Meet the Irvine Ranch Conservancy Team

IRC Team 2023 Holiday Party

Irvine Ranch Conservancy is a group of experienced, passionate, dedicated people committed to excellent stewardship and connecting people to the land. The Conservancy provides extensive expertise, efficiencies and results to our partners and public landowners, including city, county and state agencies, academia, landowners, and other non-profit organizations.

Our team collectively brings many decades of experience in land management, restoration ecology, conservation biology, environmental interpretation, volunteer management, visitor experience planning, and facility construction. The team includes hundreds of highly trained volunteers, working together to care for natural resources and help connect people to the land. The Conservancy is guided by a broad Vision of transforming the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks into a nationally acclaimed treasure of conservation management and recreational enjoyment.

IRC Team 2023 Holiday Party

Irvine Ranch Conservancy is a group of experienced, passionate, dedicated people committed to excellent stewardship and connecting people to the land. The Conservancy provides extensive expertise, efficiencies and results to our partners and public landowners, including city, county and state agencies, academia, landowners, and other non-profit organizations.

Our team collectively brings many decades of experience in land management, restoration ecology, conservation biology, environmental interpretation, volunteer management, visitor experience planning, and facility construction. The team includes hundreds of highly trained volunteers, working together to care for natural resources and help connect people to the land. The Conservancy is guided by a broad Vision of transforming the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks into a nationally acclaimed treasure of conservation management and recreational enjoyment.

Senior Leadership Team

Michael O'Connell

Michael O’Connell

President & Chief Executive Officer
Sherry Fuller

Sherry Fuller

Senior Director, Human Resources Management
Nathan Gregory, Ph.D.

Nathan Gregory, Ph.D.

Senior Vice President & Chief Programs Officer
Adam Maywhort

Adam Maywhort

Director, Planning & Infrastructure
Dave Raetz

Dave Raetz

Vice President & Chief Administration Officer

Board of Directors

Irvine Ranch Conservancy is a California non-profit organization.

Founded in 2005, the Conservancy works with landowners such as OC Parks, City of Irvine and City of Newport Beach to preserve and restore tens of thousands of acres of open space protected through public ownership on the historic Irvine Ranch. The Conservancy has an independent board of directors overseeing its strategy and operations.

Officers

Chair
Geoff Barnard
 Senior VP, The Nature Conservancy (retired);
President, Grand Canyon Trust (retired);
Consultant in non-profit strategy and management

Vice Chair
Ann Muscat, Ph.D.
President and CEO (retired),
Santa Catalina Island Conservancy

Treasurer
Dave Doran, CPA
Managing Partner (retired)
​White Nelson Diehl Evans LLP,
Member of AICPA, CSCPA

Secretary
Nikki Buffa
Partner, Latham & Watkins, LLP
Former Deputy Chief of Staff,
US Department of Interior

Past Chairman
Albert F. Bennett, Ph.D.
Dean Emeritus, School of Biological Sciences,
University of California Irvine

President
Michael O’Connell
CEO, Irvine Ranch Conservancy

Directors

Patrick Bradley
President, Southern Pacific Region,
Whole Foods Market

Bill Campbell
OC Businessman,
Former County Supervisor,
Former State Assemblyman

Jane Russo
Superintendent (retired),
Santa Ana Unified School District

David Szymanski
Superintendent, Santa Monica Mountains
National Recreation Area,
US National Park Service

Contact Us

Looking for another member of our team? Visit our contact page for information on how to reach out to Irvine Ranch Conservancy staff.

To contact members of the Board of Directors, please call the Administrative Specialist at 714-508-4756 or email info@irconservancy.org.