It’s with heavy hearts that we say farewell to former Committee for Green Foothills board member and vice president, Sam Halsted, who passed away on January 16, 2019. In addition to serving on our board of directors, Sam was a member of Portola Valley’s first town council and later served as mayor of the town. Through these roles, Sam was a true pioneer for conservation in our region.

In a recent Almanac News article, former Committee for Green Foothills board  member and Portola Valley Town historian Nancy Lund spoke of Sam and his contributions to the preservation of Portola Valley’s open space. She noted that as a member of the first town council, Sam helped to “established the core values of preservation, conservation and volunteerism which continue to this day.”

We’re grateful for the contributions Sam made to Committee for Green Foothills and our work to preserve local open space. Our condolences go out to his family.