CAREFREE/CAVE CREEK/SCOTTSDALE – The Board of Directors of Desert Foothills Land Trust (DFLT) today announced the appointment of a new Executive Director. Patrick McWhortor, a north Valley resident and long-time nonprofit leader, joined the organization in the leadership position this week.
McWhortor has extensive experience in nonprofit leadership, having founded and served for ten years as President & CEO of the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits, a statewide organization dedicated to the advancement of all nonprofits. In that role, and in other nonprofit leadership positions, McWhortor has been an effective advocate at local, state and national levels.
“We are extremely impressed with Patrick’s leadership qualities and his vast network of contacts across Arizona,” stated Richard Burns, Chairman of the DFLT Board of Directors. “We look forward to hearing his voice in support of our goals for conservation of our critical Sonoran Desert lands.”
McWhortor has some experience in the conservation arena, having served as a lobbyist at the Arizona legislature for the state’s Audubon Society chapters during the early 1990s, and a lobbyist for the Arizona Heritage Alliance during the same time period.
“As an Arizona resident for 35 years, I have always believed in the importance of preserving the unique treasure that is our Sonoran Desert,” said McWhortor. “It is an honor and thrill for me to dedicate my professional life to pursuing the mission of DFLT.”
McWhortor and his wife have lived in the north Valley for 18 years, raising three sons and being active in the community. He has served on many nonprofit boards of directors, including the National Council of Nonprofits, Arizona Town Hall and Herberger Theatre. McWhortor is a Flinn-Brown Fellow and member of Valley Leadership. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Arizona State University in the 1980s.
DFLT connects people to nature by working with communities and partners to conserve and steward sensitive lands and species for the survival of our Sonoran Desert. Led by a volunteer board of directors and a small staff, the DFLT has is a well-respected organization working to conserve the most sensitive and important open spaces in the communities of Anthem, Carefree, Cave Creek, Desert Hills, New River, North Phoenix and North Scottsdale. To date, it has conserved more than 700 acres on 23 preserves, some of which are open to the public for recreation and exploration.
