ELCR Founders
Melanie M. Heacock
Director Emeritus - Maryland
Melanie co-founded ELCR in 1997 with Rick Jorgensen, Georgiana H. McCabe and Anson W. H. Taylor, Jr., and she heads ELCR's Development Committee. She is a former President of the United States Pony Clubs and chaired USPC's Task Force for the 21st Century, where the idea of ELCR originated. Melanie was also founder and co-chair of the annual National USPC Youth Congress. She has served as President of Paul's Place Outreach Center (Baltimore, MD), Chairman of Hannah More School (Reisterstown, MD) and Board member of St. Paul's School (Brooklandville, MD).
Rick Jorgensen
West Virginia
Often referred to as ELCR’s champion, Rick’s involvement with the organization’s mission stemmed from his daughter, Emily’s active involvement with the United States Pony Clubs. Already armed with decades of conservation experience with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Rick’s confidence encouraged the other Co-Founders to believe in ELCR’s future expansion and success. In fact, it was due to Rick’s close relationships with key leaders at The Conservation Fund that ELCR was adopted as a program of The Fund. Rick used The Fund’s guidance in the first year of ELCR’s operations while serving as ELCR’s first Executive Director. He continued his involvement in later years serving on the Board of Directors and remains a valuable advisor and supporter of ELCR. He currently works with the Conservation Land Management Branch of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service developing and leading Refuge Training courses at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.
Georgiana Hubbard McCabe
Co-Founder, Virginia
Georgiana, a longtime volunteer for the United States Pony Clubs, served as District Commissioner of Greenwich (CT) Pony Club and on the Board of Governors. While living in Connecticut, she was chairman of a Preserve Management Committee for the Nature Conservancy, and on the Board of the Greenwich Audubon Preserve. She served on the Board of the Piedmont Environmental Council (VA) and the Board of the UVA Cancer Center. She is currently a member of the Coastal Mountains Land Trust (ME) and the Greenwich Land Trust and serves on the Advisory Board of the Blue Ridge Foothills Conservancy. She is the mother of two grown children, Caroline and Nicholas.
Anson W.H. Taylor, Jr.
(1929-2006)
Anson inspired the formation of ELCR when he led a strategic planning committee which identified the loss of land as the number issue for the United States Pony Club (USPC). His successful efforts to protect open land from development were accomplished on the local and national level. He was a practicing attorney who dedicated his spare time to foxhunting with the Radnor Hunt (PA), traveling with family, supporting community and the arts. Anson was closely involved with land conservation organizations including ELCR, Radnor Hunt Pony Club (PA), Brandywine Conservancy (PA), the Willistown Trails Association (PA) and the Willistown Conservancy (PA). Anson served as President of the USPC, the Landmarks Society, Radnor Hunt and ELCR. His name lives on in a number of ways associated with land preservation; most notably through ELCR’s Anson W. Taylor, Jr. Award for Leadership in equine land conservation. Additionally, the Willistown Conservation Trust established the Anson Taylor Fund for the Countryside in honor of Anson’s love for the Willistown area. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn Asbury Taylor; children, Stuart, Laura and Lance; his daughters-in-law Jane and Debi; and his two grandchildren, Taylor and Adare.
Left to right: Anson Taylor, Georgiana Hubbard McCabe, Rick Jorgensen, Melanie Heacock
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