The Trust for Public Land Announces Appointment of Shanelle Smith as Ohio State Director

The Trust for Public Land announced today that Shanelle L. Smith has joined the national parks and conservation nonprofit as Ohio State Director. As director, Shanelle will be oversee the organization’s work with donors, local advisors, cities and towns, public funders, local nonprofits, and community stakeholders to create and enhance parks, conserve open space, and benefit the environment through green-infrastructure projects.

An Ohio native, Shanelle most recently served as the Deputy Director of the Cuyahoga County Department of Sustainability, promoting and advancing energy-efficient building, solar power and wind power, bike sharing, and local sustainability across the county’s 59 municipalities. Before that, she served as Cleveland Director of Emerald Cities Collaborative, advancing sustainability and energy efficiency in Greater Cleveland.

“I look forward to using my experience working with others to develop and manage sustainability programs to guide The Trust for Public Land in helping to create park-rich, climate-smart cities and communities in Ohio,” Shanelle said.

“The Trust for Public Land is fortunate to have found Shanelle Smith to head up our Ohio program,” said Senior Vice President Jeff Danter. “Her local knowledge, experience working with Ohio communities, and especially her commitment to using parks and green infrastructure to promote environmental sustainability leave her well positioned to write the next chapter in the organization’s nearly 40 year history in the state.”