Lance Betros, a colonel in the U.S. Army, also has a doctorate in history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has been a Land Trust Board member since 2004. "The reason for my association with the HHLT is twofold. First, as a longtime resident of the Hudson Highlands, I have always been awed by the natural beauty of the region. Second, as Head of the Department of History at West Point, I am intimately familiar with the historical significance of the area that George Washington called 'the key to the continent.' With HHLT in the lead, we can protect both the natural beauty and cultural heritage of the Hudson Highlands for future generations."