by Pipa Elias, ’02, ’03, ’05, SCA Board Member
As SCA approached its 50th Anniversary last spring, it launched its first Alumni Council. The members were interested in being conservation leaders in their own communities, reengaging SCA’s other alumni, and expanding the impact of young people on conservation.
Council members represented all of SCA’s programs and lived from Alaska to Florida and New Hampshire to Texas. In 2007, the Council focused on the celebration of SCA’s 50th Anniversary and creating a vision for how the Council will serve SCA alumni across the country. To do this, Alumni Council members hosted a number of 50th Anniversary events, built local alumni communities through social and service events, recruited SCA members, visited interns and crews in the field, and represented SCA to local communities.
After a busy and successful year, we would like to especially thank our members who served in 2007 and will step down this April: Charlie Cousar, Deandra Brassard, Jen Klugh, John Kerr, Kass Hardy, and Robert Bart.
We’d also like to welcome our new members: Allison Kean, Clare Sullivan, Jeff Bransford, Katie Kovach, Jesse Stanley, Cashea Arrington, Tom Tidyman, and Matt Young. This year’s annual Council meeting will take place in Washington, DC, just days before EarthVision Summit, one of the culminating events of SCA’s 50th Anniversary. This meeting will bring together Council members to energize and plan for another fantastic year of service.
As we move into our second year, Council members will continue to build and foster local alumni networks and work to further SCA’s mission of creating life-long conservation leaders. This year, we will focus on meeting community needs through hands-on service projects. You can get involved with your alumni community by contacting your local Alumni Council member. [1]
Photo: Council member Christopher Barnes surrounded by students from the North Cascades Wilds program, credit - Amy Brown, North Cascades Institute