Land Bank Executive Director Resigns To Join Island Law Firm

After nearly 17 years with the Nantucket Land Bank, including the last three as its executive director, Jesse Bell is stepping away from the organization and announced her resignation on Friday while stating she will be taking a job with the island law firm Cohen & Cohen.

Bell informed the members of the elected Land Bank Commission of her resignation on July 28 and worked her final day at the Land Bank's Broad Street office last Friday.

"I’ve decided the time is right for me to move on to the next chapter of my career," Bell said in a statement provided to the Current. "I’m happy to announce that I’ll be joining Cohen and Cohen as a real estate and land use attorney at the end of August. Steven and Jen have been so welcoming, I look forward to working with them. I’m grateful for the community relationships I’ve built working at the Land Bank and excited to bring the extensive knowledge I’ve gained to private practice."

Nantucket Land Bank chair Kristina Jelleme issued a press release on Friday in which she stated "The parties have mutually agreed to move in new directions. We have accepted Jesse’s resignation and greatly appreciate her many years of service and numerous accomplishments at the Land Bank. She played an instrumental role in many community projects and we genuinely wish her the best in her future endeavors."

Bell, a licensed Massachusetts attorney with a Master of Studies in environmental law, was named the Land Bank's executive director in 2021 following the retirement of her predecessor, Eric Savetsky. During her time with the Land Bank, Bell helped the organization complete several notable projects including the Easy Street pocket park, the Creeks Preserve by the Milestone Rotary, the dog park off Miacomet Road, and the new pier at Long Pond, while also acquiring dozens of new properties across the island.

In an announcement of her hiring, the Cohen & Cohen law firm stated that Bell would be focusing on real estate conveyances, land use, and zoning, as well as planning and permitting. Bell had previously worked with Steven Cohen at another island law firm in the past.

"Jesse brings her love of Nantucket, deep community connections, and decades
of land-use and planning expertise to Cohen & Cohen Law PC," the firm stated. "Jesse’s accomplishments at the Land Bank will enrich the lives of all Nantucket
residents, seasonal and year-round, for generations."