About

Repairing the Past and Growing the Future

Our Mission. To bring scale to conservation by putting a price and value on natural capital and by linking the biological world to the transactional marketplace.

A More Purposeful Union

As the three currents merge into the River of America, the dawn of a more purposeful union is underway. From the first stirrings of a nation to a country navigating the choppy waters of accelerated growth to the regulatory state of today, we are ushering in the Age of Natural Capitalism where conservation has a purpose and capitalism a heart. At that intersection is the notion of building equity. For centuries, we have understood the tilling of the land, but we have only faintly grasped how the cultivation of character deepens the soil of the mind and spirit.

“Within each of us is character. Under all is the land. And like a river that drops out of sight for a while, only to re-emerge greater and stronger, so it will be with America—and our world.”

Chandler Van Voorhis

Co-Founder and Managing Partner

GreenTrees Leadership

With decades of experience in forestry and the carbon markets, the GreenTrees leadership is uniquely qualifed to bring landowners and conservation together.

Jerry "Dutch" Van Voorhis

President and CEO

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Jerry "Dutch" Van Voorhis

"Forests clean the water, purify the air, heal the soil, anchor the planet, bless the spirit, form nature's first temples -uplifting us to earth's heaven."

Dutch has led the company's growth through scaling investments by Duke Energy and Norfolk Southern Railway. Prior to joining C2I in 2004, Dutch had a long career in education where he built a culture of equity. He was Vice President of Development for Shenandoah University from 1997-2004 and Headmaster of Chatham Hall, a leading boarding school, from 1981-1997. A notable career in education was also marked by great fundraising gifts. Dutch has served in recent years on the Advisory Board of the Bank of Clarke County, Berryville Area Development Authority, the Nominating and Executive Committees of The John O. Marsh Institute for Government and Public Policy, The Harry F Byrd, Jr. Business School Board of Advisors, and has been President of Historic Long Branch. He holds an A.B. Degree from The College of William and Mary and M.A.T and M.A. in History at The Johns Hopkins University. At Johns Hopkins, Dutch was mentored by Alfred DuPont Chandler, Jr., America's leading economic historian. His work in defense studies, particularly the aerospace industry, and its post-World War II conversion, focused on Boeing, Martin, and North American Aviation during a period of rapid technological change in defense management. He worked on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Project and the George C. Marshall multi-volume authorized biography. He serves on the Board of the Washington Airports Task Force.

Carey Crane

Co-Founder

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Carey Crane

"If it pays, it stays."

A longtime conservation expert, Mr. Crane comes from a family that has been active at the top levels of the American conservation movement for over fifty years and has been the lead participant in large public/private partnerships. Mr. Crane was for seven years co-host of GreenWave Radio, a nationally syndicated environmental talk radio show. In 2002, both Mr. Crane and his co-host, Chandler Van Voorhis, received the nation's most distinguished private conservation award, the ChevronTexaco Conservation Award. In his capacity as a conservation and environmental expert, Mr. Crane has participated in numerous foundations and non-profit boards over the last twenty-five years. He has served on the Board of the Isaac Walton League, and of the Board of Trustees for Virginia Commonwealth University's Inger and Walter Rice Center for Environmental Life Sciences which is dedicated to the study of river ecosystems. Internationally, Mr. Crane has sat on the Board of Directors of REC (Regional Environmental Centre) Moldova which acts as the bank of conservation in that country. Mr. Crane's numerous past experiences involved serving as President of his family's private financial and asset management company, Lochnau, Inc. until 2003 and on various Boards such as D.E.L.T.A. and Tara Wildlife, Inc.

Chandler Van Voorhis

Co-Founder and Managing Partner

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Chandler Van Voorhis

"My parents instilled in me a simple truth - the two greatest joys in life are the tilling of the land and the cultivation of character. One anchors us, and the other elevates us. For centuries, we have understood the tilling the land, but we have only faintly grasped how the cultivating of character deepens the soil of the mind and spirit."

Chandler Van Voorhis is widely acknowledged as a leading expert in conservation and ecological markets. He has given a recent TEDx Talk, guest lectured at Princeton & Yale, and authored several publications on the emergence of natural capital, including:

"The Rise of Natural Capitalism and the New Frontier of Conservation Finance" in the book Wilderness, Wildlands and People: A Partnership for the Planet, published in 2008
"Finding New Ways to Think About the Environment and Economy" in the book Global Climate Change: A Senior-Level Debate at the Intersection of Economics, Strategy, Technology, Science, Politics, and International Negotiation, published in 1998.

Prior to co-founding C2I, Chandler was co-host of GreenWave Radio, a nationally syndicated radio talk show on the environment and business. In 2002, he was awarded, along with Mr. Crane, the nation's most distinguished private conservation award, the ChevronTexaco Conservation Award.

