Three new board members were elected by Stowe Land Trust’s (SLT) membership at the 27th Annual Meeting celebration held on Sunday, September 7th. Clifford Borden, Sam Gaines and Walt Looney will join nineteen existing board members responsible for governing the community conservation organization.
Clifford Borden
Clifford has been enjoying all that Stowe has to offer since first coming here to ski in the 1980s. He is Portfolio Manager and Director of Borden Wealth Management at ScotiaMcLeod in Montreal. A longtime public servant, Clifford has been a town councilor in Hampstead, co-chaired two Israel Cancer Research Fund events which raised over 1.3 million dollars and has chaired the Combined Jewish Appeal (CJA) professional division for two years, raising funds for the Montreal Jewish Community. Clifford has been a member of SLT since becoming a homeowner here in 1997 and firmly believes SLT is the vital contributor responsible for maintaining all the wonderful natural areas and recreational opportunities in Stowe. When the snow has melted you can find him on his mountain bike or running on the area’s extensive trail network.
Sam Gaines
Sam is the Vice President and Director of Development at Spruce Peak Realty, the real estate subsidiary of Stowe Mountain Resort. Sam manages all aspects of real estate design, planning, permitting, construction, and sales and marketing with respect to Spruce Peak at Stowe—a planned community that includes a 300-room 4–star condominium hotel, 38 mountain cabins, 20 home sites, a Bob Cupp-designed golf course, a 423-seat Performing Arts Center, a Private Residence Club, a spa, and various ski and summer recreation improvements. Sam holds a BA in Public Policy Analysis from Pomona College in Claremont, California and a MA in Real Estate Finance from the New York University Schack Institute of Real Estate. Sam lives in Stowe with his wife Molly and son Theodore. Sam is a passionate skier, runner, hiker, and tennis player.
Walt Looney
Walt and his family have been seasonal visitors to Stowe for more than 30 years. After he retired from his law firm in 2010, he and his wife, Diane, bought a farm on Shaw Hill in the Moscow section of Stowe. Walt’s now-grown sons learned to ski at Spruce Peak, and with the debut of his three-year old grandson on the Magic Carpet last winter, the next generation has been introduced to the treasures of Stowe. Walt was a partner for 32 years with the New York law firm of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, where he managed their Hong Kong and London offices, among other roles. He has long been interested in conservation, has been involved with a variety of conservation organizations, and serves as a director of Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation, a Massachusetts land trust. He enjoys cross country and downhill skiing, snowshoeing, cycling, birding and hiking the local trails. Walt is also a director of the New York-based classical music organization, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. He is a graduate of Boston College, University of Virginia and Harvard Law School, and is currently general counsel of a London-based asset management firm.