Meet Our Staff | Karissa Raynor

It is an incredible pleasure to be the Annual Giving Coordinator for the Peconic Land Trust! I started in the development department in early October this past year, after moving to the North Fork with my husband Robert, a 13th generation Raynor of Southampton, and my pup Finnegan, pictured above. I have been visiting the East End for many years now to enjoy time with family for the holidays and summer trips to the beach. Finally having the chance to start putting our own roots here has been such a wonderful experience, and the Trust is a large part of that!

As a frequent visitor over the years, when we would drive off the Orient Point ferry, having finally arrived for our family visit, I would quickly breathe in the salt air, and take in the gorgeous scenery of the shimmering water, open farm fields, and seemingly endless vineyards. Now my job is to help protect these amazing places, my favorite places!

I originally grew up in Northern Connecticut where going to the beach was a full-day excursion. While I didn’t mind packing up the sandwiches, sun hats, and beach toys, it’s a wonderful feeling knowing that I can now just walk a half mile down the road and arrive at the beach. Now in Greenport, I face the Connecticut shore, where I once stood so many years ago as a kid, beach ball in hand, looking off to Long Island, my new home!

In just a few short months I have learned so much about the East End of Long Island, more than I could have imagined. The endless options for hiking, swimming, and exploring are incredible. My husband has even joked that I now know more about the East End than he does!

As the Annual Giving Coordinator, I get the opportunity to share stories about the Trust with our community. My role allows me to speak about the critical and ongoing work of protecting the working farms, and natural lands that surround us. I am so proud to be a part of the Peconic Land Trust and could not be more excited to share in all the wonderful opportunities that the East End has to offer. I hope to meet many of you at a Trust event soon and hope you’ll join me in supporting the urgent and important work of the Peconic Land Trust.

Want to give a warm welcome to Karissa? You can email her at KRaynor@PeconicLandTrust.org.