The Ozark Land Trust (OLT), a nationally accredited conservation group protecting more than 30,000 acres across Missouri and Arkansas, has named Diana Sheridan as its next Executive Director. Sheridan, a longtime conservation professional based in Springfield, succeeds Larry Levin, who has led the organization since 2019. Levin will continue to assist Sheridan and the OLT Board during the transition.

The leadership change comes after an extensive search conducted by a committee of the OLT Board, led by incoming President Debbie Gittinger.

“We had many impressive candidates apply for the position,” said Gittinger. “We are thrilled to have a professional of Diana’s experience and character to succeed Larry in the role. We have planned for this transition for over a year. We have successfully implemented several continuity measures to ensure that OLT’s conservation work and operations continue uninterrupted.”

Sheridan brings more than two decades of conservation leadership to the post. She most recently served as Supervisory Natural Resource Specialist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) National Water Management Center in Little Rock, Arkansas, where she led a national team supporting watershed plan development. She also previously worked as a District Conservationist and Soil Conservationist in southwest Missouri, assisting landowners with conservation practices.

Before her federal service, Sheridan was Executive Director of the James River Basin Partnership in Springfield, a role that deepened her ties to Ozarks conservation.

“I am so happy to be joining the highly professional OLT team in their protection and restoration of land and water resources across the Ozark region,” Sheridan said. “I’m looking forward to working with the landowners of the Ozarks again and returning to my professional roots in the nonprofit world.”

The Ozark Land Trust, founded in 1984, protects land through ownership and conservation easements, partnering with landowners to preserve forests, farmland, and waterways. Its 18-member Board of Directors represents communities across Missouri and Arkansas, while its eight staff members are based in Springfield, Fulton, and St. Louis. OLT is also a member of the Land Trust Alliance and the Missouri Land Trust Coalition.