Northwest Arkansas Land Trust
Board of Directors

BRENDA ANDERSON - Brenda is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners,. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Southwest Missouri State University is currently the Director of Development for Community Development Corporation Bentonville/Bella Vista, Inc., and is Executive Director of the Bentonville Housing Authority.

ED CLIFFORD, Northwest Arkansas Land Trust President - Ed is President/CEO of the Bentonville/Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce; chairman of the Northwest Arkansas Community Foundation, president of Bates Health Foundation, finance chairman for Bentonville Square Renovation Project, and serves as a board member to many community projects in northwest Arkansas.

AL EINERT - Dr. Einert is Professor Emeritus of Horticulture, University of Arkansas. He is a horticulturist, landscape architect and certified arborist and holds a PhD from Mississippi State University. He is the former Director of the University of Arkansas Arboretum and landscape architect for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. He currently serves on the Tree City USA Committee for the City of Eureka Springs.

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GENE GROSECLOS - Gene is currently Senior Vice President and Secretary of Cooper Realty Investments, Inc. and a corporate attorney for Cooper Communities, Inc. He serves on the Advisory Committee for the Arkansas Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, is founding president of NW Arkansas Land Trust and formerly served as the founding president of NW Arkansas Community Foundation.

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MICHELE A. HARRINGTON ("MICKI"), Northwest Arkansas Land Trust Secretary - Micki holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Kansas and graduated with Honors from the University of Arkansas Law School. She had previously practiced social work with Youth Bridge, Inc. in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She has been practicing with the law now known as Harrington, Miller, Neihouse, Kieklak, Eichmann & Brown, P.A., since 1985. Her practice areas include wills, trusts, estate planning and probate, land use, contract and real estate law. She served as counsel to the Springdale Planning Commission for eleven years. In addition to this Board of Directors, she currently serves as Director of United Bank and is a past Director of the NW Arkansas Community Foundation.

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NANCY LEAKE, Northwest Arkansas Land Trust Treasurer - Nancy is Executive Director of Community Development Corp. Bentonville/Bella Vista Inc., (CDC) a non-profit organization that develops, owns and manages affordable housing in Bentonville and Bella Vista. Prior to founding CDC in 1991, Leake developed large urban mixed-use projects including office buildings, shopping centers and hotels. President Bush named Leake to the Community Development Financial Institution Fund Advisory Board. She also serves on the Advisory Board of Land Legacy, the statewide land trust in Oklahoma.

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THOMAS OPPENHEIM - Tom is Vice President of Engineering and Construction for Cooper Communities, Inc. of Rogers, Arkansas. He received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree from the University or Arkansas and is a Professional Engineer and a Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control. Tom also serves as President of the Board of Directors of the Community Development Corporation Bentonville/Bella Vista, Inc.

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TIM SNELL - Tim is a graduate of Louisiana State University, Schools of Forestry and Wildlife. Tim is currently the Nature Conservancy Associate State Director. He is responsible for the Ozark Highlands Office of The Nature Conservancy and works on water resource and water policy issues in Arkansas. He is a board member of the Illinois River Watershed Partnership. Tim has served as a board member and officer of many natural resource and farm finance organizations in the Ozarks.

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