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Land preservation nonprofit Tri-Valley Conservancy now has interim leadership as new Board Chair Lori Souza was appointed as acting executive director effective last month after the sudden resignation of former leader Laura Antrim after roughly five months in the role.
Souza, a longtime Livermore resident and community advocate with seven years of experience on the Conservancy’s Board of Directors, said she will serve in the temporary role until a permanent executive director is hired.
“Although this is a disruptive event, we are confident that we will find a suitable replacement in a timely manner and expect to fully meet our obligations and fulfill our responsibilities during this interim leadership period,” Souza told the Weekly.
“I spent most of my 40-year career at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in operations management, so I feel fully prepared to assume the role of acting executive director,” she added.
Antrim announced her resignation to the nonprofit’s board effective the end of December, citing unspecified “other career opportunities”, according to Souza. The board had tapped Antrim, who had past experience with The Wine Group and BART, as Tri-Valley Conservancy’s new executive director in late July to succeed Laura Mercier who retired last summer after 18 years with the nonprofit.
Souza shared the statement Antrim delivered to the board, which said in part, “I appreciate the time I have spent with TVC and the support I have gotten working with talented people from the various municipal agencies and other nonprofit groups. I believe TVC plays an invaluable role in protecting the Tri-Valley’s open space and vineyards for perpetuity and will continue to support their mission.”
Attempts to reach Antrim were unsuccessful this week.
Upon Antrim’s resignation announcement, the board followed the nonprofit’s policy on executive director succession management and appointed the board chair to serve as acting executive director while recruitment occurs to find a permanent leader, Souza said. Souza had been elected as board chair beginning Jan. 1.
Key stakeholders were informed about the leadership turnover in early January, but the nonprofit had not issued a public statement en masse to date, according to Souza.
In addition to her career at Livermore Lab, Souza has held positions with various community groups including the Rotarian Foundation of Livermore, Las Positas College Foundation and the Yes on Measure P campaign in 2020. She currently sits as an appointed member of Alameda County’s East County Zoning Adjustments Board.
Based in Livermore, Tri-Valley Conservancy is an accredited land trust and certified nonprofit agency that strives to protect and advocate for agricultural land and open space. Its stated mission is ” to promote economically sustainable vineyards and orchards, and increase permanently protected, biologically diverse open spaces.”
