John A. Terrill, II elected Chairman of Board of Trustees

Media, Pa. (August 21, 2013) – Natural Lands Trust recently announced the election of John A. “Jack” Terrill, II as Chairman of its Board of Trustees. Terrill assumed the role following Peter O. Hausmann’s retirement from the position earlier this summer.

Photo: Joseph V. Labolito

Terrill, an estate attorney, joined the Board of Trustees in 1986, at which point he was a partner at Duane, Morris & Heckscher in Philadelphia. In fact, it was Maurice Heckscher—one of the founders of the Philadelphia Conservationists, which later became Natural Lands Trust, and a mentor to Terrill—who first encouraged him to act as counsel to Natural Lands Trust and later to join the organization’s Board. He was elected Secretary of the Board in 1997 and Vice-Chairman just two years later.

“This will be a seamless transition for our organization,” said Molly Morrison, Natural Lands Trust’s president. “Over the last three decades Jack has demonstrated a level of leadership, engagement, and commitment that has knit him to our board and staff. He has a strong intellectual capacity for the business of conservation and derives enormous personal satisfaction from his time in nature—both will be keys to our continued success in saving land, stewarding natural resources, and connecting people to nature. Who better to receive the torch from Peter Hausmann?”

“I have big shoes to fill,” said Terrill. “Peter Hausmann’s unique perspective on land preservation—that land must be conserved not only for aesthetic, scientific, and cultural reasons but also for economic ones—has helped to invigorate the land trust movement.” He continued, “I’m honored to be a part of this dynamic and forward-thinking organization as well as this admirable cause of conservation.”

In conjunction with his nearly three decades of service on Natural Lands Trust’s Board of Trustees, Terrill has led the Conservation Programs Committee, which reviews all of the organization’s conservation transactions, for more than 14 years. He is also a member of the Executive Committee, the Development Committee, and the Governance Committee as well as a former member of the Science Stewardship and Education Committee and several iterations of the Strategic Planning Committee.

Terrill is a partner at Heckscher, Teillon, Terrill & Sager—a Conshohocken-based law firm that provides a broad range of estate and tax planning services. He has been listed as a top trust and estate lawyer in Philadelphia’s Best Lawyers, named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer by Philadelphia Magazine, and received the highest rating for legal ability and ethical standards from LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating.

Terrill is a member of the American Bar Association and its Real Property, Probate, & Trust Law, Taxation and Law Practice Management Sections; the Pennsylvania Bar Association and its Real Property, Probate, & Trust Law Section; the Philadelphia Bar Association; and the Philadelphia Estate Planning Council. He is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel where he currently serves as a Regent. He was the founding chair of ACTEC’s Asset Protection Committee and currently chairs ACTEC’s FATF Task Force. He is a member of the College’s State Laws, Asset Protection, and Legal Education committees.

Terrill has been a lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania Law School where he taught Trusts and Estates. Before that, he was an adjunct professor in the graduate tax program at Villanova University for 15 years. He continues to teach and speak at professional meetings and bar associations across the country. Among his topics are asset protection planning, environmental liability of executors and trustees, stock options and related estate planning, the use of DNA testing in estate litigation, and the role of US lawyers in combating money laundering and terrorist financing.

Terrill was a longtime board member of The Baldwin School (which both of his daughters attended). He is an avid birder and fisherman.

Celebrating its 60^th year, Natural Lands Trust is the region’s foremost land conservation organization and is dedicated to protecting the forests, fields, streams, and wetlands that are essential to the sustainability of life in eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. Since its founding, Natural Lands Trust has preserved more than 100,000 acres, including 42 nature preserves totaling more than 21,000 acres and 20,000 acres on which it holds conservation easements. For more information, visit www.natlands.org.

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