Our big news is that as of January 1, 2020, Quercus Land Stewardship Services has a new owner. I’ve been working on a transition plan with Alex Wenthe for the past couple of years, and we have finally nailed down all the details and sealed the deal.
Alex has a long history with Quercus, and he has the right combination of skills, experience, temperament and entrepeneurial spirit to carry the business forward into the next decades.
Alex has taken over ownership and the associated chief executive responsibilities, but I will continue to be very much involved with Quercus as a Senior Vice President.
Many of our colleagues and customers have likely already noticed that I have been less involved in the day-to-day details of the business as our operation has grown and our management team has gained proficiency. Since 2014 we have nearly doubled the number of landowners we serve, and we have developed a capable staff that does a great job of managing the hands-on work of helping landowners take care of their land.
I will continue to act as project manager for some sites, and will be passing on responsibility for others to our other project managers. I will still be a burn boss for prescribed burns, as well as mentoring our next generation of burn bosses, project managers, crew leaders and restoration crew.
It will be tough in some ways for me to ease out of the leadership role that I’ve held for the past seventeen years, but I’m excited for the new opportunities that are ahead of me. I’m also excited to see Quercus moving on into the future, well-positioned to accomplish more ecological land management on more sites, and to continue serving landowners with the high standard that we have established over the years.
Sincerely,
Jim Elleson
