Karen Stanley has been appointed by Governor Kay Ivey as a Trustee of the Forever Wild Land Trust. Established by the State Legislature, the purpose of the trust is to protect the natural heritage of Alabama for the benefit of present and future generations.
Ms. Stanley has shown leadership in land conservation and preservation since her first board term on the Land Trust of North Alabama (LTNA), which at that time (in the early 2000’s) was called the Huntsville Land Trust. She most recently served as Chair of the Site Selection Committee for the planned Nature Discovery Center for LTNA.
Vice President of Finance at Stanley Construction, Karen is a former Vice-Chair for Small Business at the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce, where she instituted the inclusion of Small Businesses in the first Huntsville Regional Economic Growth Campaign in 2004.
Ms. Stanley earned degrees in Chemical Engineering from Vanderbilt University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as well as an MBA from Harvard University. In service to her alma maters, Karen is immediate Past Chair of the Vanderbilt University Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering External Advisory Council, and she is the Co-President of the Harvard Business School African American Alumni Association.
About Forever Wild Land Trust
The Legislature of Alabama established that Alabama is endowed with a rich diversity of natural areas having unique ecological systems, plant and animal life, geological formations, wildlife habitats, recreational values and scenic beauty. As a part of the continuing growth of the population and the economic development of the state, it is necessary and desirable that certain lands and waters be set aside, managed and preserved for use as state parks, nature preserves, recreation areas, and wildlife management areas. In order to meet the State’s outdoor recreation needs and to protect the natural heritage of Alabama for the benefit of present and future generations, it is the policy of the state to:
(a) Protect, manage, and enhance certain lands and waters of Alabama with full recognition that this generation is a trustee of the environment for succeeding generations;
(b) Protect, to the fullest extent practicable, recreational lands and areas of unique ecological, biological and geological importance; and
(c) Promote a proper balance among population growth, economic development, environmental protection, and ecological diversity. Accordingly, there is hereby established the Alabama Forever Wild Land Trust for the purpose of identifying, acquiring, managing, protecting and preserving natural lands and waters that are of environmental or recreational importance.