Linda Loring's Kitty Pochman Receives Leadership Award

Linda Loring Nature Foundation (LLNF) executive director Kitty Pochman has been named the recipient of the 2026 Association of Nature Center Administrators (ANCA) Nature Center Leadership Award.

ANCA is a professional network of leaders in the nature center and environmental learning fields. ANCA’s Nature Center Leadership Award is given to one person a year who has made major contributions to both their organization and the field as a whole.

Pochman has been LLNF’s executive director for 19 years, and is the only executive director the foundation has ever had. LLNF, a local environmental conservation, research and education organization, owns a large swath of land on the island’s west end.

“Over the course of her nearly 40-year career, Kitty [Pochman] has been an impressive force in supporting environmental conservation on Nantucket and beyond,” an LLNF press release reads in part. “As LLNF’s first and only Executive Director, her contributions have been invaluable.”

The press release lists achievements including strategic planning, more than doubling the organization’s annual budget, massively expanding LLNF’s holdings from 5 to 275 acres, and increasing both the number of staff at LLNF and their facility space.

“Beyond her work at LLNF, Kitty [Pochman’s] efforts have improved local, regional, and national conservation outcomes,” the press release continues. “On Nantucket, she has always adopted a collaborative approach, going out of her way to support others.”

Pochman served as the Maria Mitchell Association’s first executive director from 1988 through 2005, founded a local meeting of Nantucket executive directors, and spent nine years on ANCA’s board, including a term as board president.

“Some leaders only think about how their actions will improve their organization,” LLNF staff wrote. “While Kitty has always had LLNF’s best interest in mind, she also truly cares about the impact that her actions will have in the broader community and has always been willing to share her vast knowledge and experience.”