advertisement

Lake County Forest Preserves leader keeps an eye toward the future

Alex Ty Kovach, executive director of the Lake County Forest Preserves, oversees one of the nation's top conservation agencies and the second largest forest preserve district in Illinois. He is responsible for managing nearly 31,000 acres of natural lands, more than 200 miles of trails, an accredited museum, three golf courses and several special facilities. I asked him a few questions about his job, background and personal thoughts on leadership.

Q. Tell us a little bit about your role at the Lake County Forest Preserves.

A. My primary role is to work in conjunction with our board, employees and volunteers to set the strategic direction for the agency. Since I started here in June 2013, ensuring a sustainable business model that focuses resources on our core activities and safety have been two of my top priorities. In any organization I have been in, I absolutely insist that we take a long-term view.

Here in Lake County, I want to culturally change the way people look at the landscape. I want the 700,000 Lake County residents to be thinking about their landscape for the future. It's all about community integration.

Q. What about the forest preserve's mission?

A. I always like to go back to our key purpose and what we are authorized to do, which is to acquire lands and restore them as close as possible to their original state, and to offer education and recreation opportunities for public enjoyment of these lands. That's what we do. We have a very precise mission.

The mission of the Lake County Forest Preserves is to acquire natural lands and restore them to as close as possible to their original state, and to offer education and recreation opportunities. Captain Daniel Wright Woods is a 750-acre preserve near Mettawa. Courtesy of the Lake County Forest Preserves

Q. What is one interesting fact about the forest preserves?

A. Within our preserves, there are 199 plant species and 31 animal species that are endangered or threatened. I don't think a lot of people realize that.

Q. What prepared you for this position?

A. I worked 16 years for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in operations. Working in operations for such a large conservation agency gave me an understanding of how important it is for an organization to plan for future maintenance and replacement of its infrastructure in order to maintain high standards.

From there, I went to the private sector where I focused on making environmental performance a priority and an economic factor. I wanted to change the game in terms of how we looked at and invested in our landscape and the metrics that are used to measure success.

Q. How did you become a leader in conservation?

A. It goes back to my childhood. Growing up on a farm in a very rural area of Minnesota, I developed a deep appreciation for the outdoors. Everything revolved around the seasons. My parents both love nature and the outdoors, and they immersed me in it from my earliest memories. My mother, who is in her mid-80s, recently commented to me about how the biodiversity has changed in the last 50 years and her concern for the future.

Q. Tell us a little bit more about your international experience.

A. I worked five years as chief operations officer for the land management firm, the Mustique Company Limited, on the 1,400-acre private island of Mustique, part of the island country of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the West Indies. While there, I led a variety of conservation initiatives such as reforestation of the Grenadine Island, reef protection and shoreline beach restoration.

Prior to coming to Lake County, I was CEO for Cabo Delgado Investments Limited, which owns and manages a group of private islands and coastal forest land in the Republic of Mozambique in southeast Africa. I lived on the island of Vamizi.

Q. What brought you back to the Midwest?

A. I had taken Cabo Delgado as far as it could go. I restructured and strengthened it, accomplishing everything I set out to do. I wanted to find an organization where I could get to know all the stakeholders and work toward alignment of conservation efforts for the long-term. The Lake County Forest Preserves was a perfect match for me.

Alex Ty Kovach, executive director of the Lake County Forest Preserves, oversees one of the nation's top conservation agencies. Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve is one of the preserves he is responsible for managing. Courtesy of Jeff Goldberg

Q. What about the 100-year vision you implemented here?

A. When it comes to our vision, it reaches across the entire county, well beyond forest preserve boundaries.

We envision that 100 years from now, Lake County will be a healthy and resilient landscape with restored and preserved natural lands, waters and cultural assets. Residents will take great pride in how their forest preserves make their communities more livable and the local economy more dynamic. And, future generations will protect and cherish these resources.

Q. From a business outlook, who is your mentor?

A. The Honorable Brian Alexander - he's English. He was the chief executive for the Mustique Company when I started there and he taught me so much about business acumen. He was very careful about the landscape. We would say, “Brian could walk down a beach and not leave a footprint.”

He always looked at the business side of everything with a common-sense approach. And he always asked the question, “why?”

He had this skill set of intensely listening. I strive to emulate these qualities.

Q. What words describe you best?

A. Being ethical and having integrity. I think you just need to live by those.

Q. If you were to give a couple of tips to another executive, what would they be?

A. Listen. Scan the horizon and really listen, and based on what you hear, don't be afraid to change directions. Be careful not to get caught in self-deception. Don't think about yourself, think about others. It's not about you. Leadership goes to the vision of an organization, whereas management goes to the mission. Don't ever squelch enthusiasm.

Q. What do you like to do in your free time?

A. I like to hike, be outdoors and I'm an avid organic gardener. I do all heirloom plants and many of my seeds go back generations in my family.

Q. What was your first paying job?

A. Throwing bales of hay for a penny a bale. The first 100 bales will instill the value of $1. I think we often lose sight of the value of money when dealing in large numbers.

Q. If you weren't in this job, what would you be doing?

A. I would be a sustainable farmer or rancher.

Q. Do you have a favorite forest preserve?

A. All of the forest preserves are lovely and unique in their own way.

Kim Mikus is a communications specialist for the Lake County Forest Preserves. She writes a bimonthly column about various aspects of the preserves. Contact her with ideas or questions at kmikuscroke@LCFPD.org. Connect with the Lake County Forest Preserves on social media @LCFPD.

Alex Ty Kovach

Title: Executive director of the Lake County Forest Preserves

Hometown: Akeley, Minnesota

Residence now: Gurnee

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.