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A Personal Tribute to Len Betley
Written By: Shawndra Miller
Date Published: May 11, 2023
Shawndra Miller
Part 4 in a series
Our spring newsmagazine honors the late Len Betley, our friend and benefactor. We’ve been sharing tributes from people who knew, loved, and respected Len. Here our longtime supporter Priscilla Johnson, who serves on our board, offers her reflections.
Priscilla first met Len over 55 years ago when he began dating her best friend, Katie. He had to pass muster with Priscilla, who’d known Katie since birth. “We were backyard neighbors for the first 17 years of our lives,” Priscilla explains. “Of course, Len had to undergo the inquiry. It obviously went OK, because they got married!”
It turned out more than OK—Priscilla and her husband Tom (TJ) would go on to spend many happy times together with the Betleys, often out in nature.
“I’ve always liked Leonard, what was not to like?” she says. “He was always genuine.”
Priscilla and TJ became invested in the conservation movement largely because of Len’s involvement. “All four of us just love the outdoors so much,” she says, “and it was part of our time together.
At the Johnsons’ Lamb Lake property in Johnson County, a particular memory stands out: Katie and Len on a four-wheeler on a muddy day. “I can still close my eyes and see them coming back,” Priscilla laughs. “They had gotten the four-wheeler stuck and Katie got out to push.” Both were covered in mud, and Katie even had mud in her earlobes. “But there were smiles across their faces,” Priscilla says, “like they’d had a great adventure.”
The foursome also traveled together many times over the years. From Alaska to London to the Grand Canyon to Banff, the two couples covered a lot of ground.
“We each had our role,” Priscilla recalls. “I was the planner. TJ was the driver. Katie was the photographer. And Leonard was the father. He’d pay all the bills. He’d take a wallet and we’d each put some dollars in. If we needed to buy tickets, he’d go up to the counter to get them. At restaurants, we’d say, ‘Give our father the bill.’”
If the wallet got thin halfway through the week, they’d each put more cash in. “On the way home,” she says, “he’d declare a dividend and pass out the cash remaining.”
Asked about the incredibly generous gift Len and Katie made to CILTI in 2021, Priscilla says “I don’t even have words.”
In 2015, Priscilla, along with TJ and her brother Randy Lamb, helped CILTI acquire the family property that would become Betley Woods at Glacier’s End—taking a bargain price in the sale.
This land is loaded with shared memories, and Priscilla is overwhelmed by the generous role her friends played in supporting its restoration. “My father would just be over the moon,” she says. “It was just an incredible gift to our state, to our citizens, to the preserving of special places.”
The property’s rich biodiversity has been documented by state botanist Scott Namestnik. Measuring just 300 acres, Betley Woods hosts a whopping 500 species of vascular plants, with a high ratio of natives to non-native plants. And counting all taxa, our stewardship crew has documented 949 species within the property, including 23 rare plants and animals.
Given how many other claims Len could have made, Priscilla was particularly touched that the land now has the Betley name. “Of all the things that he had been involved with and that he spent time, energy, and money on—things people might not even be aware of—the fact that this was named Betley Woods is very significant to me.”
Len’s impact on his community and close relationships was too enormous to be catalogued. “Len will be greatly missed. He leaves such a big hole in the fabric of the community,” Priscilla says.
Ben Valentine
Guest Blogger
Ben Valentine is a founding member of the Friends of Marott Woods Nature Preserve and is active in several other conservation organizations. He leads a series of NUVO interviews with Indiana's environmental leaders, and he cherishes showing his son all the wonders of nature he grew up loving.
DJ Connors
Guest Blogger
DJ Connors, a Central Indiana native and late-to-life hunter, combines a lifelong appreciation for wildlife and the outdoors with a deep passion for exploring the natural beauty of the area he has called home for most of his life. As a husband and father of three, he is committed to ensuring his children have the same opportunities to connect with nature and appreciate the outdoors in their community. DJ’s unique journey into hunting emphasizes sustainability, responsible stewardship, and the importance of preserving these experiences for future generations.
