From left, Sarah Brooks, Methow Conservancy Board President Sam Naney, and Jason Paulsen, who is leaving the executive director role that will be filled by Brooks.
Sarah Brooks to take over leadership in April
The Methow Conservancy will see a change in leadership this spring. After 16 years as executive director, Jason Paulsen will step down next month and Sarah Brooks, current associate director, will become executive director.
Paulsen will be taking a full-time trustee position with the Campion Advocacy Fund, a 501(c)4 organization, where he will work with staff on regional and national conservation, homelessness and affordable housing. He has been a part-time trustee of the Campion Advocacy Fund.
“I’m humbled by the opportunities I have had to be part of dreaming big and making good things happen alongside this community,” Paulsen said in a news release from the Methow Conservancy. “Serving the Methow Valley has truly been the honor of a lifetime and I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to work with so many people who care about this place in shaping the character of the Methow for the benefit of future generations of valley residents, fish and wildlife.”
Paulsen said he felt confident in handing leadership of the Methow Conservancy to Brooks, who has been involved in the Conservancy for more than 18 years. Brooks was unanimously chosen by the Conservancy’s board of directors to succeed Paulsen.
“She understands the importance of conservation in this community and in inspiring people to care for the land and each other,” Paulsen said. “She is beyond capable, optimistic, and thoughtful and she’ll ensure conservation doesn’t skip a beat in this community.”
“I’ve loved working in partnership with Jason these past many years,” Brooks said. “I’m committed to doing everything I can to continue to support the good work of this amazing staff, board, volunteer crew and community in building that rural mountain community that is a great example of balancing the needs of people, wildlife, and healthy land and water.”
Methow Conservancy Board President Sam Naney added, “We are grateful for the incredible impact Jason has had upon our organization and valley, and we look forward to Sarah’s leadership as we embrace the opportunities ahead.”
Staying in valley
Under Paulsen’s leadership, the Methow Conservancy carried out the “Imagine the Methow” campaign, which raised more than $20 million for new land conservation projects in the Methow Valley.
Paulsen will continue to live in the Methow Valley in his new position with the Campion Advocacy Fund. “I’m excited to have this opportunity to play a role in building relationships and accelerating progress in the areas of conservation and housing security on a regional and national stage, while continuing to call the Methow Valley home,” he said.
In addition to his work with the Conservancy, Paulsen has been a leader in other areas of valley life, including serving on the board of Methow Valley Long Term Recovery, a nonprofit organization formed after the Carlton Complex Fire in 2014 to guide post-fire and flood recovery efforts.
He said he hopes to find ways to remain active in supporting the Long Term Recovery group and other efforts he has been a part of forming or advising, including the Methow Housing Trust and Fire Adapted Methow Valley.
The transition in Methow Conservancy leadership will occur before May 1, according to the Conservancy’s news release. The Conservancy plans a public celebration to recognize both Paulsen and Brooks in May on the trails of the Meadowlark Natural Area in Winthrop.
The Methow Conservancy, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, was created in 1996 through a merger of the Methow Valley Land Trust and the Methow Valley Environmental Center. Much of the land conserved by the Conservancy is permanently protected with conservation easements, which preserve wildlife habitat, agricultural lands, riparian ecosystems, historic property, scenic views and open space.
