Emma Lietz Bilecky is the Colorado Land Link Director at Guidestone Colorado, where she leads statewide efforts to increase equitable access to agricultural land for the next generation of farmers and ranchers. With a deep commitment to land justice and sustainable food systems, Emma’s work is shaped by a unique blend of academic rigor, grassroots experience, and cross-sector collaboration.
Her passion for agricultural land access emerged while pursuing a Master’s degree in Environmental Management, Economics, and Policy at Duke University, where she researched land loss and systemic discrimination in U.S. agricultural policy, particularly at the USDA. That academic foundation informs her practical work, which has included managing school farms both in her home state of Colorado and at Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey. At Princeton, she co-founded a campus-based procurement initiative and established a laying hen operation alongside a team of graduate students.
Emma has also played a pivotal role in launching a farm-based fellowship program for young adults in Western Michigan and has worked with religious communities across the country to repurpose church-owned properties for agricultural use—advancing land access, ecological stewardship, and food justice. She currently serves on the national steering committee for FaithLands, the board of directors for Sanctuary + Seed, and is the secretary of the Upper Arkansas Farmers Union chapter, reflecting her wide-ranging leadership and advocacy in the food and land access movement.
In addition to her nonprofit work, Emma is an adjunct professor at Colorado Mountain College, where she teaches environmental ethics, and is in the early stages of developing a farm and food business on leased land in Salida, Colorado. Outside of her professional pursuits, she enjoys writing, fermenting, biking, and skiing—activities that reflect her deep connection to the land and her community.
Emma Lietz Bilecky is a thoughtful and dynamic leader working at the intersection of agriculture, policy, education, and spirituality, with a vision rooted in equity, resilience, and regeneration.
