Director's Message

by Dan Heilig

Emily Stevens Faulkner Family Photo

Nearly two years ago, former WOC board member and long-time supporter Emily Faulkner Stevens passed away. Emily served on our board for seven years, bringing a quiet warmth and determined commitment to our conservation work.

Emily was an active outdoorswoman who reveled in the beauty, power and richness of Wyoming’s wild landscapes, clean water and clear skies, and worked tirelessly to protect our state’s environment for present and future generations.

This year, we learned that her great generosity to WOC extended beyond her life. Emily has bequeathed WOC an extraordinary gift of more than $600,000. We are immensely honored by and thankful for this remarkable bequest which provides us with an unexpected and invaluable opportunity to further strengthen WOC’s efforts to protect Wyoming’s unparalleled natural heritage. Emily’s gift ensures that her legacy will endure for year to come.

These funds come to WOC at a time of unprecedented attacks on our environment along with a struggling economy that has made funding our work challenging. We will use Emily’s bequest to boost our capacity and effectiveness, and to help ensure that WOC remains a strong and enduring voice for the conservation of Wyoming’s natural resources and its citizens’ quality of life.

While these funds provide us with an exciting opportunity to increase our capacity, we must carefully consider a number of factors to make sure that any future growth is effective and sustainable in the long-term. In order to make the best use of Emily’s bequest, WOC board and staff will participate in a facilitated strategic planning retreat in September. We all look forward to our upcoming in-depth discussions and brainstorming sessions about how we can strengthen WOC’s ability to successfully confront ever-increasing threats to Wyoming’s environment.

We also anticipate allocating a substantial portion of the bequest to our endowment, helping ensure WOC’s long-term future and Emily’s lasting legacy.

Finally, I am grateful to you and other WOC members for your active commitment to our work and your critical support for our day-to-day efforts to defend Wyoming’s wildlife, wildlands, environment and quality of life. Thank You!