Professional Staff

Phoebe Schreiner

Executive Director
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Phoebe Schreiner joined OLT as Executive Director in January 2026 to lead the organization into its next phase of growth and impact in land conservation; maintaining working farms, biodiversity and natural landscapes; and improving New York’s water quality. 

Phoebe came to OLT after 8 years as Executive Director of the Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship (CADE) working with farmers across NYS to advance a thriving, resilient agricultural economy and sustainable food system. She grew the organization from a small local nonprofit to become the largest independent agricultural services provider in NYS. 

Prior to her tenure with OLT and CADE, she worked for nearly 2 decades to support international development spanning the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Central/South Asia with such agencies as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations, the billionaire George Soros’ philanthropic organization Open Society Foundations, among others.  

Phoebe was an invited guest at the launch of the UN Decade of Family Farming in 2019, and an invited speaker at the Skoll World Forum in Oxford, U.K. in 2017 on scalable models for social transformation. 

Phoebe returned home to her family's 9-generation homestead in Schoharie County in 2014 to raise her son and continue the family legacy. Her grandmother, Catherine Kauffman Harwood White, was one of the founding members of the Schoharie Land Trust and among the first easement holders in the county. 

Schreiner has been an invited member of Congressman Delgado’s Agricultural Advisory Committee for the 19th Congressional District, the Otsego County Agriculture and Farmland Protection Committee, the Farm-to-School Task Force of Delaware County, the Otsego County Energy Task Force Sub-Committee on Economic Development, Technical Committee of the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, and the Schoharie County Land Trust. 

Phoebe earned her M.A. in Human Rights from Columbia University and B.A. in Government from Smith College. 

May Leinhart

Director of Land Protection 
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May Leinhart manages the conservation easement program at Otsego Land Trust. May is originally from the Southeast, where she grew up on a working cotton farm, studied English at the University of the South at Sewanee, and obtained a Masters in Geography and Planning at Appalachian State University. May has served on staff for conservation organizations in Tennessee, New Mexico, South Carolina, and now New York. She has experience with conservation easements, rural land use planning, and state and federal funding for conservation projects. She worked with her family to place a conservation easement on their historic farmland in Mississippi, and she enjoys helping landowners and families in the Leatherstocking region through the same process. 

Emma Drake

Conservation Easement and Stewardship Manager 
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Emma Drake has a degree in Environmental Science from Union College and joined Otsego Land Trust in March 2025. She had previously helped to map hemlock stands in Otsego County, evaluating mitigation strategies for the hemlock wooly adelgid. Emma is an Albany native now living in her great-grandfather's homestead on the west side of Otsego Lake. She is proud to continue the family tradition of stewarding the land and actively contributing to the local community.

Justin Williams

Agricultural Specialist and Public Lands Manager
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Justin Williams recently began working with Otsego Land Trust in August of 2023. Justin has a diverse background working in environmental consulting over the last eight years with a specialization in wetland delineation, ecological permitting, and project management, primarily on sustainable energy projects throughout the northeast. Born and raised in Binghamton, NY, Justin received a B.S. from SUNY-Environmental Science and Forestry in Environmental Policy, Planning, and Law with a minor in Water Resources. Justin is excited to have an active role in conserving the Susquehanna’s surrounding land and water.

Catherine Nolan

Communications and Development Manager

Catherine Nolan joined the staff early in 2025 to expand Otsego Land Trust's community connections. Born in Cooperstown and raised in Australia, she enjoys exploring the local landscape and the wider world. Catherine is drawn to stories of people and the land. With experience in marketing, an eye for design, and a lifelong passion for conservation and preservation, she hopes to encourage others to explore the natural world and develop a deep love of the land.