Margo Heekin Clark assists in preparing conservation easements under the leadership of Executive Director, Bob Hill. Margo has an agriculture and financial planning background, and has been loosely associated with the San Luis Obispo Land Conservancy in the past by relying on former executive Director Ray Belknap as a valuable resource for local landowners and their advisors having an interest in the benefits of conservation easements.
Prior to becoming a financial advisor, Margo managed the Ted R. Cooper Ranch raising purebred Herefords in Creston California. She has been inspired by the success of the Work Ranch in Monterey County and the Hatfield's of the High Desert Ranch in Oregon and how they have practiced sustainable ranching and conservation practices while developing good relationships with environmentalists.
Margo earned a Master's degree in Animal Science from Kansas State University and a Bachelor's degree in Animal Science from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. She attended the Holistic Management Course for ranchers and has served as a board member for the California Beef Cattle Improvement Association. In 1990 she became a Certified Financial Planner and practiced in Templeton for 13 years.
Seeking change in lifestyle and career, Margo sold her Financial Planning practice in 2004, and spent four years traveling, volunteering, and living outside of California before returning in 2008. Joining the SLO Land Conservancy provided the opportunity to give back to the community and use her diverse background and experience in a positive and collaborative environment. She is very excited about being involved in helping to preserve our "sense of place" in San Luis Obispo County.
Margo is an avid mountain biker, and is on the board of the Central Coast Concerned Mountain Bikers, an organization that is building and maintaining trails for hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians. She also enjoys riding her road bicycle on the beautiful back roads of Northern San Luis Obispo County and hiking in local open space areas. She is always looking for an inspiring non-fiction book to read, and is also a supporter of the work of the Rocky Mountain Institute, East Asia Institute and Compassion International.