Despite a very challenging background for our Mission — protecting biodiversity and ecosystem health in the Pacific Northwest & Northern Rockies — the Foundation continues to grow steadily. Last year represented the high watermark for annual grant spending — $1,600,000; and just recently we have experienced new highs for our asset levels suggesting we will be able to boost our grant budget again this year.
Moreover, we are very pleased to announce that Whitney Tawney will be joining our Program Team starting this July. Whitney, already with a highly accomplished career in conservation advocacy, will fill the role of Tim Stevens who is retiring at the end of this year. We are very excited and appreciative that Whitney has joined Harder as our Northern Rockies Program Officer. Along with Cathy Lehman, our Senior Program Officer, we are confident that we have a very strong Team going forward – even in these difficult times for preserving what makes America truly beautiful – our wild places.
We are very grateful that Tim gave us three very good years of strong support and influence, and we are hopeful that Tim remains engaged with Harder and our broader stewardship team going forward. His contributions and accomplishments to conservation advocacy have been tremendous.
As always, we are tremendously appreciative of our grantees and their colleagues who wake up every day trying to make their place in the world better for of all us! Thank you!
John