Monty Lovejoy '76: A Love for the Land

The family farmland had experienced the push and pull between joy and sorrow – Lovejoy’s grandparents purchased the then-dormant 200-acre dairy farm just after the Great Depression. The farm was passed down to Lovejoy’s parents, who revived it as a place where the family could enjoy, employ, and appreciate nature. There, they cleared trails, managed the forest, grew hay, and fished and swam in the pond.

“Our place in New Hampshire had a lot to do with my entry into [the environmental sector] – having the opportunity to spend time in the suburbs, but then also to get away to work and play in the great outdoors as a child and enjoy the clean air and clean water,” Lovejoy says.

Following the receipt of his bachelor’s degree at the University of Vermont’s School of Natural Resources in Resource Economics, Lovejoy dove into environmental work, accepting an entry-level position at the Associated Industries of Massachusetts. There, he was charged with working on state-level energy and environmental policy affecting industry, and in the meantime, he still found time for respites at the farm in New Hampshire.

 

It was during one of those retreats, as he was happily playing ice hockey on the pond at the farm, that Lovejoy learned of a tragedy that would alter the rest of his career – his professional mentor had died in a car accident.

“It was very disturbing,” Lovejoy says. “It was really tough, but it created an opportunity for me to take on a larger role [at the association].”

Shaken by the death of the person who had been his professional guide at this early stage in his career, Lovejoy worked hard to tackle the challenges of his new position and it paid off. He spent nine years there and ultimately ended up as the vice president for energy and environmental policy, hosting seminars and workshops for the membership to teach them about state regulations, lobbying at the state house, and meeting with members of the cabinet.

“I was trying to influence public policy, which was really exciting,” Lovejoy says.

Now, he is the global sales director for AECOM’s (Architecture, Engineering, Consulting, Operations and Management) environmental business line, where he focuses on business development and selling environmental consulting, safety, and remediation services to industrial clients around the world. Lovejoy has been with the company for 21 years, weathering several name and ownership changes along the way.

In his free time, he continued to dedicate himself to volunteer work in the environmental sector, serving on the Board of Directors of the New England Forestry Foundation for 18 years. There, he helped promote the organization’s goals of backing sustainable forest management, and owning, conserving, and holding easements on forestland throughout New England. During his tenure as chairman of the board, the Foundation acquired the largest conservation restriction in the United States: the 750,000-acre plot of Pingree family land in Maine. The acquisition led to accolades for Lovejoy in Yankee Magazine, which listed him as one of the top 10 most influential people in New England.

“I was very surprised when I was recognized,” Lovejoy says. “That recognition was truly a tribute to the larger organizational accomplishment.”

The praise was a highlight of a career that began in Rivers’ backyard. Lovejoy says the biology courses he took during his seven years at Rivers, and the practical scientific learning he did through studies of Nonesuch Pond provided some of the roots for his future in environmental policy and consulting. He looks back fondly on field trips to former faculty member Len Thompson’s camp, which also helped form the foundation for his environmental education.

“There was a balanced curriculum [at Rivers] that included natural sciences,” he says.

Those natural sciences and Lovejoy’s inherent appreciation for the natural environment continue to inspire his dedication to environmental improvement.