It is with the utmost gratitude that we recognize our retiring trustee Kaaren Oldfield of Glen Ellyn for more than 13 cumulative years of service to our Board! Kaaren actually served two different terms on our Board of Trustees, from 1998 – 2002 and again from 2012 – 2021, and has had a distinguished career in real estate, most recently with Keller-Williams Properties.
Always bringing her radiant smile and sincere passion for our mission to her work on our Board, Kaaren’s contribution to The Conservation Foundation and our local communities through local open space referenda cannot be overstated. Her marketing expertise and campaign strategy have been key to helping us pass all 14 of the open space referenda we have run, raising $750 million and preserving 35,000 acres of land, most of which is now open to the public as parks and forest preserves.
“What I admire most about Kaaren is that she is always “up”, always positive with an energy that uplifts others as well,” said our President/CEO Brook McDonald, who has worked closely with Kaaren on the aforementioned open space referenda. “She is just a deeply good person, she genuinely cares about people, and has been a true marketing genius when it comes to passing these open space campaigns.”
Kaaren, we cannot begin to thank you for your loyal and enthusiastic support of The Conservation Foundation over the past three decades! You have always been all-in for our mission, a staunch advocate for our work throughout the region, and have a way of making our staff feel appreciated and energized. We will sincerely miss you, and wish you many happy, well-earned hours with your family and friends.
Kaaren with other Trustees in 2014, front row, fourth from the right. Her late husband Larry, also a wonderful and dearly missed friend of The Conservation Foundation, appears behind her.
