In 2018, seven wonderful Wolf Camp parents were elected to serve as founding members of the Conservation College, and independent non-profit organization dedicated its mission to “inspire a global conservation ethic by connecting people to nature through outdoor education.”
Board members of the new Conservation College have included:
Gabriella Ashford, Current President
Ellen Blanchard, Esq. (founding president)
Nessa Rothstein (founding member and former president)
Kartik Kanakasabesan: MBA (former vice president)
Jamie Jamerson (founding member and former secretary)
Diana Wadley (founding member and former treasurer)
Ken Fellows, M.S. (founding member and former secretary/treasurer)
Rikki McGee, Ph.D. (former fundraising committee chair)
Adam Arabian, Ph.D., P.E. (founding member and former vision committee co-chair)
Gerd Weyer (founding member and former vision committee co-chair)
Amy Moreno-Sills (founding member and former board member)
Pete Simon (founding member and former advisory board member)
Wolf Camp is working to support the Conservation College in its infancy, and are helping to find additional board members to help guide the new Conservation College. Gain useful skills while sharing your talents! To be eligible, you must regularly live or work within the State of Washington, but citizenship is not required. Time commitment is estimated to be 6 hours per month including board meetings, committee meetings, trainings and event preparation.
If you would like to apply for an open position on the board, please email the following information to us in advance of our next board meeting:
- Name as you would like it to appear if added to their staff webpage:
- What is your connection to the Conservation College mission of sharing earth skills education? (Why are you interested in serving on the board? Why are you passionate about the mission?)
- What skills and previous experience do you have that is relevant to participating on a non-profit board? This might include environmental education, legal work, community building, administrative experience, other board experiences, non-profit work, government or business experience, conflict resolution or facilitation training, relevant networks or community connections you bring to the board, etc.
- Is it important to you that outdoor education be accessible to people of all financial and cultural statuses? Do you have ideas on how earth skills education can become more accessible to wider groups of people? Do you consider yourself a person of color, multinational, immigrant, indigenous, tribal, veteran, differently-abled, targeted religious minority, low income issues, rural life, inner-city resident, active senior, young adult or other member of a group often underrepresented on boards?
- If you have a LinkedIn page you would like to share with us to know more about you, please paste the URL here:
- Photo & Short Biography including any degrees/certifications/trainings you would like considered or noted on future board website page:
- Do you have any additional information you would like us to know about you, or questions or concerns we can address?
Conservation College Board of Directors: Duties will include responsibility and care for the organization and the students it serves. The board of directors is tasked with refining the vision for the organization, providing guidance and oversight to ensure its continued success, hiring and supporting the Executive Director, promoting inclusion, establishing policies to guide, outreach and exercising influence to leverage partnership and resource, and ensuring the procurement and effective management of resources. Terms for the Conservation College Board of Directors will begin in January, 2018. The initial board size is proposed to start with 5 members serving 2 year terms, and 5 members serving 1 year terms to be reelected/replaced at the end of 2018 for rotating 2 year terms. Board Members may include people with experience as community organizers, environmentalists, attorneys, accountants, administrators, fundraisers, educators, craftsmen, herbalists, bridge-builders, networkers, strategic thinkers and planners, farmers and sportsmen, small business people, scientists and conservationists, wolf lovers and more.
Conservation College Alumni Membership: Alumni Membership will be open to anyone who contributes annual dues to support the the Conservation College. Members will receive minutes of board meetings and may offer advisory feedback, may vote to elect candidates to open positions of the Board of Directors, and receive discounts for participation in Conservation College sponsored fundraisers, such as seasonal fun runs, and annual skills rendezvous.
Board Timeline
2018: Elected initial board members, and have the executive committee file a business license in Issaquah, non-profit articles of incorporation with the WA Secretary of State and Charities Division. Campfire fundraisers occurred June 30 in Puyallup, July 25 at Lake Sammamish, August 25 at Lake Sammamish.
2019: Fill fundraising committee board seats, and draft by-laws consistent with those needed to file as a 501(c)3 federally tax-exempt non-profit organization. Begin alumni membership outreach. Proposed fundraisers include fun-runs the July 4th Run with the Water on Lake Sammamish, and Oct 19 Run with the Salmon along the Puyallup River. Draft 2020 Budget and make recommendations to Chris & Kim regarding the 2020 schedule, expenditures, staffing, etc. with an eye toward a smooth transition.
2020: Do fundraising and outreach for hiring a prospective Executive Director. Additional fundraisers may include Run with the Swans in February along the Skagit River, and Run with the Wolves in April along the Teanaway River. Develop an expanded Conservation College vision including academic year degree programs.
Donate
With an entirely volunteer staff and board of directors, the expenses of the Conservation College are currently minimal. Incidental costs are funded by in-house donations and fundraiser events. Your donation is tax-deductible according to IRS 501(c)3 law and personal filing options, and their tax identification number is 82-4994768. To donate, click on www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=GSVGKUF2MC72S or if you prefer to mail a check, make it payable to the Conservation College, 1026 14th St SW, Puyallup WA 98371. Thank you!
DONATE TO MAX DAVIS SCHOLARSHIPS: This year we took over administration of Max Davis Scholarships from the non-profit Western Outdoor Learning Foundation. The fund was founded in 2001 and named after a popular Wolf Camp participant who passed away of a childhood illness. It is our hope that Max’s memory serves as an example for achieving our mission to inspire a global conservation ethic by connecting people to nature through outdoor education. With an entirely volunteer staff and board of directors, the expenses of the Conservation College are currently minimal, and your entire donation will be used for scholarships to people who qualify for financial aid based on need and merit. Click here for more information on donating to Max Davis Scholarships.
BECOME AN ALUMNI MEMBER: If you or any family member attended any earth skills program in the past, then you are eligible to become a member of the Conservation College. Alumni Membership levels include $25 for low Income and students, and $75 for adults. Alumni members will have the right to elect board members, and make advisory votes during annual meetings, among other benefits.
BECOME A BUSINESS OR SUPPORTING MEMBER: If you support the Conservation College mission, please consider becoming a member at $250 for supporting members and small businesses owners receiving the benefit of their logo and hotlink on our website and newsletters, or $1,000 for underwriters and corporate members receiving the added benefits of a full page website advertisement and newsletter event announcements. Business and supporting members have voting rights equal to alumni members.