July 26, 2019 LGLC Honors Five at President’s Reception
Pictured: Apperson Society members awarded during the LGLC’s President’s Reception, July 26, 2019: (left to right) Robert Von Werne, accepting for the Makowski Trust; Grace and Lisa Stromberg, for the Stromberg family; LGLC Executive Director Jamie Brown; Bernice McPhillips, for the McPhillips family; and Craig and Lora Treiber.
Bolton Landing, NY – The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) honored five major partners and supporters during its 7th annual President’s Reception, held Friday, July 26 at the Bolton Historical Museum.
Honored guests included Judy Larter, who received the LGLC’s Henry M. Rowan Conservation Award, and four new members of the LGLC’s prestigious Apperson Society: the Makowski Trust, Bernice McPhillips and the McPhillips family, Lisa and Bill Stromberg, and Lora and Craig Treiber.
In addition to being honored this year as Apperson Society members, the Treibers are the founders and underwriters of the LGLC’s President’s Reception.
The event, which is held each year to thank those who demonstrated significant support of the LGLC over the past year, included about 100 guests who were able to also enjoy the new exhibit in the Bolton Historical Museum. Titled, “Landscapes Lost and Found: Two Centuries of Art from Bolton Landing,” the exhibit has received high praise since its opening on May 24.
While the paintings within the museum walls showed landscapes of Bolton’s past, those attending the event celebrated efforts made to protect those landscapes that we enjoy now, and those who helped to make them happen.
The presentation of the Rowan Award recognizes exemplary individuals and organizations for their conservation efforts around Lake George, following the spirit of its namesake, Henry M. Rowan, who received the inaugural award in 2003. Recipients have made significant impacts in the LGLC’s own efforts as well as other environmental projects aimed to protect the beloved natural and cultural resource that is Lake George.
The 2019 Henry M. Rowan award was presented to Judy Larter (center). Pictured: Larter’s granddaughter, Elsa Coughlin (left) and daughter, Jenny Coughlin (right).
Ginny Rowan Smith, daughter of Henry Rowan, presented the 2019 Award to Larter.
“Judy has been so involved, incredibly involved, with the Land Conservancy,” said Smith, “and always very passionate about her role on the board.”
Larter was one of the LGLC’s original supporters with the Margaret Boyd Rowan Preserve in 1990. After joining the LGLC Board in October of 1994, she has remained involved and been a staunch ambassador for the organization ever since.
In addition to serving on the board, Larter also served as Co/Vice President for two years, Vice-President of Conservation for five years, and chaired the Events Committee, and Conservation and Stewardship Committee for three years each.
“I am so privileged to be a part of the success of the LGLC,” said Larter. “It definitely is more than ever a challenge to protect the watershed of the lake we all love. Onward!”
LGLC Executive Director Jamie Brown then introduced the 2019 Apperson Society inductees, assisted by LGLC Vice President of Development Jeff Brozyna. Members each receive an Apperson medal, featuring Dome Island.
The Apperson Society was created by the Lake George Land Conservancy in honor of John Apperson’s passionate land conservation efforts for Lake George. Perhaps best known for his purchase and then donation of Dome Island for its permanent protection in 1956, Apperson’s legacy of conservation is can still be seen today.
To carry on Apperson’s vision of a wild and protected Lake George, Apperson Society members are individuals, families, foundations or organizations that donate leadership gifts valuing $100,000 or greater to support land conservation in the Lake George watershed.
This year’s four Apperson Society inductees each demonstrated exemplary support of land conservation in their own ways for the benefit of Lake George.
The Makowski Trust, received by Robert Von Werne
Kenneth Allen Makowski had a vision: he wanted his legacy to ensure that the work of historic preservation and environmental conservation organizations thrived and helped future generations to enjoy the wonders of what these groups stewarded. After he passed, his estate formed a trust to fund the work of such organizations, including the Lake George Land Conservancy. Trustee David Smith was introduced to the LGLC by his friend and now LGLC Board Member, Robert Von Werne in 2016. They, along with Joe Andruzzi, the Trust’s Counsel, have since spent a lot of time learning about the LGLC and its projects, and the LGLC is proud to receive support from the Trust in order to carry on Mr. Makowski’s legacy here at Lake George.
Von Werne said, “Mr. Makowski is looking down right now and saying thank you for making a connection with the Lake George Land Conservancy. This is something that would have been very pleasing to him. And again I’d be very remiss without speaking complimentary about the entire staff, because … it was that initial personal contact that said, you know what, this might be the place for us to help out. And sure enough, several years later, it truly has been. We’re so pleased to be here and thankful for this great award.”
Bernice McPhillips and The McPhillips Family, received by Bernice McPhillips
After deciding to sell more than 325 acres that her family had stewarded for over 90 years within the Towns of Lake George and Queensbury, McPhillips approached Dennis Dickinson, Supervisor of the Town of Lake George. Her hope was to figure out a way to protect the land while also providing a recreational resource, and economic asset for the community. Dennis brought in the LGLC and Town of Queensbury Supervisor John Strough to help create a conservation solution. As a result, thanks to the McPhillips family’s conservation ethic and patience, the East Brook Preserve, a 12-acre parcel of wetlands and hemlock forest, and the 300+ upland French Mountain Preserve, were protected in 2017 and 2018, respectively. The McPhillips family sold the East Brook Preserve property to the LGLC for an amount significantly below its appraised value, and the French Mountain uplands were sold to the Towns of Lake George and Queensbury subject to conservation easements held by the LGLC.
McPhillips said, “I’m just so pleased that that view [from French Mountain] will be saved and I just want the next generation and generations to come to enjoy what we have, right in our back yard. So thank you, very much, I appreciate it.”
Lisa and Bill Stromberg, received by Lisa and daughter Grace Stromberg
The Strombergs support many philanthropic causes and are active volunteers in their community, serving on a number of Boards in the fields of education, human services, arts and culture, and the environment. Their generous support of the LGLC has been ongoing since 2008, focusing much of their efforts on protecting the natural resources in the Town of Bolton. In particular, they recently provided a lead gift for the Indian Brook/Northwest Bay Brook Conservation Initiative.
Lisa Stromberg said, “We both feel very strongly about the Land Conservancy and the work that the Land Conservancy does. They’re very good stewards of all of their resources… and we couldn’t be more impressed with the work that they do to save our beautiful lake and to maintain the water quality, the clarity and everything that we all love. We really appreciate their work. So, thank you; thank you to your whole team, really, a first-class team. Thank you.”
Lora and Craig Treiber, received by Lora and Craig Treiber
Supporters of LGLC since 2000, Lora and Craig Treiber are leaders and heroes in the philanthropic world. They donate their time, talent and passions to focus on improving human services, health, education, and environment all over the northeast, and in particular the Adirondacks, Long Island and New York City. In addition to the LGLC, their vast support reaches locally to Camp Dudley, Fort Ticonderoga, the Hudson Headwater Health Foundation and Warrensburg Health Center, The Nature Conservancy, the Adirondack Mountain Club, Adirondack Museum, The FUND for Lake George, and many more.
Craig Treiber said, “Three points that come to mind for why this organization has been so successful over the many years: Number one is the mission. The mission was clear, precise, it was able to attract all of us here for all the obvious reasons. Number two, is that all of our experience for the few decades with the existing staff has been superlative. They are can-do people, they want to make things happen, and just made it very easy for anyone that had anything to do with them. Number three is all about the board and the leadership of this organization. … All of these people have done a wonderful job in recruiting and keeping the right direction of the organization and that’s why we’re here and enjoying some success, which we’ll see more of. Thank you.”
###