Welcome John Hartney, New Chief Financial Officer

Staff intro Please join us in welcoming John Hartney as the new Chief Financial Officer at the Wolf River Conservancy. He joined the organization in October of 2024, bringing with him a wealth of knowledge and experience in leading a finance organization. John enjoyed a 30-year career at FedEx, where for the last 15 years, he served as Assistant Treasurer responsible for Corporate Finance, Retirement Investments and Risk Management.  

John is no stranger to the Conservancy as his relationship with us began eight years ago in a volunteer capacity. He became a member of our board six years ago and most recently has served as secretary of the board. As CFO, John will be responsible for the finance, HR, IT and administration functions at the Conservancy while partnering with senior leadership in strategic decision-making and operations.  

He holds a BBA in Economics and an MBA in Finance, both from the University of Memphis and has earned the Certified Treasury Professional designation from the Association of Finance Professionals. He is a member of the Leadership Memphis Executive Class of 2019 and is a trustee for the Auxiliary Services Foundation at the University of Memphis and has also served on the Herbert Herff Trust.  

John is married to Lesley, and they have two adult daughters and an Aussie doodle hiking buddy named Clover. They attend Grace St. Luke’s Episcopal Church where he has served on both the school board and the endowment committee. Before Memphis, John lived in  Japan, California, Montana, Ohio, New Mexico, Alabama, Illinois and North Carolina, and he says the very best drinking water in the whole wide world comes from the Memphis Sand Aquifer, and he’s proud to be joining an organization that is dedicated to the protection and enhancement of the Wolf River watershed as a sustainable natural resource to keep that drinking water pristine for many years to come.  

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