Beth Willard Patton Promoted to Associate Director of Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina

Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina is pleased to announce the promotion of Beth Willard Patton to associate director.In this role, Patton will oversee the organization’s administrative and financial functions and will continue to lead its development program, working with Communications and Outreach Associate Sophie Shelton to achieve strategic marketing, communications and fundraising goals.A valued member of the Foothills Conservancy staff since 2014, Patton first joined the land trust as development director, immediately increasing the public’s awareness of the organization’s conservation work through the creation of new collaborative events including Acres and Ales (partnering with Brown Mountain Bottleworks) and Brews for Views (partnering with Granite Falls Brewery), the introduction of Land Trust, an annual signature beer courtesy of Morganton’s Fonta Flora Brewery and—new for 2018—Proceeds for Places, which asks local businesses to donate a portion of their proceeds to the conservancy on Land Trust Day, June 2, 2018, and also includes a new membership drive at the Marion-based bottle shop, Refinery 13.Patton has also grown the conservancy’s social media awareness and streamlined the organization’s communications, resulting in new and increased media coverage.“Beth is a committed, hard-working professional who has proven her dedication to Foothills Conservancy’s conservation mission time and again,” said Executive Director Andrew Kota. “She is a pleasure to work with and I am confident that our board of directors’ decision to promote Beth to associate director will enhance our organization for future success.”Born in Fairfax, Virginia, and raised on a 303-acre Century Farm in Poolesville, Maryland, Patton is devoted to seeing farms, forests, watersheds, and our natural world preserved. She lives in Morganton with her husband, Corey and two children, Sadie and Avery. Patton is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.“I grew up close to the land on 303 acres that have been in my family since 1871,” said Patton. “This working farm continues to be a productive part of Maryland agriculture and shaped the way I view our natural world. I was drawn to Foothills Conservancy because I grew up valuing conservation, so I love talking about the importance of protecting land, provoking thoughtful interactions with donors, and exploring new and exciting ways to tell the Foothills Conservancy story. For me our work is more than just a job—it’s part of who I am.”