Joel Houser

Open Space Institute / Host Committee Member

Joel Houser is the Director of Capital Grants for the Open Space Institute (OSI). Joel oversees OSI’s land conservation grant programs from Alabama to Maine and also serves as OSI’s field coordinator in the southeast. Additionally, he provides technical assistance to organizations and communities developing science-based strategic conservation plans to address climate change. Before joining OSI in 2016, Joel served as the Southeast Conservation Director for the Land Trust for Tennessee (LTTN). For LTTN, Joel worked to acquire properties for Tennessee State Parks and Wildlife Management Areas. Preceding that, Joel was the Executive Director of Crabtree Farms, a nonprofit teaching farm in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He serves in leadership positions on the boards of Crabtree Farms and Thrive Regional Partnership. Joel holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in environmental science from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He lives and works in southeast Tennessee.