(9/14) The board of Strawberry Hill appointed Daniel Brannen as its new executive director September 7, replacing Kara Ferraro who resigned in August.
In a letter to supporters of Strawberry Hill, the Foundation President Matthew Teeter said, "I want to thank our outgoing Executive Director, Kara Ferraro, for her dedicated service to Strawberry Hill, particularly over the last year and a half as we have navigated these uncertain times. We are sorry to see Kara move on, but we wish her well as she begins her next chapter."
Ferraro was hired in a 2018 reorganization of the Foundation that was undertaken as a result of financial difficulties with the Foundation’s endowment, which was preventing the organization from meeting the original vision of the donated land. In 1994, Frances Froelicher bequeathed the original 519 acres to the Fairfield community to create an environmental education center. At one time Strawberry Hill included as much as 609 acres.
Following her appointment, Ferraro oversaw the transfer of 560 acres to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Proceeds from the sale bolstered the organization’s endowment to $1.4 million. Strawberry Hill survives exclusively on funds derived from the Foundation's endowment, membership and program fees, donations, as well as a mixture of state, federal, and private grants, and volunteer commitments.
Under Ferraro’s leadership, the Strawberry Hill Education Committee was re-established, utilizing community members to offer monthly guided hikes and a variety of enticing nature activities.
"We are excited to have Dan join our organization as we continue to move forward through and from the pandemic. Kara has left Strawberry Hill in a strong position as we look to further expand on our environmental education programming. Dan’s love of the environment and past success in developing organizations will bode well for our future. These are exciting times at Strawberry Hill," Teeter said.
Brannen, who has called Adams County home for 14 years, holds a B.S. in Zoology from Miami University, a M.S. in Urban Affairs from Hunter College, and is a graduate of Leadership Greater Washington. Brannen has over 30 years of experience as a seasoned nonprofit executive, and has training as a nonprofit Standards for Excellence consultant. Brannen marks the third executive director in less than five years.
