Board Elects New Officers
by Nancy Debevoise
At its June 24-25 meeting in Sheridan, WOC's board
reluctantly accepted the resignation of president Phil Riddle, who stepped
down to devote more time to enjoying his retirement. Phil joined
the board in 1998 and volunteered countless hours of his time to board
duties, including playing a key role in launching WOC's new grazing reform
program.
"I'm of a mind that while my health is still good,"
Phil wrote board members, "I should enjoy the things I've loved so
much all my life: the outdoors and wildlife. While I involve myself
in the pleasures of living, I know that WOC will continue fighting the
good fight with great success."
Board members elected Joyce Evans as their new
president and Nancy Debevoise as vice president.
Joyce Evans
A two-term board member, Joyce served as secretary
for two years, before being elected vice-president in April. She
and her husband, Mike, own and operate a ranch in Saratoga that has been
in her family since the late 1800s, using Holistic Resource Management
techniques. With a Master's Degree in Speech Language Pathology,
she also works for developmental preschools throughout Carbon County.
Deeply committed to WOC's vision and mission, Joyce
is enthusiastic about leading board efforts to ensure the success of the
organization's conservation and environmental-protection programs.
"I believe that humans need the presence of other
animals and plants and those living things we don't even see more than
we will ever know," she says. "I think we are here to see to it that
there will always be wild, restorative places in Wyoming."
Nancy Debevoise
New vice president Nancy Debevoise was elected to
the board in October 1999. A freelance writer, Nancy has edited Frontline
Report for the past four years. Before moving to Dubois in 1993,
she was a communications consultant in Washington, DC to national nonprofit
conservation groups.
Nancy has served on the boards of the Wyoming Wildlife
Federation, the National Bighorn Sheep Center and the Fremont County Library
Foundation and is an active member of the Dubois Wildlife Association.
"I'm honored to serve as an officer on this remarkable
board of bright, dedicated volunteers," says Nancy. "I'll do everything
I can to help WOC's board and staff protect Wyoming's beautiful landscapes,
healthy environment and the quality of life we enjoy in this special place."
Barbara Oakleaf
New secretary and education committee chair Barbara
Oakleaf is serving her second term as a board member. A Lander resident
since 1977, she is the Adult Services Manager at the Fremont County Library.
She and her husband, Bob, the non-game supervisora for the Wyoming Game
and Fish Department, have four sons, all of whom are involved in environmental
studies or careers.
Barbara is a civic leader whose activities range
from town beautification projects to political organizing. She has
served as a Democratic precinct committee member and election judge since
1986 and was a steering committee member and fundraising chair for "Lander
Valley 2020: Visioning for the Future." She also served two terms
on the Lander Economic Development Commission and was part of the steering
committee that formed Wyoming Against Nuclear Dumps.
While working nearly full time at the library,
serving on a number of committees and raising her sons, Barbara somehow
managed to find time to earn her B.S. degree in Social Science from the
University of Wyoming in 1991.
"I greatly admire Tom Bell's foresight in launching
WOC 33 years ago," says Barbara. "I'm proud to serve on the board
of such a broad-based environmental organization with a talent for seeing
the forest as well as the trees and a fierce commitment by both board and
staff to our founding mission. I'm happy to work on whatever projects
are needed to help WOC continue to be a strong voice for our environment." |
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