Wendy Ninteman
Wendy recently obtained her leadership coach certificate from the Kansas Leadership Center. In addition to coaching, Wendy has been providing leadership consulting services for conservation professionals and organizations across the West through Ninteman Conservation Consulting since 2022. Most recently she helped lead an Eco Alliances for Change gathering called “Sowing Seeds of Strength and Resilience in the Western Conservation Community” a retreat designed to empower conservation professionals with new skills to increase their capacity for personal resilience.
Prior to 2022, Wendy was the Western Director of the Land Trust Alliance, a post she held for nearly 15 years. In that time, Wendy was responsible for guiding the development and delivery of the Alliance’s conservation programs and services to Western land trusts in 20 states. That included deep work building the capacity and enhancing the organizational effectiveness of 250 Western land trusts through technical assistance, mentoring, and training designed to help them succeed in conserving key western landscapes and strengthening communities. Wendy also developed highly collaborative and successful partnerships across the region with foundation and individual supporters, other conservation organizations, land trust state associations, and key advisors. Her signature accomplishment during her tenure was the development and delivery of an intensive leadership development program which is now one of the hallmark programs of the Land Trust Alliance.
Before joining the Land Trust Alliance, Wendy served for a decade as the Executive Director of the Five Valleys Land Trust in Missoula, MT. During her tenure the Trust’s assets, staff capacity, and conservation impact grew significantly as did its reputation for excellence and community visibility through several financially complex community initiatives. Under Wendy’s leadership Five Valleys became nationally recognized as one of the first land trusts to be nationally accredited, and running a successful $10 million community open space bond campaign that passed with 72% voter approval.
Community engagement and service being a priority, Wendy has volunteered on many non-profit boards and committees, including Garden City Harvest, the Western Montana Humane Society, Montana Wilderness Association, and Missoula Youth Homes. Wendy is passionate about creating sustainable organizational growth, developing strong and resilient leaders, and making time to do the things that replenish. She lives in Missoula, Montana sheltered by the flanks of Mount Sentinel, a landscape she helped protect in 2005, and spends as much time as possible outside soaking it all in.
