For almost 30 years, GNPS championed the stewardship and conservation of Georgia’s native plants and their habitats as a solely volunteer organization. We took a monumental step forward in 2023 when we hired Nikki Belmonte as our first Executive Director. Nikki’s impact over the past three years has been tremendous as reflected in our continued growth in membership, chapters, revenue and staff. All of us who have worked with Nikki quickly came to appreciate her enthusiasm, professionalism and sincere dedication to making GNPS the wonderful organization it is today.
For all those reasons, we are sad to announce that Nikki will be leaving GNPS, effective June 26, for an opportunity as the Southeast Regional Manager for the Land Trust Alliance. We hate to see her go, but are happy that she will continue her professional career in the nonprofit conservation space in Georgia.
The board, chapter leaders and, indeed, all members wish Nikki continued success and hope to see her as a GNPS member for years to come!
A search committee, composed of board members and chapter presidents, has been formed to recruit and make a recommendation to the full board for our next Executive Director. Check out the job posting here and we welcome all of your help in getting the word out on the opening. We expect to close the posting on July 20th and begin interviews shortly afterwards.
During this transition, the GNPS Board, alongside staff member Eden Landwermeyer (Membership & Communications Coordinator) will ensure operational continuity. We are committed to building on the progress we’ve made with Nikki and many volunteers over the last 32 years as we continue with implementation of our ambitious strategic plan.
Thank you all for your support and encouragement!
