I am thrilled to introduce two new staff members and to tell you what these staff additions mean for expanding our advocacy efforts and the services we’re able to provide our grassroots activists. Forrest McCarthy joined us Feb. 1 as Public Lands Director, replacing the position we previously called Grassroots Program Director. A long-time senior guide with Exum Mountain Guides a
nd a former wildlands organizer with Wyoming Wilderness Association, Forrest is already doing terrific work on several grassroots campaigns and has been busy on the national front as well including testifying before Congress on climate change issues. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Outdoor Education from Prescott College and a Master’s Degree in Geography from the University of Wyoming. Forrest is based in Jackson, Wyoming, giving WWA an on-theground presence in the Northern Rockies.Whitney
Rearick joined us March 16 as 2009 Sarah Michael Fellow/Advocacy Director. In addition to working on our national campaign to remedy the exclusion of snowmobiles from the Travel Management Rule, Whitney is responsible for expanding our community of members, funders and partners and for creating strategic campaigns and advocacy tools to engage the backcountry community directly in our work. Whitney was a policy specialist at Utah Issues in Salt Lake City and, most recently, the campus planner at Boise State University. She earned her master's degree in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning from Tufts University, and her bachelor's in Biology from Lehigh University, Whitney works from our office in Boise.Because Forrest and Whitney both have excellent strategic campaign and policy expertise, they’ll be working in tandem to assist our grassroots groups and individual activists on local issues.
All of us at WWA are excited to be able to offer this expanded resource to our members and constituents. Forrest and Whitney will each focus on a specific geographic area, with Forrest working directly in the Rocky Mountain States and Alaska, and Whitney leading our campaigns in the Pacific Northwest and California. And, as always, WWA Program Administrator/SnowSchool Coordinator Lana Weber and I are available as resources too. You can reach any of us through the main WWA phone number, 208-336-4203 or through the contact page at www.winterwildlands.org.
