at the Snelling Center for Government and recipient of the 2019 VHCB Community Catalyst Award for her leadership in advancing community-based conservation in the Northeast Kingdom.
She holds undergraduate degrees from Sterling College and Colby College, and a master’s degree in forestry from the University of Maine, Orono.
Zschau will serve as the Interim President until new leadership has been established.
She succeeds Nick Richardson who served as VLT’s President and CEO from September 2017 to March 2023.
