Lisa Byers

opalclt@opalclt.org

Lisa Byers has been the Executive Director of OPAL (Of People And Land) Community Land Trust on Orcas Island in Washington State since January 1996. In that community of 3,300 households, OPAL has sustained a membership base and active support from more than 15% of the island’s population and now provides housing for almost 6% of the year-round population.

Lisa has led OPAL's board of trustees through annual fundraising efforts that have yielded more than $4 million from individuals over the past ten years. She was a co-founder of the Northwest Community Land Trust Coalition and the National CLT Network, and served as the first President of the Board of the National CLT Network from 2006-2008. Lisa has led her own organization through the development of three strategic plans, and facilitated the development of strategic plans for other organizations. She has presented trainings and provided a range of consulting services for community land trusts, and been a community land trust leaseholder and homeowner since 1999.