Heather Richards Evans, trustee

Heather Richards Evans is founder and president of Yaverland Foundation, which supports conservation, education, and the arts, with a particular focus on programs benefiting underserved communities.  

Evans has broad experience in governance, strategic planning, and master planning. She enjoyed practicing law as a litigation associate in New York prior to moving to London where she lived for 10 years before returning to the US. After a brief stint in Connecticut, Evans now resides in Delaware. While in London, Evans was active in strategic planning for the American Friends of the British Museum, Business in the Community, and West London Action for Children. Her board service, as well as her ad-hoc work, are informed by the communities in which she lives and complement Yaverland’s mission. 

Evans served for a year in an advisory role on the COA Buildings & Grounds Committee before her election to the board. She is excited to have the opportunity to work with the diverse and talented group of individuals comprising the COA community in exploring our collective understanding of human ecology. 

“I’m energized by the challenges and possibilities of building upon the vision of COA’s founders 50 years ago as we proceed together in strengthening a framework that supports the exploration of what it means to be a world in balance,” she said.

Evans is a seasonal resident of MDI. In a mobile world, Northeast Harbor has always been the place where she, her three adult children, extended family, and friends can reliably find each other and renew their sense of wonder.

Evans has an AB in history from Princeton University and received her JD from NYU School of Law.  She completed additional graduate work in environmental planning at the University of Pennsylvania. Evans is a member of the New York and New Jersey State Bar associations.