June 2023: A Message from Our Executive Director

Dear Wolf River Conservancy Friend,

Earlier this year, the Wolf River Conservancy’s Board of Directors began the important process of succession planning in conjunction with the creation of the organization’s new three-year strategic plan.  The primary purpose of the succession plan is to ensure a smooth transition of executive leadership and the organization’s continued success during that transition.  We are now in the process of making that transition.

We have started a public search for the next Executive Director for the Wolf River Conservancy with the goal of identifying the new candidate by fall of this year, with my retirement approximately at the end of this year.

I joined the Wolf River Conservancy team on April 1, 2011, and it is hard to believe how fast time has gone by.  Additionally, I don’t have the words to share with you all how rewarding it has been for me both personally and professionally to be in a leadership role for the Wolf River Conservancy.  I have made so many new friends and enjoyed so many different experiences with the Conservancy.  Thank you all for this opportunity!

We have so many achievements to be proud of as we look at the past few years.  First, from our grassroots beginning we are now a land trust accredited by the national Land Trust Alliance Commission; only 25% of all the land trusts in the United States have achieved this important distinction.

Not only does the Wolf River Conservancy approach our land transactions with the highest level of professionalism and ethics, but we have also been very productive in our conservation work.  In 2011, the Conservancy had protected about 14,000 acres of wetlands and floodplains, and we have now protected approximately 19,000 acres - a 36% increase - with more land transactions in process.

We have also seen tremendous progress in the build-out and use of the Wolf River Greenway.  Today, there are approximately 14 miles open to the public, and we estimate over 300,000 users of the Greenway in 2022.  Collectively, between public and private sources, the Conservancy has garnered $61.5 million for Wolf River Greenway design and construction.  The Wolf River Greenway is an extension of our overall conservation efforts, providing native habitat for wildlife and restoration opportunities as well as green spaces for recreation and education.

I am confident that the Wolf River Conservancy board will identify a competent candidate with the skills and experience needed to help achieve the new strategic plan.  I look forward to helping introduce a new leader to you all.

Thank you all again for the opportunity to serve as the Executive Director of the Wolf River Conservancy.  I will be reaching out to many of you during the next few months with a personal “thanks”.

Keith Cole

Executive Director