Bridget Walls
Guest Blogger
Bridget is our first ever Communications and Outreach Intern. She is a graduate of Marian University, where she combined English, studio art, and environmental sciences in her degree studies. As treasurer for Just Earth, the university's environmental club, she helped plan events encouraging a responsible relationship between people, nature, and animals.
Jordan England
Guest Blogger
Jordan England is a lifelong Shelby County resident who graduated from Waldron Jr. Sr. High School (just a few miles from Meltzer Woods!). After earning her B.S. degree in Retail Management from Purdue University, she returned to Waldron to start a family with her husband, Brian. Together they have 3 young children and enjoy sharing with them their love of the community. Jordan is the Grants and Nonprofit Relations Director at Blue River Community Foundation, managing BRCF’s grant program, providing support to local nonprofits, and promoting catalytic philanthropy in Shelby County.
Cliff Chapman
President and CEO
As CILTI’s President and CEO, Cliff keeps CILTI’s focus on good science and stewardship. He’s mindful that the natural places you love took thousands of years to evolve and could be destroyed in a single day, and that knowledge drives his dedication to their protection.
Stacy Cachules
Chief Operating Officer
Among her many key duties as Assistant Director, Stacy has the critical task of tracking our budget, making sure we channel donations for maximum efficiency. When her workday’s done, Stacy loves to spend time with her two young boys—and when not traveling, she’s likely planning the next travel adventure.
Ryan Fuhrmann
Vice Chair
Ryan C. Fuhrmann, CFA, is President and founder of Fuhrmann Capital LLC, an Indiana-based investment management firm focused on portfolio management. Ryan’s interest in land conservation centers around a desire to help preserve natural habitats for wildlife and the subsequent benefits it brings to people and the environment.
Joanna Nixon
Board Member
Joanna Nixon is the owner of Nixon Consulting, an Indianapolis-based strategy and project management firm focused on the nonprofit sector. She currently serves as the Philanthropic Advisor for the Efroymson Family Fund. Prior to opening her consulting practice in 2000, Joanna was vice-president for grantmaking at Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF). Joanna has more than 25 years of experience in the nonprofit and arts and culture sector. She is passionate about the environment and loves bringing big ideas to life and creating high-quality arts and culture programs and experiences. Joanna enjoys outdoor adventures, including competing in fitness obstacle course races and hiking with her high energy Australian Cattle Dog, Jackson.
Karen Wade
Board Member
Before retiring, CILTI board member Karen Wade worked for Eli Lilly & Co. In retirement she volunteers for a number of organizations, including the Indiana Master Naturalist program, Johnson County Native Plant Partnership CISMA, Meadowstone Therapeutic Riding Center, and Leadership Johnson County.
David Barickman
Development Systems Manager
Born and raised in Central Illinois, David spent many days as a child wandering around the river, forest and lakes there. He works behind the scenes as a key member of our fundraising team. When not working, David loves to be outdoors hiking, fly fishing, kayaking or woodworking.
Jamison Hutchins
Stewardship Director
Jamison leads our stewardship team in caring for the land that is so important to you. He comes to our team after eight years as Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator for the city of Indianapolis, where his work had a positive impact from both health and environmental perspectives.
Jen Schmits Thomas
Media Relations
An award-winning communicator and recognized leader in Central Indiana’s public relations community, Jen helps us tell our story in the media. She is the founder of JTPR, which she and her husband John Thomas own together. She is accredited in public relations (APR) from the Public Relations Society of America, and loves to camp and hike in perfect weather conditions.
Shawndra Miller
Communications Director
Shawndra’s earliest writing projects centered around the natural world, starting when a bird inspired her to write her first “book” in elementary school. Now she is in charge of sharing our story and connecting you to our work. Through our print and online materials, she hopes to inspire your participation in protecting special places for future generations.
Phillip Weldy
Stewardship Specialist
Phillip enjoys nature’s wonders from an up-close-and-personal perspective as he works to restore the natural places you love. As an AmeriCorps member in Asheville, NC, he had his first full immersion in relatively undisturbed land while reconstructing wilderness trails in National Parks and National Forests.
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