Visitors to the Boothbay Region Land Trust will be greeted by a new face, though if they've volunteered before, they might recognize her.

Diane Gilman of Woolwich has just become the new administrative assistant at BRLT. She has been volunteering for several years and adores hiking the trails with her Lab/pit mix, Jackson.

“I'm a very serious hiker,” Gilman said. “The harder the trail, the more I like it.”

As administrative assistant, her duties include answering the phones, manning the front desk, maintaining databases, working with volunteers, sending thank you letters to donors, paying bills and a thousand other small details that keep an organization like BRLT humming.

“I work in the background, I am behind what people see when they come to the Land Trust. The beauty of the trails and the good work BRLT does, that's what they see. That's what we want them to see,” Gilman said.

Gilman has worked for several organizations, usually in a human resources or employee relations position. She ran an educational nonprofit that worked on diversity and inclusion in schools for over 15 years, and has also worked as a consultant.

Gilman has been passionate about the environment for years, helping to clear trails and working with the “wayfarer” group. This group learns all they can about the Land Trust trails and history, then shares the knowledge with visitors along the BRLT trails.

“I really liked the staff at BRLT when I met them,” Gilman said. “It was the kind of environment I would really want to work in, and the kind of people I wanted to be around.”

“I've been out of work for a long time,” Gilman said. “And I came in and told Skye (Wood) that I would love to work at BRLT, and if any openings came up to please keep me in mind.” Wood is now the BRLT’s Development and Outreach Manager.

When the position opened, Gilman sent in her resume immediately. Several people were interviewed for the position, but in the end Gilman was hired.

“I love the way the BRLT is run,” Gilman said. “It’s organized, professional, friendly. You don't often get a chance to interact with coworkers before working with them; I was lucky in this case.”

Gilman began work on February 20, and is still learning all her job duties. She will work around 30 hours a week, though that might go up in the summer.

“I look forward to meeting all the people the Land Trust works with, and hope new people will come to see what we are all about,” Gilman said.