Monmouth Conservation Foundation named Monmouth University President Paul R. Brown, Ph.D., to its board of trustees on April 19.  The non-profit organization has collaboratively preserved more than 22,500 acres of open space and natural habitat throughout Monmouth County since its founding in 1977.  

As a trustee, Brown will help set broad policies for the Monmouth Conservation Foundation (MCF), approve an annual budget, and help the Foundation succeed in its mission to create a permanent legacy of open space, farmland, woodlands, wetlands, wildlife and parks throughout Monmouth County, including establishing parks in under-served local neighborhoods for families who lack the resources and ability to access the land saved and parks created in other areas of Monmouth County. 

Brown will work with his fellow board members to ensure the Foundation continues to implement its ongoing efforts to preserve and protect the county’s fragile ecosystem through partnerships between public and private entities.

“The mission of the Monmouth Conservation Foundation aligns well with the overarching goals of Monmouth University’s Urban Coast Institute (UCI),” Brown said.  The UCI serves the public interest as a forum for research, education, and collaboration in the development and implementation of science-based policies and programs that support stewardship of healthy, productive, and resilient coastal ecosystems and communities.

Among the projects on the MCF agenda are the 62-acre former Aeromarine facility in Keyport Borough, and the 14.6 acre Chris’ Landing property in Middletown Township, which provides access to the Swimming and Navesink Rivers.

During his tenure at Monmouth, Brown has completed a comprehensive strategic plan, overseen substantial campus improvements, and recently led the university to its highest levels of outside financial support, including a $5 million Marine Science & Policy Challenge Grant for the UCI. In 2014 Monmouth University received the Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award in the Clean Air category for its contributions to improving air quality in New Jersey.

The first independent university in New Jersey to sign a comprehensive green operation agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Monmouth University has distinguished itself as a leader in conservation and environmental stewardship among academic institutions. In 2006 the University installed a 454kW solar photovoltaic system—at the time, the largest solar array on any campus east of the Mississippi River.  In 2012, the University installed an additional 600 kW solar panel system on seven University buildings under a Power Purchase agreement with Torcon Energy Services.

Monmouth was named the New Jersey Clean Energy School of the Year in 2006 by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and in 2007 received a Merit Award from the Monmouth County Planning Board for its Solar Panel Installation Project. 

Brown is one of five new trustees elected to the Foundation’s board.  The others include Meredyth R. Armitage, Mai Cleary, Mark Forrest Gilbertson and Bob Sickles. 

William Kastning, executive director of Monmouth Conservation Foundation, commends the entire board of trustees for their commitment to Monmouth Conservation Foundation and for tirelessly carrying out its mission.

“The members of Monmouth Conservation Foundation’s Board of Trustees are outstanding individuals who are exceptionally accomplished and represent a range of professional, personal, and philanthropic fields,” Kastning stated. “The Foundation is especially thankful to the board for both their support and for the role they serve as ambassadors of Monmouth Conservation Foundation and its ongoing mission to acquire, hold, develop, save and protect land throughout Monmouth County.”