Open Space chief appointed

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors have named interim
general manager Bill Keene as the new permanent general manager of
the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space
District.
“Our board is committed to continuing Sonoma County’s tradition
of land preservation and natural resource protection,” said 4th
District Supervisor and board chairman Paul Kelley.
“We feel that Bill has the right combination of vision,
leadership, and history of serving the community, to advance the
district during this time of change and opportunity,” said Kelley.
“We look forward to the continued good work of the District.”
Keene had served as the district’s interim head since last April
when former General Manager Andrea Mackenzie stepped down after
nine years to take a similar position in Santa Cruz.
In addition to guiding the district’s acquisition activities,
Keene will focus on stewardship of the district’s nearly 8,000
acres of which many are awaiting transfer to regional and state
parks jurisdiction.
An integral part of these efforts will include interim access
plans for properties such as the recent plan for Taylor Mountain,
while they await transfer to park management agencies, said county
officials.
“Despite these challenging economic times, I could not be more
excited and optimistic about the district’s future,” said Keene.
“We have a committed board and constituency, a talented staff, and
we are one of the top conservation organizations in the country.
The district is well-positioned to help lead the discussion on how
to best implement land conservation and agricultural preservation
statewide.”
Keene joined the Open Space District last year as assistant
general manager and was integral in the development of the
organization’s strategic plan that outlines specific initiatives
and actions for the next five years.
“We are so blessed to have a district like this,” Keene said at
the dedication this summer of the county’s Russian River Sunset
Beach Regional Park, which was acquired with the support of the
Open Space District.
Prior to joining the Open Space District Keene was program
manager for the Sonoma County Water Agency’s Sonoma Valley
Groundwater Management Program in Sonoma Valley. The program, the
first of its kind in Sonoma County, was rated one of the top
programs in the state for funding.
Keene “has extensive experience building partnerships throughout
the region with water agencies, municipalities, business interests,
agricultural groups, non-profits, and other organizations in the
areas of water resources, natural resources management, land use
planning, climate change, integrated regional water management
planning and watershed management,” said a county press release
announcing Keene’s selection.
“Bill’s leadership during this interim period has fostered an
environment of collaboration,” said Ralph Benson, Executive
Director of the Sonoma Land Trust, a key non-profit organization
that partners with the district. “This approach benefits the
conservation community and Sonoma County, and will ultimately prove
successful in the preservation of the best of what remains of
Sonoma County’s natural heritage.”
Keene had been seen as the appropriate successor to Mackenzie,
who took over the district during a transitional period when it was
being criticized for acquiring remote real estate with low
development potential.