The Taos Land Trust is governed by a volunteer board of directors whose breadth of expertise in science, law, business, and community service is fundamental to supporting our work and guiding our mission.
Sanjay Poovadan – President
Sanjay first came out to Northern NM in 1979 to attend St. John’s College in Santa Fe. It was this land itself, with its stark, bright light, and dramatic landscapes, the rich and diverse culture of its people and the many friendships that kept him coming back. After a 13-year career working for a number of SF Bay area retail companies he returned to northern New Mexico 10 years ago to set down roots, invest in real estate and to make Taos home. He is currently an Associate Broker at the Lora Company. He is also a part of the Taos Soccer Coalition, a couple of Acequias in the Taos Valley, the Friends of Anansi Charter School, the Board of the Taos Ski Team and Intermezzo of the Santa Fe Opera. In addition, he has served on the Board of Visitors and Governors of St. John’s College and is on the Board of Trustees of the Quail Roost Foundation.
Joe Wells – Vice President
Joe Wells was elected as Dallas County Texas Treasurer in 2006 and re-elected in 2010, serving for eight years. After retirement, Wells moved to Taos County. Joe also served twelve years (1983-1994) as Administrative Assistant to County Commissioner Chris V. Semos contributing to planning and oversight of County budgets and operations. Wells served twelve years (1995-2006) as Director of Community Service Restitution for the Volunteer Center of North Texas; managing court ordered volunteer programs that served County and State District Courts, Probation Departments, Municipal Courts and School Districts. Joe Wells’ volunteer community activities includes Taos Land Trust Board member, service on the Northern New Mexico Group ExCom of the Sierra Club, on the Leadership Committee of El Pueblito United Methodist Church Shared Table and past service as Chair Dallas Nature Center, Vice Chair Dallas Sierra Club, Board member Save Open Space, and appointed membership on local and state environmental policy advisory committees. A Conservation Award recipient of the Lone Star Chapter Sierra Club, Wells was also recognized by the Dallas American Lung Association for his environmental advocacy.
Lynn Aldrich – Treasurer
Lynn first came to Taos in 2000 and fell in love with the area. She retired, after teaching physics, to Taos to live in an Earthship. She volunteered for over 15 years for a land trust in Pennsylvania, including being a board member for 8 years, and brought that experience to Taos Land Trust. She’s volunteered for TLT since 2012. She chairs TLT’s Finance Committee. She also volunteers locally for Shared Table, AARP Foundation’s TaxAide, Biotecture Planet Earth, and Friends of the Cumbres Toltec Scenic Railroad. She is a member of the national Council of Representatives for the Rail Passengers Association and a Board member of Great Old Broads for Wilderness. She enjoys singing with the Taos Community Chorus, hiking, orienteering, and occasional bird watching.
Tim Sweeney – Secretary
Tim Sweeney moved to Taos in 2022 after many years as a fascinated visitor from Denver. Tim’s career as a lawyer included advising Colorado and New Mexico land trusts (including Taos Land Trust) in a wide range of conservation easement transactions and stewardship matters. Tim also has more than 30 years’ experience representing real estate investors, developers, lenders, shopping center tenants and landlords and global media companies in complex real estate and corporate transactions. As in-house attorney and corporate secretary at a publicly traded company, Tim advised a corporate board of directors in corporate governance, legal compliance, executive compensation and financial reporting. Tim is a board member and secretary of The Historic Santa Fe Foundation, which preserves historic properties and diverse cultural heritage throughout the Santa Fe area. Tim also stays busy as a grateful steward of his home orchard and acequia, taking advantage of ski days and local hiking and cycling trips whenever time permits.
Christopher M. Smith – Land Committee Chair
Chris is general manager for the Taos Inn, a local historic fixture and favorite gathering spot. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, he was exposed to the issues of industrial pollution and reclamation early in life. Chris earned a BA in Economics at Colby College, has worked for the Chewonki Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to environmental education and sustainability, and in tax accounting, construction, retail sales, and management. Chris is involved with the Mankind Project of New Mexico. While not taking care of the Inn, Chris is most at home in the forests of the Camino Real or his vegetable garden in Ranchos de Taos, where he finds solace, connection, and gratitude.
Teresa Pisaño – Board Member
Teresa, a native born-and-raised San Diegan, was awed and smitten with Taos after her first visit in 1990. Retiring from a 30-year airline career, she moved here in 1999. Her volunteer and work experiences in Taos have included Casa de Corazon, Taos Ski Valley’s Children’s Ski School, Society of the Muse of the Southwest youth mentor, Taos Historic Museums, Equine Spirit Sanctuary, and Ouray Meyers gallery associate. Due to her appreciation of open and unobstructed vistas around Taos, including the view of Taos Pueblo land from her home, she has been an active volunteer with Taos Land Trust for many years.
Cameron Martinez – Board Member
Cameron is an active tribal member of Taos Pueblo and has strong ties to his culture, traditions and land of his northern NM Tiwa Tribe. He has worked in Forestry and Natural Resources for 30 years for many of the Native American Tribes in NM and CO. He has worked in the corporate division for Pojoaque Pueblo in many of their businesses for ten years that included the completion of their Buffalo Thunder Resort. He has been on many boards that included the NM Water Advisory Board, Northern NM RTD Board, Taos Pueblo Enterprise Board, NM BLM Resource Advisory Council to name a few. Cameron was selected as a Senior Fellow at the Kennedy School of Government in Public Policy and Administration at Harvard University which has enhanced his knowledge, skill, and abilities in land and environmental issues.