A Message From Our Incoming and Outgoing Board Presidents
At the start of 2026, The Merwin Conservancy marked a transition in board leadership. Robert Becker concluded his tenure as Board President, and Mary Lock assumed this role. In the short letters below, Robert and Mary both reflect on this moment and look ahead to the future of this organization.
Robert Becker, Former Board President:
In mid-December I hosted a dinner in my New York City apartment to celebrate the first fifteen years of The Merwin Conservancy’s extraordinary life. Recent Merwin Conservancy residents—poets Elisa Gonzalez and Pádraig Ó Tuama and artist Sean Connolly—spoke generously of their stays in the Merwin house and on the land, and read from work inspired by their time there. It was one of my last responsibilities and delights as board president and I was filled with gratitude that these years of imagining, planning, and fundraising with our talented staff and dedicated board have offered such significant rewards.
My involvement with The Merwin Conservancy dates back to the beginning when I was privy to some of the earliest discussions between William and Paula about the founding of this organization. Subsequently, I dove in head-first after William asked me to take his seat when he retired from our board. No words can describe the privilege it has been to be part of The Conservancy’s growth into a small yet substantial organization that honors the earth, the Hawaiian Islands, the vast human resource of imagination, and the sanctity of stillness.
Thank you to all who contribute so much to seeing that the Merwins’ vision flourishes, from the leadership, staff, and those of you who have given financially, to everyone who pulls weeds, cleans gutters, moves bio-piles, and propagates and plants young palm trees. I am especially grateful to my fellow board members who over the years have volunteered their time and efforts to this project, and to my colleague and friend of many years Mary Lock who so graciously, and with tremendous knowledge and leadership, steps in as The Merwin Conservancy’s next board president.
Mary Lock, Board President:
I am honored to step into the role of Board President of The Merwin Conservancy and very grateful to Robert for his steady, thoughtful leadership. I have long admired Robert and learned so much from working alongside him, especially his unwavering commitment to keeping our mission and vision true to the ethos of William and Paula Merwin.
Robert challenged us not to settle for the ordinary when defining who we are as an organization and as we transitioned the property from a private residence into a site that would welcome writers, artists, and the public. Where once we struggled to define ourselves, we are now comfortable in being indescribable, not fitting a mold, occupying the crossroads of artistic expression and conservation, and being a place of wonder.
I look forward to working with the talented staff, board, and supporters to explore where we are going next. Building on this foundation, I want to help bring focus to the garden itself: the remarkable palm forest that is both a work of imagination and a place of real conservation value, where palm species increasingly rare in the wild are being preserved. Above all, I am eager to work together to prepare for the long-term future of The Merwin Conservancy.
