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 President of the Alliance of Florida Land Trusts, is on the Board of Sustainable Treasure Coast, Inc.

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.

Lois Fay - Database Analyst
A Baltimore native, Lois moved to Sebastian Florida in 2007, seeking a simpler life, warmer weather and expanded offshore fishing opportunities. With 30 years of administrative experience in the Baltimore-Washington corridor (11 years directly in the non-profit sector), Lois brings a solid base of skills to the Land Trust, ensuring accuracy and organization in database functions.

Dana 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.