Joan has over 30 years conservation advocacy leadership experience, including crafting and leading organizational fundraising, recruiting and managing dynamic teams, forming new collaborations, and developing and executing successful strategic campaigns. She's thrilled to be the Executive Officer of Collaborations and Operations working with the transformed Sierra Fund. In September '24 The Sierra Fund became Indigenous-led and centered with a 75% Indigenous Board and new CEO Brian Wallace who was the former Chair of the Washoe Tribe of CA/NV. As Executive Director of the Sierra Fund (2021-2-2024) she leds the organization to restore ecosystem resiliency, promote environmentally healthy communities and attract financial and intellectual resources to support collaborative efforts benefiting the region. Prior to joining The Sierra Fund she was a consultant who partnered with organizations including ClimateWorks Foundation, Texas Land Conservancy, and Rio Fernando de Taos Revitalization Collaboration. She was the communications director for Western Resource Advocates (2014-2018), leading communication strategies that revitalized the brand/web/social media outreach for the organization and gained over 800 media stories a year for the Clean Energy, Healthy Rivers and Western Lands programs. As Executive Director of the Sierra Nevada Alliance (2001—2013), her visionary leadership grew the organization five-fold (budget, group membership, staffing), founded new collectives such as the Sierra Water Workgroup, and helped leverage millions of new dollars to Sierra conservation. Prior positions included Sierra Club National Press Secretary, Campaign Director Californians for Pesticide Reform, and Executive Director Pesticide Watch. Joan received her bachelor’s in communications from UC San Diego. Raised in the Sierra Nevada and a 30 year resident, she is also an avid hiker/birder/snow-lover/artist, and enjoys adventures with her photographer husband and rescue dog Rocket.