A note from our CEO Regarding the passing of Board Chair Carolyn Rizza.
I am extremely saddened to share that our wonderful board chair Carolyn Rizza has passed away. Carolyn was such an important part of the Conservancy, such an excellent leader and chair, so enthusiastic about everything the Conservancy does, such a warm and funny person, a friend to us all.
It’s a little hard to know how to describe Carolyn’s relationship with the Conservancy because she was just so exceptionally enthusiastic, thoughtful and engaged on all fronts. She truly loved our watershed work, our natural heritage work, Fallingwater, our gardens and greenspace and forestry work, our land conservation and stewardship, and the administrative and support aspects from strategic planning to fundraising to personnel to financial — she cared about everything we did and made support for WPC a big part of her life. She was so accomplished, but also so unassuming. I have felt very fortunate to work with her as chair and I know how much she engaged with so many of us.
All of us at the Conservancy extend our deepest sympathy to her husband Paul and her extended family, and our gratitude for the profound impact she has had on advancing the Conservancy’s mission and work.
Tom Saunders
President and CEO
Read more about Carolyn’s life and accomplishments at the Sharon Herald.
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About the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy:
The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) enhances the region by protecting and restoring exceptional places. A private nonprofit conservation organization founded in 1932, WPC has helped establish 11 state parks, conserved more than a quarter million acres of natural lands, protected or restored more than 3,000 miles of rivers and streams, and assessed thousands of wildlife species and their habitats. The Conservancy owns and operates Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and symbolizes people living in harmony with nature. In addition, WPC enriches our region’s cities and towns through 130 community gardens and other green spaces and thousands of trees that are planted with the help of more than 7,000 volunteers. The work of the Conservancy is accomplished through the support of more than 10,000 members. For more information, visit WaterLandLife.org or Fallingwater.org.