McIntyre's efforts have had an exceptional impact on communities and land conservation
Hanover, NH: \u200b Upper Valley Land Trust (UVLT) President Jeanie McIntyre has announced her plans to retire on June 30, 2026. McIntyre joined UVLT in 1987, two years after it was founded, and has been a guiding force behind one of the Twin States’ most successful nonprofits over her remarkable 39-year tenure.
Manning Rountree, of Lyme, NH, will re-join the UVLT Board of Trustees for his third term and will serve as interim president, effective July 1, while UVLT conducts a national search for its next president.
“Jeanie is a passionate, deeply committed, and extraordinarily talented advocate for all that makes the Upper Valley so special,” says UVLT Board Chair Patty Armstrong. “She’s fostered connections and cooperation between communities, helped sustain working lands, and protected our natural resources in an evolving economy. In a neighborly and highly effective way, she has invited us all to learn from and appreciate our landscape and habitats.”
McIntyre grew up in Lyme, NH. Her efforts have had an exceptional impact on communities and land conservation in the Upper Valley – an area that includes 45 towns in two states. Under her direction, UVLT developed into one of the few multi-state conservation organizations that address a cohesive landscape, rather than an area defined by political boundaries. The region includes some of the most fertile agricultural soils in the country, large blocks of ecologically significant unfragmented forestland, and extensive frontage along the Connecticut River.
“UVLT is a place where people come together to create conservation solutions for the places we all love,” says McIntyre. “Leading this organization, I have learned from and been inspired by so many volunteers, landowners, donors, civic leaders, and partners. Their care for the land and each other is just extraordinary and that is what has fueled UVLT’s success. I am truly grateful.”
Since 1985, UVLT has conserved 582 properties spanning more than 59,000 acres, including over 12,000 acres of productive agricultural soil and more than 27,000 acres of ecologically significant habitat, 52 trails and trail systems, and 35 Conservation Areas owned and managed for long term stewardship. UVLT’s two food pantry gardens have produced 17,500 pounds of fresh vegetables for local hunger relief programs since 2019, and a new initiative is providing cordwood to keep families warm in winter.
UVLT encourages all ages to explore the Upper Valley through low-cost, high-quality educational programing on its properties, which also host a range of scientific research studies.
UVLT has been accredited by the National Land Trust Accreditation Commission since 2012. This prestigious designation recognizes land conservation organizations nationwide that meet the highest quality standards for excellence and conservation permanence.
McIntyre’s contributions to the region are well recognized. She received \u200b the New Hampshire Farm, Forest & Garden Expo Andrew L. Felker Award in 2007 in honor of her advocacy for farmland conservation and her work bringing farmers and conservationists together, the Audubon Society of New Hampshire Tudor Richards Award in 2008 for her love and knowledge of the outdoors and her effective work on behalf of conservation in New Hampshire, and the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forest Sarah Thorne Conservation Award in 2010 for enhancing conservation capacity.
McIntyre is also a sought-after authority on conservation issues and has shared her expertise at local, regional, and national events. She will continue to serve UVLT as a volunteer member of its Development Committee.
Manning Rountree spent more than 20 years as an executive of White Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd., including the last eight as CEO, before retiring at the end of 2025. He served two terms as a UVLT trustee from 2011 to 2017 and also serves as a director of the St. Simons Island Land Trust in Georgia. Manning and his wife Kendall Hoyt have been active conservationists for decades, donating five easements to permanently conserve more than 1,500 acres in New Hampshire and Georgia, including the Lyme Pinnacle Conservation Area (a UVLT-managed property), and helped to launch the environment and sustainable studies program at Wake Forest University.
“I am blessed to know Jeanie as a good neighbor, a close friend, and a visionary leader. We are all the direct beneficiaries of what she has accomplished,” says Rountree. “UVLT is a vital part of the Upper Valley. I look forward to maintaining UVLT’s strong momentum while leading its transition to the next era.”
“Manning is a proven executive and a highly respected leader who is also thoroughly familiar with the Upper Valley and UVLT,” says Armstrong. “We will be very fortunate indeed to have him at the helm during this transition period.”
UVLT is a nonprofit land conservancy that works in 45 New Hampshire and Vermont towns in the Connecticut River watershed, providing conservation leadership and supporting communities and landowners to realize their conservation goals. Founded by Upper Valley residents in 1985, UVLT has conserved more than 59,000 acres of land. These include working farms, forested ridges, wildlife habitat, water resources, trails, and scenic landscapes. Much conserved land remains in private ownership, protected by permanent deeds known as conservation easements. In addition, UVLT owns and manages 35 conservation areas. For more information visit www.uvlt.org.
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