Chandler is former President of the Alliance for Environmental Education, an international non-profit that played a key role in getting environmental education in K-8 over the last 30 years. Currently, he serves on the advisory boards of IETA Natural Climate Solutions and RenewWest. He is also a member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America.

Kathy Sarich

Comptroller

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Kathy Sarich

Kathy is one of those unique individuals who combines analytic expertise with in-depth knowledge of finance, as it applies to corporate growth and project planning. She comes from a business background anchored in large-scale program contracting, as well as small business initiatives.

As a company veteran, she is intimately involved in all aspects of ACRE’s business. In her position, she has oversight responsibility for all matters related to the finances of ACRE Investment and its subsidiaries. She provides its executives and partners with projections on, budgets, cash flow, carbon accounting, program goals, and project status as well as forward-looking corporate planning.

When not at work, Kathy enjoys the countryside in Delaplane, with her horses and husband and faithful dog Zoie.

Avery Hughes

Land Specialist

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Avery Hughes

"I love working with people who are preserving the land and creating a benefit at the same time. I'm thrilled to use my education to leave the world a better place."

Avery is ACRE's Land Specialist creating maps of our landowner properties and estimating values that benefit them. Born and raised right here in Fauquier County, Virginia, Avery graduated from Emory & Henry College in 2004 with a pre-law degree in Geography. Avery is a wiz at creating maps but adores her husband and three boys (ages 8, 6, and 2.) Avery's another super talented horse person. She learned to ride at an early age on her grandparent's farm and went on to the advanced level foxhunting and showing.

Robert Banner

Sr. Poject Manager

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Robert Banner

"I love marrying ecology and economy at ACRE. Everyone wins."

Rob joined us after 11 years as President of Great Meadow Foundation, a 375-acre equine event park and 501(c)3 non-profit. In his tenure there, he raised more than $5 million to double the park's size and hosted more than 40 events that drew over 200,000 people through the gates each year. One of his last fundraising projects was with Conservation Plus (a division of ACRE Investment Management,) and it did so well, Rob had to join the team! Combine event management and fundraising with 30 years of publishing national equine magazines like The Chronicle of the Horse, and Rob is uniquely equipped to spread the word to landowners and media outlets alike. He also serves as a Director for the Virginia Horse Industry Board and the Equine Land Conservation Resource. A consummate horseman, Rob foxhunts and showjumps on weekends. He graduated from Vanderbilt University with a BA in English.

Bickham Crooks

Forester

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Bickham Crooks

"Trees not only produce the air we breathe but they are one of nature's most efficient filters. Trees are one of the most valuable natural resources on our planet."

Prior to joining Acre Investment in 2019, Bickham has been a forestry consultant since 1989. His primary responsibilities were large-scale forest inventory projects and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and he also was responsible for a variety of other forest management and analytical projects.

Bickham received a Bachelor of Science in Forestry from Louisiana State University in 1988 and has since taken numerous continuing education courses, seminars, short courses, and workshops pertaining to timberland management, GIS, forest technology, and computer science. He is a Registered Forester in Arkansas and Mississippi, holds a LA Real Estate License, and holds a UAS (Drone) Remote Pilot certificate.

He and his wife have five children and two dogs. He is involved with the Boy Scouts of America Troop 65 and youth activities with their local church. He and his two sons are Eagle Scouts.

Steve Burgess

Forester

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Steve Burgess

"Trees are my life.."

Steve joined the GreenTrees team in May of 2012 following a 35-year career with the Mississippi Forestry Commission. Steve says, "I had the opportunity to visit several of the GreenTrees projects while working with the State. I was impressed with the 302 cottonwood/302 mixed hardwood concept, using the cottonwoods as trainers. I am fortunate for the opportunity to join forces with GreenTrees to promote this concept to the landowners interested in planting hardwoods in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley."

Steve received a Bachelor's Degree in Forestry from Mississippi State in 1977. Born and raised in the Mississippi delta, Steve married his junior high sweetheart. They have two children, one son, 36, and one daughter, 25. Bowhunting is his other love, especially hunting the bugling bulls in the Rockies in September.

About

Repairing the Past and Growing the Future

A More Purposeful Union

“Within each of us is character. Under all is the land. And like a river that drops out of sight for a while, only to re-emerge greater and stronger, so it will be with America—and our world.”

Chandler Van Voorhis

GreenTrees Leadership

Jerry "Dutch" Van Voorhis

President and CEO

Carey Crane

Co-Founder

Chandler Van Voorhis

Co-Founder and Managing Partner

Kathy Sarich

Comptroller

Avery Hughes

Land Specialist

Robert Banner

Sr. Poject Manager

Bickham Crooks

Forester

Steve Burgess

Forester

About ACRE Investment Management

Resources

News and Information