Open Space Institute's 50th Anniversary Gala

Christopher “Kim” Elliman is a nationally recognized leader in land conservation policy, strategy, and advocacy and has spent more than three decades at the helm of the Open Space Institute as President & CEO. Kim’s retirement bookends a remarkable era of programmatic and geographic expansion for OSI, during which the organization grew from a local, Hudson Valley land trust into a nationally recognized conservation leader active in 16 states in the eastern United States and three Canadian provinces. Throughout his career, Kim has served on numerous boards and foundations, including: the Adirondack Land Trust; Black Rock Forest Consortium; Butler Conservation Fund; The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation; GROW NYC; Jamaica Bay Rockaway Parks Conservancy; Overhills Foundation; Samuel Freeman Charitable Trust; Storm King Arts Center; The Wilderness Society; the Wildlife Conservation Society; and Yale School of the Environment Steering Committee.

Over their long and storied careers, John and Patricia Adams have worked together to honor and protect the natural world. John is the Founding Chairman of the Open Space Institute and has served as the Chair of the board of trustees since its establishment. He is also Founding Director of The Natural Resources Defense Council. He has been the recipient of numerous awards and commendations in recognition of his work, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States. John and Patricia have worked with OSI and local communities to preserve and enhance the Hudson Valley and the Beaverkill, ensuring and expanding public access and protecting our precious environmental resources.