Catskill Center Promotes Lee Alexander to Deputy Executive Director
Longtime conservation leader will strengthen coordination across programs, partnerships, and strategic priorities for the Catskills.
September 3, 2026 — Arkville, NY: The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development has promoted longtime staff member Lee Alexander to Deputy Executive Director. In this newly restructured leadership role, Alexander will provide coordination across the Catskill Center’s conservation and stewardship, visitor engagement, and regional partnership work as the organization advances its 2025–2030 Strategic Plan. Alexander brings more than 25 years of conservation experience to the role, including strategic conservation planning, landscape-scale land protection, freshwater policy, preserve and conservation-easement stewardship, and community engagement. Her experience includes work with land trusts and conservation organizations large and small, including The Nature Conservancy, The Trustees of Reservations, Scenic Hudson, and Columbia Land Conservancy.
Alexander joined the Catskill Center in 2019 to lead its Streamside Acquisition Program, or SAP. Through a partnership with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, the SAP protects forested riparian buffers along the Schoharie Creek and its tributaries, helping safeguard water quality, strengthen floodplain and stream resilience, and conserve ecologically important lands in the Catskills.
The newly restructured Deputy Executive Director role is part of a broader effort to strengthen coordination across the Catskill Center’s programs, partnerships, and operations. Working closely with Executive Director Jeff Senterman and the organization’s team of staff, Alexander will provide strategic program leadership, fostering collaboration and synergy both internally and externally.
“The Catskill Center is building on a strong foundation by aligning our leadership structure to meet the opportunities and challenges we foresee in the decade ahead,” said Jeff Senterman, Executive Director of the Catskill Center. “Lee brings exceptional conservation experience, sound judgment, and a collaborative approach that will help align and strengthen our programs, partnerships, and people around the priorities that matter most for the Catskills. As Deputy Executive Director, she will help ensure that our work in land and water protection and stewardship is well coordinated and aligned with our visitor engagement and community partnerships, all in service to our Strategic Plan and our mission to protect and foster the environmental, cultural, and economic well-being of the Catskills.”
In her new role, Alexander will provide leadership and coordination across all Catskill Center program areas, including the Catskills Visitor Center in Mount Tremper, the Catskill Stewards Program, the Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership (CRISP), the Streamside Acquisition Program (SAP), and the Catskill Center’s Land Trust Program.
As an Accredited Land Trust, the Catskill Center manages the Platte Clove Preserve in Hunter, NY and the Thorn Preserve in Woodstock, NY while also stewarding many privately owned lands protected through perpetual legal agreements called conservation easements. Through its invasive species management program, CRISP, the Catskill Center works with regional partners and the public to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive plants and animals, detect new threats early, and eradicate newly arrived invasive species. The Catskills Visitor Center and Catskill Stewards Program educate and inspire visitors and residents alike to develop their own love for the region and learn how to responsibly enjoy the region’s natural and cultural resources. Coordinating and seeking efficiencies across all the Catskill Center’s efforts will be a key focus of Alexander’s new role.
A long-term priority for Alexander will be to reinvigorate the Catskill Center’s Land Trust Program. She has already begun collaborating with partner organizations to identify shared conservation priorities across the Catskills and beyond. “A key goal will be to ensure the Catskills’ resilience as the climate changes and preserve landscape-scale connections between the Catskills and other large natural areas,” Alexander shared.
The Catskill Center’s 2025–2030 Strategic Plan identifies three interdependent areas of work: inspiring public appreciation and respect for the Catskills; protecting the region’s natural resources and landscapes; and collaborating with communities, agencies, landowners, and regional partners to achieve shared goals. The updated leadership structure is intended to strengthen the organization’s ability to carry out those priorities while maintaining its long-standing commitment to the environmental, cultural, and economic well-being of the Catskills.
“I am really excited about the work ahead,” Alexander said. “The Catskill Center has an excellent team of smart, talented staff and a well-established culture of collaboration. I look forward to working with our staff, Jeff, our Board, and our partners throughout the region to strengthen synergies and leverage across our programs, advance shared conservation priorities, and expand the Catskill Center’s reach and effectiveness in serving the Catskills. It is truly a privilege to work in support of such an important mission!”
“The Board is delighted to recognize Lee’s leadership through this newly structured role,” said Peg DiBenedetto, Board Chair. “She brings a background of extensive experience and commitment to collaboration that will help the organization translate its strategic priorities into even stronger results. With the support of our members, donors, staff, partners, and communities, the Catskill Center is well positioned to deepen its impact and help ensure a robust future for the region.”
