Nan Mahone Wellborn, Outreach Coordinator
Nan provides landowner communications and public relations support. She coordinates events introducing landowners to the process of a conservation easement donation and she participates in farm and forest land events. Nan enjoys sharing her interpretations of conserved land through her art work by creating landscape paintings in oils. A native Virginian, Nan joined Conservation Partners 2010 after a career in communications and public relations working with public, for-profit, and not-for-profit entities up and down the East Coast.
Q: Where were you born?
A: I was born in Staunton, Va. There were about 20 some years where I lived in several other places like NYC, Tampa, Chicago, Charleston, and Macon. I was just about to head to my next destination which was San Francisco when my mother asked me, “Can’t you just visit these places? Why do you have to move to each one?” So, I moved back to Virginia around 1998 and have been here ever since!
Q: What is your favorite color?
A: Manganese Blue. I’ve just started using it in my paintings and love it! It’s a modern, synthetic color from the 1930s. It is a very wonderful mix of blue and green.
Q: Do you have any pets/animals?
A: We love pets! We have 2 Tibetan Terriers- Max, 8, and Pepe, 18 months.
Q: What interests/hobbies do you have outside of work?
A: Painting, gardening, anything having to do with color, really! I am also actively involved with the Cowpasture River Preservation Association.
Q: What is a fun fact about you that most people don’t know?
A: I used to enjoy fencing! The one-to-one aspect made it an exciting sport and kept my attention.
Q: When did you start at Conservation Partners?
A: I started around 2010 and my main role has always been marketing and promotion. However, I did work on easement generation for a little while offering support to Taylor. Painting was something that I started really going after and it took up a lot of my time, so I cut back to focusing on outreach part-time. Conservation Partners has always been so supportive of me and my passions.
Q: What has been your favorite part about working at Conservation Partners?
A: The people, the mission, the passion, and just being able to really contribute to the overall health of the Commonwealth and country through the promotion of land conservation. I can represent the beauty and importance of land conservation through my art so there is a lot of segway between painting and my work with Conservation Partners. I am just so passionate about both and am fortunate to be able to be active with both.My painting is often a solitary enterprise and Conservation Partners offers me human interaction with people who share my passions and interests.
I have also learned a lot about the relationship between people and their land. It’s fascinating and special to hear landowners’ stories about their history and values. It’s more than conserving their land, it’s about memories, nostalgia, and wanting to preserve those moments for the generations to come.
Q: What has been the biggest challenge you have encountered at this job?
A: I would say the biggest challenge is understanding the legal and technical aspects of conservation easements. I understand the importance and beauty but am constantly learning about the actual finite details and legal challenges that are involved. If you have any questions about Conservation Partners’ outreach or communications, please reach out to Nan at nmw@conservationpartnersllc.com.
