Page Knudsen Cowles Chosen as TPL’s New National Board Chair

Page Knudsen Cowles today was elected chair of the national Board of Directors of The Trust for Public Land, a national conservation organization.

Ms. Cowles, of St. Paul, Minn., has been a member of TPL’s national board for a decade. She succeeds George P. Denny III of Boston, Mass., who had served as chair the past seven years.

Ms. Cowles is a native of Seattle, Washington, and received a B.A. from Yale College and an M.B.A. from Harvard University. She was formerly an investment professional in the financial services industry, and is now Managing Director of Knudsen Vineyards, a family owned wine grape growing concern in Dundee, Oregon.

TPL President Will Rogers said, “TPL’s mission of creating parks and open space close to where people live has never been more important than it is today. Certainly, the economic problems our nation currently faces mean real challenges for conservation, but at the same time, because of the downturn in the real estate market, we’re seeing enormous opportunities across the country. We are looking forward to Page’s leadership to turn these opportunities into reality.”

Ms. Cowles said, “As a member of the national Board of Directors for the past ten years, I have been continually impressed by the ability of TPL to overcome any and all hurdles in achieving its mission. I look forward to working with my fellow board members and the TPL staff to continue to build on this remarkable record of achievement.”

She added, “I also want to thank George Denny for his leadership. George has worked tirelessly and effectively and we all are proud of what he has helped the organization achieve. During his tenure, TPL protected more than 1.3 million acres, completed more than 1,600 projects, and built more than 150 parks. We aspire to maintain and build on the conservation successes which have been realized) under George’s direction.”

TPL is a national conservation organization which preserves land parks, open space, wilderness, playgrounds, and gardens. Since it was created in 1972, TPL has preserved more than 2.8 million acres in 47 states. TPL depends on and is grateful for the support of individuals, foundations, and corporations.