A 12-year veteran with the organization, Chris Ward started his Trustees tenure in 2003 as the Quabog Hills Superintendent in the Central Region and has been a valued leader and contributor to the organization’s mission and growth ever since.
The general manager position has been established by The Trustees at four signature properties, including Appleton Farms, to help create a holistic, strategic, and multidisciplinary approach to leading, operating, caring for, and promoting some of Massachusetts’ most popular and iconic destinations. Appleton Farms is the oldest continually operating farm in North America welcoming thousands of visitors annually. Set on 1,000 beautiful preserved acres, Appleton Farms is considered one of the most influential and progressive farms in America’s agricultural history serving as the longtime home to nine generations of the Appletons, one of the country’s most important founding families.
In his new role as general manager, Ward oversees 10 full-time and several part-time and seasonal staff members in all farm operations, including a 650-member CSA program, on-site Dairy & Farm store, creamery, grass-fed beef operation, demonstration kitchen, and year-round public programs including cooking classes, vacation camps, farm tours, farm-to-table dinners, family-friendly festivals, and events for all ages. The Trustees is one of the largest private owners of farmland in Massachusetts and is committed to building a more sustainable food system. As general manager, Ward is also responsible for leading The Trustees’ mission to share the important story of agriculture in our lives through visitor experience and public programming at this iconic property and working with staff to meet the sustainable agricultural and ecological goals of this active, working farm.
“Chris brings years of leadership excellence and institutional knowledge to his new position at Appleton,” says Trustees Northeast Regional Director Terry Cook. “We are thrilled that someone with his level of dedication and enthusiasm will be the first general manager of one of our most beloved and visited properties.”
“I am very excited to take on the general manager role at Appleton Farms,” says Ward. “The agricultural and family histories are so rich and the property is breathtaking. The team is top-notch and I’m happy to be a part of it. I look forward to helping usher The Trustees’ agricultural vision at such an amazing property.”
Most recently, Ward served as superintendent of the Trustees’ Ipswich properties, which include The Crane Estate, Hamlin Reservation, and Greenwood Farm—together they welcome over 300,000 visitors annually. The Crane Estate is comprises Castle Hill on The Crane Estate, a National Historic Landmark, Crane Beach, and Crane Wildlife Refuge. He has also previously served as superintendent at Stevens-Coolidge Place in North Andover, making him a 10-year veteran of the Boston’s north shore.
Ward earned a BS in environmental science from Richard Stockton University and an MBA in strategic leadership from New England College. He resides in Newbury with his wife, Kathy. Originally from southern New Jersey, Chris learned hunting from his grandfather at age five and has been an outdoor enthusiast ever since.