Staff Bios

Laurie A. Wayburn is the President and co-founder of Pacific Forest Trust. Her passion is creating, facilitating, and implementing a new vision for valuing, conserving, and managing forests as forests in all their varied, complex splendor—the whole system—transforming our reliance on timber products to pay the bills to one where we value and pay for all their essential gifts to us: water, climate, wildlife and renewal. When not up to good trouble, she loves to hike (with family, friends, and dog!) garden (especially for tomatoes), read, ski, and cook. And pun. A graduate of Harvard College, she worked with the United Nations Environment Program, as well as the Ecological Sciences Division of UNESCO (Man and Biosphere Program) in sustainable development for over a decade.

Connie Best is co-founder of PFT and is currently serving as Senior Strategic Advisor. Prior to PFT, Connie transformed what we drink by creating and marketing America’s first all-natural soda, leading to an explosion in healthy beverage choices. That same entrepreneurial vision and grit has helped PFT make major impacts for forests by marrying conservation and commerce to bring added value for stewardship for climate, biodiversity and water security. When she isn’t working with forest owners and rural communities, she’s “forest bathing” in the old growth red fir stands of Mt. Shasta with her vizsla and family.

Marc Hudson is the Conservation Director at PFT. He has 19 years of experience at land trusts across the country and has managed hundreds of land and conservation easement transactions, learning a broad range of conservation skills along the way, including specialties in conservation finance and planning. He is always passionate about learning more about conservation and how it interacts with human communities and has a BA in History from Geneseo College in New York. In his free time you’ll find him backpacking, fishing or rockhounding outside, and inside he’s cooking up a storm or making table.  

Shay Brown is a Stewardship Manager at PFT and is passionate about the intersection of responsible natural resource management and community development. Shay has a diverse professional background in environmental stewardship, having worked for the U.S. Forest Service and several non-profit land conservation organizations, including an agricultural land trust. Additionally, Shay holds an MA in Natural Resources and Sustainable Development, and an MA in International Environmental Policy. When not in the woods for work, Shay is usually in the woods for fun, and likes to spend most weekends backpacking, camping, and hiking in the Sierras and around the Bay Area.

Kevin Connelly is Development Director and works in PFT’s San Francisco office. Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Kevin has BS degrees in Industrial Management and Economics from Carnegie-Mellon. Initially, he worked for an international strategy planning management consultancy in the steel industry. Since 1989, Kevin aligned his career with his deep personal core values of protection of our environment and compassion for animals. He has a wide range of experience in development, marketing, and non-profit management with Bay Area-based national and international environmental and animal advocacy organizations. Enjoying live music and hiking the many great Bay Area parks are among his passions.

Kevin Lemons is Gifts Officer at Pacific Forest Trust, where he brings nearly two decades of experience in fundraising and relationship-building to support forest conservation. With a background in global education, environmental conservation, and social impact, Kevin has worked with organizations such as Stanford University, The Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, and National Geographic Expeditions. He holds a master’s degree in global development and microfinance and is passionate about translating human connection into meaningful outcomes for the environment. Kevin enjoys travel, yoga and spending time with his bulldog Pearl finding daily joy in San Francisco, a city he finds full of abundant natural and human-made resources.

 Lyndia Hammer serves as PFT’s Stewardship and Outreach Associate. She is fascinated by forest and disturbance ecology, passionate about the improvement of forest management to benefit all beings, and delighted to share nature observation with people of all ages. She comes to PFT from a diverse background in forestry, wildlife, and restoration, and holds a BS in Biology from Southern Oregon University and an MS in Forestry from the University of Missouri Center for Tree Ring Science. When not at work you might find Lyndia listening to birds, watching youth baseball, or working out at the local cross fit gym.

Ursula Harwood is a Forestry Technician at PFT. She has a B.S. in Environmental Sciences from UC Berkeley, and is passionate about resilient forest ecosystems. She has worked in outdoor spaces in many capacities, from forest research and management implementation, to outdoor education and wilderness guiding. In her free time, she enjoys backpacking, playing guitar, and riding her bike.

Paul Mason is Vice President for Policy and Incentives at Pacific Forest Trust. With 20 years of forest policy and legislative experience in Sacramento, he is a regular fixture in the State Capitol and state agencies. Driven by the urgency to restore and conserve forest structure and function at landscape scale, Paul is thrilled to be putting his Resource Policy degree to good use. A lover of rural California and wild places, when away from Sacramento Paul often visits the spectacular north coast and Klamath mountain region.

 Brynn Lowry is a Program Associate at PFT and works in the San Francisco office. Brynn has a BS in plant sciences from UC Santa Cruz and recently graduated with an MA in Primate Conservation from the City University of New York. She is passionate about conserving plant and animal populations across the world, but especially in her home state of California. In her free time, you can find her hiking in the Marin Headlands or spending time at home with her partner Zach and her cat Binx.

Todd Pond is the Senior Accounting Associate at PFT, where he ensures the organization has a rock-solid accounting records and the staff has the tools needed to do their good work. Todd has associate degrees in accounting, Spanish and liberal arts from Berkeley City College, and he’s fluent in Spanish. His family introduced him to the outdoors when he was young, and he spends his free time fly fishing, hiking, and exploring the mountains. Todd appreciates working for an organization where everyone shares the same personal and professional values.

Jack Singer is Pacific Forest Trust’s Stewardship Director, based in Ashland, OR. He has worked professionally in forestry and land management in the western United States since 2015. He joined PFT in 2019, and helps manage PFT’s conserved forest properties, monitor working forest conservation easements, and provide analytic support for new conservation acquisitions. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Earth & Environmental Sciences from Wesleyan University, a Master of Forestry from the Yale School of the Environment, and is licensed to practice forestry in California (RPF #3247). Jack is passionate about the forests and human communities where he and his colleagues work as land stewards. In his free time, he appreciates music, delicious vegetarian food, and adventures in the mountains.

Molly Shambo is Finance, Administration & Office Coordinator at Pacific Forest Trust. With a passion for working in mission-driven organizations, she brings her extensive background in arts administration, operations management, and classical music training to ensure thorough and effective support for her team. When not keeping the office running smoothly, she loves to ride her bike, take long trail walks with her dogs, and attend symphony concerts.

Vivian Racz is the Development Associate at Pacific Forest Trust. She supports the organization’s fundraising, donor engagement, and communications efforts. With a background in nonprofit development and a passion for climate resilience, Vivian is committed to strengthening the philanthropic partnerships that protect and restore working forests. Before joining PFT, they worked with several mission-driven organizations focused on community based and social equity, growing skills in donor communications, database management, and impact-driven fundraising strategy. Outside the office, you will most likely find her traveling to new places, working on ceramics, painting, or getting lost in a good book. 

Violet Low-Beinart is a Project Coordinator & Convener at The Pacific Forest Trust, where she supports network building and coordination around fire resilience, older forest conservation, and climate solutions. Violet brings deep experience in working lands conservation, agroforestry fieldwork, and cross-sector convening, and holds a Master of Environmental Management from the Yale School of the Environment. When she’s not at work, you’ll find her backpacking, swimming in any body of water she can find, or trying to pickle something new.

Keith Novosel is the Science Communications and Content Manager at Pacific Forest Trust. With a business degree from Pepperdine University and a background in marketing, photography, video creation, and social media management, he leads the organization’s storytelling and communications. He is passionate about mission driven work benefiting conservation and the outdoors. Outside of work, Keith enjoys surfing, hiking, fly fishing, and exploring nature with his family.