Our People
The Hastings Prince Edward Land Trust is led and governed by a six-member Board of Directors.
HEPLT is now in an exciting phase of capacity-building and growth. We will soon be joined by an Executive Director who will build a staff team to work with communities in Prince Edward and Hastings Counties to protect and care for even more of the land you love.
Andy Margetson, Chair
Andy has been involved in conservation stewardship and protection in Hastings and Prince Edward counties for more than 30 years. He worked with landowners delivering stewardship programs for Wildlife Habitat Canada and the Bay of Quinte Remedial Action Plan. He then worked as a Stewardship Coordinator for the Ministry of Natural Resources working with a volunteer stewardship council in Prince Edward County, later becoming Supervisor of an operations team at the Kingston Area MNR office. Andy is a founding officer for the Hastings Prince Edward Land Trust. He continues to believe in the role of local land trusts in protecting ecologically significant properties in perpetuity. Andy holds a Master of Science in Rural Planning and Development from the University of Guelph. He lives and farms in Prince Edward County.
Diane Morden, Treasurer
Diane Morden has served as Treasurer of the Hastings Prince Edward Land Trust since 2013. A CPA, CA, she has spent the past 25 years as CFO of a successful mid-sized engineering and construction management firm. Earlier in her career, she worked in public practice with a regional accounting firm, supporting small and medium-sized businesses and nonprofit organizations. Diane is especially excited to be part of HPELT as it evolves from a volunteer-led organization into a professionally staffed land trust. She is passionate about the special wild places that make this region unique and has also supported other conservation organizations, most recently as Treasurer of the Lake Weslemkoon Conservation Association. Outside of work, Diane enjoys alpine skiing and spending time at her boat-access cottage near Bancroft.
Steve Camp, Vice Chair
Steve Camp has been visiting and exploring the Prince Edward County area for the past 30 years. He is a retired banker with a love of the outdoors and nature. One of his favorite trips is a 7- day kayak trek off the south shore of Nova Scotia. He has a Bachelor of Environmental Studes (Urban Planning) from the University of Waterloo and a Master of Business Administration from York University. Before retirement, Steve was Senior Vice President at the private real estate fund Cameron Stephens Mortgage Capital.
Caroline Schultz, Secretary
Caroline is a lifelong conservationist with more than 40 years of experience protecting nature in Canada and the Americas. A passionate supporter of land trusts, she believes in the power of communities and landowners working together to protect special places for generations to come. Caroline recently retired after 20 years as Executive Director of Ontario Nature, where she helped lead significant growth in the organization and its conservation impact. Her experience spans land conservation, fundraising, communications, governance and nonprofit leadership. These days, Caroline especially enjoys exploring the wild places of Hastings and Prince Edward Counties. She holds an M.Sc. in Ecology from the University of Toronto and a Master of Management from McGill University.
Jim Pedersen, Director
Jim has worked in the forest management and conservation sector for over four decades and continues his passion for forestry in his retirement. Following a formal education as a forest technician, Jim worked for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Domtar Forest Products managing public and private forests in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties. The last ten years of his career he served as Hastings Stewardship Council Coordinator working with private landowners, conservation groups and public agencies to advance the care of our shared natural resources. Hastings Prince Edward Land Trust provides an opportunity to continue to advocate for local healthy forests and conservation opportunities. In his retired years you may find Jim enjoying the local wilderness, cycling, playing old-timer hockey or hanging out with his grandchildren.
Luke Ridgway, Director
Luke is a conservation professional and avid outdoor enthusiast whose career has spanned the public, private and nonprofit sectors. His passion for conservation began in Algonquin Provincial Park, where he spent 10 years working for a local outfitter and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. He holds a degree in Geographic Information Science from Western University and a Master’s in Ecological Restoration from Simon Fraser University. Luke has worked as a biologist, consultant and conservation land manager, including with the Nature Conservancy of Canada, where he managed more than 25,000 acres in Hastings County. In 2024, he co-founded the Ontario Conservation Accelerator, where he serves as Conservation Manager. He splits his time between Peterborough and Picton and loves exploring wild places and sailing Prince Edward County’s south shore.
