Great Day for Columbia Slough: Heather King to be the next Executive Director!
After an extensive recruiting effort that attracted nationwide attention, we are pleased to announce the hire of our next Executive Director, Heather King.
Heather joins the Council with 15 years of experience serving the nonprofit sector, including four years as Deputy Director for Willamette Riverkeeper, where she was responsible for fundraising and staff development, and served on committees educating the public about the Willamette and its value to all Oregonians. Heather has also served as the fundraising manager for 350PDX, and is the founder of two nonprofits (Pride Zone, a center for LGBTQA+ young people in Massachusetts, and Brandywine Roller Derby, in Pennsylvania). She has an MBA in nonprofit management and social policy from Brandeis University, and a Masters in Education in Social Justice Education from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Heather King with her service dog, George
Heather is a lifelong social justice advocate, educator and leader with a strong commitment to advancing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion principles and practices. She enjoys connecting an expanding diversity of people with the importance and joy of Oregon’s natural resources, especially its waterways. She loves camping and canoeing, whether on the coast, rivers, or in the mountains. Heather is also a social entrepreneur: able to seize untapped opportunities to grow organizations by inspiring and cultivating a larger vision.
She shared the following with us about leading our organization: “I am excited to take on this role and join the Columbia Slough Watershed Council. I look forward to working with the staff, board and community partners, to bring the organization’s mission and vision to the next level. I believe the multi-tiered work of CSWC can serve as a model of how organizations like ours can bring community together to enjoy the outdoors while we also work together to create a healthier and more accessible waterway.”
The Columbia Slough Watershed Council would like to thank our many partners, board, and staff who contributed toward a thorough and equity-centered recruitment, including Blueprint Foundation and Verde NW for their valuable staff time and perspective, Motus Recruiting for its inclusive process in leading our search, and the Meyer Memorial Trust for its continued confidence and financial support.
Heather’s first day at the Council will be March 7th, where she can be reached at heather.king@columbiaslough.org. We look forward to introducing Heather to the community in her new role at an outdoor, COVID-responsible event being planned for May at Whitaker Ponds. More details to come in our March newsletter.