BUCKSPORT—Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust has hired Landon Fake as its new executive director. Fake will officially start in April, following the departure of long-time Director Cheri Domina. 

Fake was formerly the director of the Camden Parks and Recreation Department, which included managerial duties at the Camden Snow Bowl. He resigned that position in January 2017.

Fake erved more than 10 years as the Atlantic Region Director for Outward Bound, according to a news release of the Orland-based land trust.

Fake was also founder and first Executive Director for Mahoosuc Pathways in Bethel, where he led the community group in acquiring and managing a town forest and creating multi-use trails as a local amenity and economic driver. He served on the board of Mahoosuc Land Trust for 10 years. 

Landon and his wife, Margaret, currently live in Hope and have two daughters.

“He’s an avid outdoors person and has skied, paddled, climbed, hiked, and sailed all over the world, but always comes back to Maine,” according to a March 26 news release from the land trust.

“GPMCT is an exemplary land trust with a wide range of deep ties to the community,” Fake said, in the release. “Its large flagship property (the Great Pond Mountain Wildlands) accommodates several different types of recreation while maintaining strong wildlife conservation values. I’m honored and excited to be part of that and to work toward the next chapter in GPMCT’s history.”

Cheri Domina, who retired in January, served 12 years as the land trust’s first executive director.

After leading the trust through two capital campaigns conserving 4,500-plus acres; spearheading the Trust’s 2014 accreditation with the Land Trust Alliance; and most recently, cofounding the Explore Outdoors! Program in collaboration with Downeast Audubon, Domina felt the call to move on to something different.

“I’m really going to miss all the great people at GPMCT and hiking in the Wildlands,” Domina said, in the release. “But I’ll be moving to a New Hampshire farm this summer that’s been in the family since 1800 and needs some TLC. I’m looking forward to a new adventure.”

Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust is the nonprofit land trust serving northwestern Hancock County. The organization holds the 4,500-acre Great Pond Mountain Wildlands in Orland and the 80-acre Old Chapman Farm in Bucksport, in addition to conservation easements in Orland and Dedham, with many miles of trails open for recreational use. For more information, 469-6929 or www.greatpondtrust.org.