BLT celebrates award winners, welcomes new board members, and announces $500,000 matching challenge

Jul 16

at Barnstable Land Trust’s Annual Meeting

West Barnstable, MA – Barnstable Land Trust (BLT) had a lot to celebrate at their Annual Meeting on July 15th which was held at the Frank and Maureen Wilkens Science and Engineering Center, Cape Cod Community College. The Founders Award honored The Kramer Family of Centerville, and the President’s Award recognized Karen Daley of Mashpee. Tod Cochran of Cotuit, Jeff Dobro of Centerville, and Jean McCutcheon of Cotuit were elected to BLT’s Board of Directors and Justine Laugharn of Barnstable Village was elected as the new board chairperson.

With more than 85% of its $10 million goal already committed by visionary donors, BLT also announced the public phase of its For Now & Forever Campaign, inviting the community to help raise the final $1.5 million by September to acquire and conserve five properties critical to environmental protection and community recreation, build an endowment to ensure this work continues for generations to come, and grow the stewardship capacity to improve the conservation value and resilience of protected lands. The campaign comes at a pivotal moment for Barnstable. As remaining open land becomes increasingly limited, so too do the opportunities to preserve the landscapes that shape Barnstable’s identity.

To encourage broad community participation during the campaign's final months, a generous supporter has established a $500,000 Matching Challenge, doubling the impact of qualifying gifts and helping accelerate the campaign toward its September goal.

“This Annual Meeting was especially meaningful as we enter the final and most important phase of our historic For Now & Forever Campaign,” said Janet Milkman, BLT Executive Director. “Honoring our Founders and President’s Award recipients and sharing the exciting opportunity of the $500,000 matching challenge reflects the remarkable commitment of our community. Together, they demonstrate the shared dedication that makes BLT’s work possible and that will help protect the places we cherish for generations to come.”

“We are also delighted to welcome three new members to our Board as well as a new board chairperson,” Milkman continued. “Justine Laugharn has been a longtime supporter and board member who is well positioned to help lead BLT as we embrace our next chapter of growth. Tod Cochran, Jeff Dobro, and Jean McCutcheon also bring a wealth of expertise. Their leadership and insights will be invaluable as Barnstable Land Trust continues to preserve and protect the Cape’s natural assets.”

Four of the five land projects that BLT has been working on have been successfully completed while one (Captain’s Woods aka the Monteiro Property in Cotuit) is progressing. The completed projects are: Highground Golf Course (Cotuit), Santuit Woodlands (Cotuit), Woodland Bog (W. Barnstable), and Mill Pond Preserve (Marstons Mills). Progress on the Twin Brooks Golf Course (Hyannis) and Wheeler Holly Preserve (Marstons Mills) were also showcased. Additional details about the individual projects can be found here.

Cape Cod 5 and Cape Cod Package Store sponsored the event, and Cape Cod Woodturners donated handcrafted gifts made from wood found on BLT properties to the Award winners.

Founders and President’s Awards

Founders Award Recipients, The Kramer Family

Founders Award: The Kramer Family (Centerville, Barnstable, and other villages)

For the Kramer family, Cape Cod has long connected generations through cherished memories and a shared love of nature. Since 1944, the family has explored, gathered, and cared for the land around Lake Wequaquet and Barnstable Village. Ken Kramer permanently protected his beloved property through a gift to BLT, while Michael’s legacy lives on at the Michael R. Kramer Center, and Richard Kramer continues to be a generous BLT supporter. Together, the Kramer family has helped BLT conserve the Cape for future generations.

President’s Award Recipient, Karen Daley with outgoing Board Chairperson, Leigh Townes

President’s Award: Karen Daley (Mashpee)

Karen’s distinguished nursing career spans more than 50 years, including over 25 years at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and service as president of the American Nurses Association. A nationally recognized nurse leader, author, and trustee, she joined the BLT Board in 2015. Karen has chaired the Governance Committee, served on the Nominating Committee and Executive Director Search Committee, and has brought exceptional leadership and dedication to advancing BLT’s mission of land conservation for over ten years.

New Board Chairman and Directors

Leigh Townes and New Board Chairperson, Justine Laugharn

(New Board Chairperson) Justine Laugharn (Barnstable Village)

Justine is a retired biotechnology executive who co-owned and operated Covaris Inc. for 23 years. She has served in various leadership roles on BLT’s board of directors since 2021 and has held leadership roles with several other nonprofit organizations. A Boston College and Boston University graduate, she divides her time between Boston and Cape Cod.

Tod Cochran (Cotuit)

Tod is a retired labor and employment attorney, Harvard and UC Law San Francisco graduate, and former partner at Pyle Rome Ehrenberg PC. A longtime conservation volunteer, he has served with the Sipson Island Trust and Riverside Greenway Working Group. Tod and his family have longstanding and deep ties to Cape Cod.

Jeff Dobro MD, FACR (Centerville)

Jeff is a healthcare executive, physician, and CEO of Eudaimonia Concepts with extensive leadership experience across healthcare innovation. A board-certified internist and rheumatologist, he has held senior roles at leading organizations and serves on the Virginia Center for Health Innovation board. Jeff has longstanding ties to Cape Cod.

Jean McCutcheon (Cotuit)

A year-round Cape resident since 1994, Jean is the Senior Philanthropic Advisor at Wheaton College with decades of fundraising and nonprofit leadership experience. A University of Vermont graduate, she has held advancement roles at Boston Latin School, Beaver Country Day School, and Cape Cod Academy, and has served on local nonprofit boards and committees.

Additional:‍ ‍

More information about BLT’s For Now & Forever Campaign can be found at https://blt.org/forever

Land project details can be found at https://blt.org/landprojects

More extensive bios can be found at https://blt.org/board

Watch the 2026 Annual Meeting Presentation on YouTube

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Barnstable Land Trust (BLT) is a community-supported, nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving open space and natural resources in the Town of Barnstable and nearby areas. BLT has protected over 1,266 acres in the Town of Barnstable and supported the Town in conserving over 11,000 more. Recognized as a regional leader in collaborative land preservation and stewardship, community engagement, training, and advocacy, BLT leverages its conservation expertise to inform local public decisions as they impact our ecosystems, community health, well-being, and quality of life. To learn more about the organization, see the full calendar of 130+ events annually, or to access one of its three popular trail map guides (Barnstable Trail Guide – English and Portuguese versions, Cape Cod Pathways/Barnstable Trail Guide, and Eagle Pond & Little River Sanctuary Trail Guide), visit http://www.BLT.org or call 508-771-2585.

Barnstable Land Trust https://blt.org