SWS Looking for Board Members!

The Society for Wilderness Stewardship is looking for a few good people!

The Organization

The Society for Wilderness Stewardship (SWS) is a 501(c)3, national non-profit organization.  Our mission is to promote excellence in the professional practice of wilderness stewardship, science, and education, to ensure the life-sustaining benefits of wilderness.  We do this by: convening the stewards of wilderness to discuss emerging issues in wilderness management at the annual National Wilderness Workshop; providing training and career advancement to wilderness professionals through our Wilderness Fellows Program and Wilderness Ranger Academies; engaging and educating wilderness gateway communities through our Wild Town designation (currently in the development and pilot phase) and place-based learning programs; and completing research in wilderness areas to make sure wilderness stays wild.

Founded in 2005, SWS was volunteer run until 2015.  In the last four and a half years, we have grown significantly.  Guided by our strategic plan, we have been focusing on: broadening our reach and delivering our mission, widening our name brand recognition, caring for staff, deepening and diversifying our funding streams, and developing and solidifying our organizational systems.  

This fall, we will build a new strategic plan to guide us for the next three years.  We expect the plan to highlight five important areas (and potentially more): growing the wilderness stewardship community to be diverse and inclusive, stewarding our existing programs and partnerships, creating outward-facing programs and offerings that engage communities in stewarding wilderness, building out private funding, and taking our governance systems to the next level of maturity.

The Board of Directors

The SWS Board of Directors meets quarterly for an hour and a half.  Three of those meetings are held via videoconference, and one is held in person at the annual Board Retreat.  The Board officers (Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, Secretary and Member-at-Large) make up the Executive Committee, who meets monthly. In addition to regular meetings, all board members serve on ad hoc committees as governance needs arise. Between Board meetings and committee work, Board members volunteer an average of 2-4 hours per month.  

The Board and Executive Director function as a collaborative.  The Board culture is based around maintaining a learning culture, collegiate solution building, empathy and emotional intelligence, and shared accountability for organizational success.

To familiarize yourself with the SWS board, click here to view the board bios.

The Opportunity

SWS is actively seeking Board members to help us as we define and implement the next stage in our organizational growth.  

We are looking for individuals with an interest in wilderness stewardship, experience within a non-profit organization or on a non-profit board, ability and experience with private (individual donor or foundation) fundraising, and a passion for organizational governance.

Express Interest

To express your interest in a Board member position, ask questions or learn more, contact:

Heather MacSlarrow, Executive Director - h.macslarrow@wildernessstewardship.org

Nicole Wooten, Board Member – n.wooten@wildernessstewardship.org

Steve Kimball, Board Member – s.kimball@wildernessstewardship.org