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Our Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors is a dedicated group of individuals who generously give their time, wisdom, and expertise to the growth and development of MCT.
The Board serves an important function in a non-profit organization. Their primary responsibility is to articulate and manage the mission, purpose, and goals of the organization. In addition, they ensure the organization adheres to legal standards and ethical norms.
Who We Are
George Kimberly
Executive Director
George Kimberly became Executive Director of Mountain Conservation Trust in March, 2014. A native of western North Carolina, George is excited to be in the North Georgia mountains and involved in efforts to preserve the region’s resources for future generations.
Rebecca Champion
Chair
Becky brings a wealth of conservation experience and expertise to MCT. She is currently employed by the Watershed Protection Branch with the Environmental Protection Division of Georgia DNR.
James H. Kaminer, Jr.
Vice Chair
Jim Kaminer practiced commercial real estate law for more than 40 years with Seyfarth Shaw LLP and retired in late 2019. His practice included most areas of commercial real estate with an emphasis on real estate finance, office leasing, and real estate transaction structuring.
Nancy-Clair McInaney
Secretary/Treasurer
Nancy-Clair McInaney was born and raised in Atlanta, GA, and has spent countless hours in the North Georgia mountains. She earned a BA from Brown University in Religious Studies and a Master’s in Community Development with an emphasis in land-use planning from the University of California at Davis (2001).
Jim Crew
Board Member
Jim Crew is a practicing attorney in the Appalachian Judicial Circuit of north Georgia and lives in Pickens County. He has hiked and rafted widely in the Northwest, Southwest, and Southeast. He frequently wanders in the north Georgia mountains which are comparable in every way.
Tavia McCuean
Board Member
Tavia McCuean has spent over 35 years in the conservation of our natural and built resources. The majority of those years were spent as vice president and executive director of The Nature Conservancy for almost 20 years and then served as vice president of stewardship and conservation for the Forestar Group.
Ashley Preisinger
Board Member
Ashley Preisinger is the Former President of the Georgia Proton Treatment Center, LLC. During her 5 years with this organization, she was responsible for the overall asset management and financial restructuring of the project through a successful $250 million tax-exempt bond offering.
Evelyn Steiner
Board Member
As a long-time volunteer and supporter of MCT, Evelyn Steiner joined the Board in 2019. Evelyn earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at Augusta State University and her Doctor of Pharmacy at Mercer University.
Leslie Hankey
Board Member
Leslie Hankey joined the board at MCT in 2021, the same year that she received her Ph.D. from Texas Tech University. Leslie is a Lecturer of Technical Communication at Kennesaw State University.
Our Mission & Approach
The Mountain Conservation Trust of Georgia (MCT) is an accredited land trust dedicated to the permanent conservation of the natural resources and scenic beauty of the North Georgia foothills and mountains. With a mission focused only on the North Georgia mountains and foothills region, we serve as a regional catalyst for critical conservation efforts in North Georgia.
The Etowah River watershed and Lake Allatoona are identified in the top tier of importance for protecting drinking water. Maps created by the US Forest Service show areas of the country that are experiencing high consumer water demand and are facing significant development threats. The darker blue the watershed, the higher the importance of the watershed.
The mountainous region of North Georgia is celebrated for its ecological diversity and remarkable recreational opportunities. As the southernmost reach of a vast mountain range, the hardwood forests of the Blue Ridge region are home to the richest temperate freshwater ecosystems in the world, providing refuge to native mussels, fish, crayfish, and invertebrates. The Etowah River, which drains a significant portion of North Georgia, is renowned for its unique and globally significant biodiversity, or the variety of life found within it. The river and its tributaries are home to several endangered and/or threatened fish species, which are indicators of watershed health. These species include the amber darter (Percina antesella), the Etowah darter (Etheostoma etowahae), and the Cherokee darter (Etheostoma scotti) and are found nowhere else in the world.
Formed in 1991 by dedicated residents and champions of the North Georgia mountains, the Mountain Conservation Trust of Georgia is the only land trust with a stated mission to protect this region. MCT focuses on land protection, collaborative partnerships, and education designed to preserve and enhance the environmental quality and rural character of the mountains.
Over the years, our tactics have evolved to meet the ever-changing challenges facing the region, but our mission is unfaltering: to permanently conserve the natural resources and scenic beauty of the North Georgia foothills and mountains.
Email us to get a copy of the full Case Statement
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