Board of Directors
Jacob Crooke
A member of a multi-generation Pennsylvania farming family, Jacob Crooke is a graduate of Penn State’s Agricultural Systems Management program and has been running large farming operations for over 15 years. He is the owner/operator of Crooke Farms: a 600 acre commercial cash crop farming operation and the sales representative for Pioneer Seed in Bucks and Montgomery Counties. Jacob is an advocate for Pennsylvania agriculture and environmental stewardship. He lives with his wife and children on their farm in Bedminster Township.
Harry R. Dannehower III – Secretary
Harry joined the LTBC Board in 2017. He served the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for thirty years as a member of the Pennsylvania State Police Troop M Dublin. Harry has been a member of the LTBC Fundraising Committee since September 2011 and he serves as an advocate for other non-profit agencies. Harry and his wife Jennifer make their home in Bedminster Township.
Stephen King – Treasurer
Stephen joined the LTBC Board in 2019. He first lived in Bucks County in 1992 and 1993 and returned permanently in 2013. He lives on Jericho Mountain in Upper Makefield, where he enjoys living on, and being surrounded by, preserved land. He holds a PhD in Economics, taught at Stanford University and retired from a career in book publishing in 2019. For many years he also served on the board of Yale University Press. Stephen is enjoying working in the woods of Bucks County rather than in the concrete jungle.
James Mageras – President
James joined the Land Trust in 2020 and brings a diverse set of experiences spanning technology, project management, and public service. He has a keen interest in the environment and the conservation of natural resources and traditional landscapes. An incipient farmer, he lives with his wife on their farm in Solebury Township.
Joseph Shelanski
Joe holds a Ph.D. in Physiology and Biophysics from Temple University and is CEO and Director of Translational Research at Product Investigations Inc. His experience includes diverse leadership roles ranging from developing a system wide mentoring program for a regional non-profit to environmental project management. Joe is an ardent proponent of ecosystem, land and historical preservation. Joe and his wife Sharon spend as much time as possible on their preserved circa 1745 farm in Haycock Township.
Advisor
J. Philip Johnson
Philip is a director emeritus of our board. After retiring from a business and teaching career, he began farming on a full-time basis on his and other preserved farmland with his son. He believes preservation is the key to keeping agriculture viable in the county and that the Land Trust of Bucks County will help ensure future agriculture opportunities.
Staff
David Johnson – Executive Director
David comes to the land trust with over 29 years of experience at the Bucks County Planning Commission. He retired from the county in early 2018 with his last position being the program coordinator for the Bucks County Open Space Program. David grew up in Solebury Township attending New Hope Solebury High School and Penn State. In addition to serving the land trust as executive director, he also runs a crop and hay farm located just outside of New Hope and farms a total of over 200 acres in Solebury, Buckingham and Upper Makefield Townships. He currently resides in Solebury Township.
Laurie Ermentrout – Operations Director
Laurie joined in 2024 as Operations Director after serving over sixteen years on our Board of Directors. She is the former President of E&S MedEd Group and has held management roles at several medical education and technology companies. A trainer of champion Mini Longhaired Dachshunds, Laurie lives in Perkasie Borough with her dogs and Babydoll sheep.
Richard Harvey – Conservation Specialist
Rich grew up in Upper Southampton Township and graduated from Penn State University and Drexel University. Recently retired, he worked for the Bucks County Planning Commission for 35 years as the author and Administrator of the popular Bucks County Agricultural Land Preservation Program. Under his stewardship, over 18,000 acres on 230 farms were preserved in Bucks County. He also was the Administrator of the Bucks County Open Space Program for several years. He resides with his wife in Doylestown Borough.
Michael Farbotnik – Conservation Specialist
Michael is a lifelong resident of Solebury Township, growing up and farming with his father on the same farm purchased by his grandparents in the early 1920s. The farm has been preserved since 2014. He believes that involvement is the key to community and has served on the Township Comprehensive Plan Committee, the Land Preservation Committee and Environmental Advisory Committee as well as previously serving on Senator Santorum’s Agricultural Advisory Board. Michael was also a member of the Midway Fire Company and a 4H leader. Michael worked for the Bucks County Health Department as the Soil Scientist for 29 years before retiring to go into private consulting and beginning Greenway Environmental Consultants, a soil consulting firm. Michael graduated from Delaware Valley College (now University) with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agronomy and is an adjunct at Del-Val teaching soil and plant science courses. He is a professional soil scientist and has taught soil courses to sewage enforcement officers for the Department of Environmental Protection and The Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors. He continues to farm today, helping his daughter Kaitlin and son-in-law Ryan who have taken over the home farm and are raising beef cattle, hogs and broilers on Shady Fox Farm.