Levittown Native Who Helped Preserve Bucks County Land Retiring After 40 Years

The head of the Heritage Conservancy is retiring after a 40-year career.

Jeffrey Marshall, a native of Levittown, has led the Doylestown-based nonprofit for the past 10 years and spent the 30 prior years working with the nonprofit that has preserved more than 15,500 acres of open space, farmland, watersheds, and wildlife habitats. The nonprofit has also designated more than 600 structures as historic places on its list.

The Heritage Conservancy has an impact throughout Lower Bucks County and owns the 80-acre Croydon Woods Nature Preserve in Bristol Township’s Croydon section.

Over the years, Marshall has been involved with The National Barn Alliance, where he served as president, and he was a founder and president of the Board of The Historic Barn and Farm Foundation in Pennsylvania. He also has been involved with the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association and Preservation Pennsylvania.

“What started out as a job that fit my interest in history turned into a career and a passion,” said Marshall. “Conservation is all about connections to the past, to the future, to the community and to the land.”

The Heritage Conservancy has received local, state, and national praise and recognition for its work and Marshall’s efforts over the years.

“As our familiar places change, we recognize that we begin to lose our sense of place and what makes a community different from its neighboring ones. I have been lucky to be in a position that advocates for the land and our historic structures and to have the opportunity to make a lasting impact in the community I grew up in,” he said.

Marshall’s work has been recognized through the inaugural Bucks County Preservation Legacy Award presented by the Bucks County Commissioners, with a Lifetime Achievement Award, and as the 2015 Ambassador of Bucks County.

Over his career, Marshall has authored six books on land protection and historic preservation, including Barns of Bucks County and Farmhouses of Bucks County.

As he moves to the next phase of his life, Marshall is looking to focusing more on his historic preservation passion and book writing.

While Marshall will be retiring, he will serve as a part-time senior advisor to the nonprofit.

“Heritage Conservancy is well-positioned for this transition to happen. Our talented and dedicated staff with Linda Cacossa, our long-term chief operating and financial officer, Kris Kern, our director of resource protection, and other key individuals, can seamlessly carry the organization forward,” said Stephen Phillips, Chairperson of the Heritage Conservancy’s Board of Directors. “We are confident our current management team will continue their good work as we find our new president, and we are pleased that Jeff will remain a part of the organization as senior advisor.”

Vice Chair of Heritage Conservancy’s Board of Directors. Maria Rieders said Marshall and his legacy will remain a part of the organization.

“We are in a strong position to welcome a new president, and we look forward to expanding upon our mission to preserve our natural and historic resources together with our outstanding staff and management team,” said Cacossa chief operating and financial officer.

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