Trust for Public Land Appoints Keysha Bailey as Chief Financial Officer
Trust for Public Land (TPL) today announced the appointment of Keysha Bailey as its new Chief Financial Officer. She will begin her role in March 2026, bringing a seasoned financial and strategic leader to help guide the organization’s next phase of growth and impact.
Bailey joins TPL at an important moment as the organization advances its new strategic plan, focused on expanding access to the outdoors and to important public spaces, and to strengthening the benefits these shared places provide to communities nationwide. As CFO, she will serve as a key member of the executive leadership team and a strategic partner to the CEO, helping shape financial strategy, strengthen operations, and expand the resources and partnerships that power TPL’s work.
With more than two decades of experience across mission-driven organizations and global financial institutions, Bailey brings a strong track record of building teams, guiding complex organizations, and aligning financial strategy with long-term impact.
Most recently, Bailey served as Chief Financial Officer at Calysta, a global agri-biotech company advancing sustainable food systems, where she led financial strategy, governance, and investor engagement across multinational operations. Prior to that, she was Chief Financial Officer at Rocketship Education, a national public charter school network, where she oversaw finance, legal, and real estate operations and supported the organization through a period of significant growth.
Earlier in her career, Bailey held leadership roles at Prudential Investment Management and J.P. Morgan, where she focused on capital markets, institutional real estate investment, and financing strategies.
“Keysha brings a rare combination of financial expertise, strategic vision, and a deep understanding of how to align resources with impact,” said Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser, President and CEO of Trust for Public Land. “At a time when TPL is scaling its work and deepening its impact, her leadership will be critical in growing its strong financial foundation and expanding the partnerships that make this work possible. Just as important, Keysha has a demonstrated track record translating complex financial strategy into a clear and compelling story. This highly relevant experience will inspire both current and future investors in TPL’s vital mission.”
Trust for Public Land’s work is rooted in a simple but powerful belief: access to the outdoors is essential for people and communities to thrive.
“I am honored to join Trust for Public Land as Chief Financial Officer,” said Keysha Bailey. “TPL has a remarkable legacy of protecting land and expanding outdoor access and historical connections to place for communities across the country. I look forward to contributing my experience to help advance this essential mission.”
Building on its more than 50-year foundation, the organization will focus on delivering community-centered outcomes across rural and urban communities nationwide—expanding parks, trails, community schoolyards and public lands to improve health and well-being, strengthen social cohesion, deepen cultural and historical connection, and enhance climate resilience.
“As we look ahead, delivering on our mission—to connect everyone to the outdoors and ensure communities have access to the spaces they need to thrive—requires disciplined stewardship and the ability to act decisively when opportunity arises,” said Joe Lipscomb, National Board Member and Finance Committee Chair for Trust for Public Land “Throughout this process, it was clear that Keysha brings the integrity, judgment, and leadership required to strengthen our financial foundation and position TPL to fulfill that mission for decades to come.”
From iconic landscapes to neighborhood parks, TPL has helped protect land and create public access to more than 4 million acres nationwide—advancing projects that span national parks and trails to community parks, schoolyards, and local green spaces, all designed in partnership with communities and reflective of their priorities. This includes advancing land back and conservation efforts in partnership with more than 70 Tribal and Indigenous communities and while also preserving places that tell a more complete story of America through its Black History and Culture work.
What others are saying:
“This is a defining moment, as Trust for Public Land today is doing more work in more places than ever in our history to connect people to the outdoors,” said National Board Member David Poppe and Audit Committee Chair. “Parks and public lands have a unique ability to bring people together, improve public health, and strengthen our communities. The impact of our work is profound, and I’m delighted we’ve found a leader like Keysha to help guide Trust for Public Land into our next chapter of growth.”
“I am deeply grateful that we’ve found a leader like Keysha at such an important moment for Trust for Public Land,” said TPL National Board Chair Lucas St. Clair. “Our work to protect the places that define our nation and ensure more people can experience them is more important than ever. Keysha brings the experience, judgment, and values needed to help carry that impact forward.”
“This is a pivotal moment for Trust for Public Land, and Keysha is the right leader at the right time. Her ability to think strategically while staying grounded in execution will help ensure the organization continues to grow its reach and impact,” added Eliot Merrill, Trust for Public Land National Board Member and Chair of the Transactions Committee.
Preston Smith, CEO and Co-founder, Rocketship Public Schools said, “It was a privilege to work alongside Keysha during her tenure as CFO at Rocketship. Her deep commitment to our Rocketeers and communities, combined with a sharp strategic lens, deep financial expertise, and extensive experience in capital markets, helped drive measurable results in our achievement and impact over the years.”
The selection of Keysha Bailey as TPL’s next Chief Financial Officer was supported by a national search firm, Boardwalk Consulting.
About Trust for Public Land
Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,500 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $112 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 10 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit www.tpl.org
