First woman president transformed the environmental mission
The Patriot Ledger
BOSTON Environmental conservationists, outdoor enthusiasts and families across the state were saddened to learn Thursday of the untimely passing of Barbara J. Erickson, the vibrant and accomplished president and CEO of The Trustees of Reservations.
Surrounded by her family, Erickson, 42, died from a rare cancer of the appendix at home on Friday, Jan. 15 after four years of treatment. She lived in Newton and Chatham.
Erickson, outgoing and creative, transformed the mission of the nonprofit land conservation and historic preservation organization after she became it s first woman president in 2012. Ambition, tenacity, and audacious thinking defined Barbara’s presidency, Peter Coffin, chair of the Trustees board of directors said in a message to members.
Barbara J. Erickson, the president and CEO of the Trustees of Reservations, which manages 14 properties in Berkshire County, died Jan. 15 after a four-year battle with a rare form of appendix cancer. She was 42.
Originally from Wyoming, Erickson led the countryâs oldest land trust since 2012. She was the organizationâs fourth president, and first woman, to lead the nonprofit since its founding in 1891.
Erickson, who lived in Newton and Chatham, did not have a direct connection to the Berkshires. But those who knew her locally said she was passionate about her job and helped improve the properties that the Trustees managed in Berkshire County, particularly Naumkeag in Stockbridge.
January 22, 2021
Barbara J. Erickson, chief executive of Trustees of Reservations, the oldest land trust in the country, has died after a long struggle with a rare form of appendix cancer, the Boston nonprofit said Thursday.
Erickson, who was 42, had led the Trustees since 2012, and was only the fourth person and first woman to hold the job since the organization was founded in 1891. She died last Friday surrounded by family at her home in Newton.
Jocelyn Forbush, who has served as acting CEO while Erickson was on medical leave, will continue in the role while the board of directors “determines the next steps,” Peter Coffin, the board’s chair, said in a letter posted on the Trustees’ website.