Proposed by: a member of The Short Hills Garden Club, Zone IV

As executive director of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation (NJCF) since 1999, Michele Byers has guided NJCF in conserving 60,000 acres of open space and farmland in the nation’s most heavily-populated state. That acreage amounted to almost half of the 125,000 acres NJCF has preserved over its sixty-year history. With Michele at the helm, NJCF has formed a consortium with conservation groups in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New York to protect the Delaware River watershed and to improve water quality. She and NJCF have worked with civic groups and four former New Jersey governors to preserve the iconic view of the Palisades, and to revitalize urban parks and green spaces in some of America’s poorest cities. Michele served on the New Jersey State Planning Commission, helping to write legislation to promote land preservation. A model of leadership for conservation groups across the country, Michele Byers has an inspiring record of success in conserving the best of New Jersey for present and future generations.