Deanna Glosser is where she is today — environmental activist and executive director of the Land Conservation Foundation — thanks in no small part to the mentorship of Clyde Forrest.
Glosser was pursuing her Ph.D. in environmental and regional planning in the 1980s when she came to know the professor in the UI’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning.
“Clyde was a professor of law in this department,” she says. “As a professor and member of my dissertation committee, Clyde expected high-quality work and guided me through my research.
“After completing my dissertation, Clyde remained an important mentor but also became a colleague and friend. I turned to him many times over my career for professional advice and support, which he never failed to provide.
“He always encouraged me to pursue my professional goals and to maintain my commitment to protecting natural resources. This led me to an exciting career at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources; establishing my own consulting firm; being appointed to the Illinois Pollution Control Board, where I also served as chairman; and now serving as the executive director of a local land trust.”
