By Delayna Earley
The Island News
The Open Land Trust has named Beaufort native Liz O’Brien as its new executive director, promoting O’Brien after two years overseeing development and community engagement for the Lowcountry conservation organization.
O’Brien, who joined the Open Land Trust as director of development in September 2024, took over the organization’s top position effective Aug. 27 following a search led by its Board of Directors.
“Over the last two years, we’ve experienced Liz’s natural talents to connect and lead,” Open Land Trust Board President Charley Webb said in announcing the appointment. “She listens, builds relationships, and brings people together around something they care about.”
Webb said O’Brien’s knowledge of and connection to the Lowcountry were also important as the organization looks toward its future.
“The Open Land Trust has never been stronger, and we’re so excited to have Liz at the helm to take us forward,” Webb said.
O’Brien was born and raised in Beaufort and earned bachelor’s degrees in journalism and political science from Indiana University. She returned to Beaufort in 2007 with her husband and two children.
Before joining the Open Land Trust, O’Brien spent 14 years at Riverview Charter School, working in administration and communications in several capacities, most recently as operations manager.
Since joining the Open Land Trust, O’Brien has led fundraising efforts, developed donor relationships and worked to expand the organization’s engagement with the communities it serves.
O’Brien said she sees conservation as extending beyond simply protecting property.
“For me, conservation is about people as much as it is about land,” O’Brien said. “It’s about ensuring we have clean water, providing places where people can get outside to experience the Lowcountry, and protecting landscapes that help us understand and retain our varied history.”
She said one of her goals as executive director is helping more Lowcountry residents understand how conservation affects them and giving them a role in determining the region’s future.
“I want more people to see how conservation touches their lives and to feel that they have a place in this work and in shaping the future of the Lowcountry,” O’Brien said.
Founded in 1971, the Beaufort-based Open Land Trust is South Carolina’s first and oldest land trust. The organization currently protects more than 40,000 acres across seven Lowcountry counties through conservation easements and properties owned by the organization.
The Open Land Trust works to protect farms, forests, waterways, wildlife habitat, historic landscapes and other properties that contribute to the Lowcountry’s natural and cultural character.
O’Brien’s promotion comes as the organization is also expanding its conservation staff.
Tyler Davis joined the Open Land Trust in September as land conservation coordinator, supporting its land protection and stewardship work throughout the Lowcountry.
A lifelong Lowcountry resident, Davis previously spent more than four years working on plantations throughout the region, where he gained experience in land management, wildlife tracking, habitat assessment and working with landowners.
Davis lives in Colleton County with his fiancée, Bailey, and their two dogs.
O’Brien said she is looking forward to working with the organization’s team as the Open Land Trust enters its next chapter.
“I am excited to work with our talented team to make that happen,” she said.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.