Olivia Walcott Gonda

Acquisitions and Grants Manager

Olivia was born and raised on a farm in Michigan. Watching the land produce food for her community and swimming in Lake Michigan until she turned blue informed her love of place-based work. In college, Olivia participated in student organizing for sustainability projects and studied environmental science at Northern Michigan University.

Olivia acquired project management skills from her work as a local-food organizer in Iowa and the San Juan Islands—bringing this experience to the Preservation Trust when she joined the staff in March 2022, initially as Philanthropy Coordinator, then stepping up as Acquisition and Grants Manager in October 2025.

When Olivia isn’t in SJPT’s Friday Harbor office, Orcas Island office, or working from home, you can find her swimming or wrangling her 16-year-old diabetic cat, Roger.