Have you ever wondered what it takes to serve on WV’s Board of Directors? What kind of time commitment is it? What do you do? Is it rewarding? Fun We’re kicking off a series of interviews with our Board members to answer those questions and more! Our first interview is with our Board President, Ross Holloway:
What is your history with Wilderness Volunteers? How did you first get involved?
I discovered Wilderness Volunteers while on a personal trip in Oregon’s Three Sisters Wilderness in 2010. A WV crew was camped near us and the USFS staff with them were friends of my spouse. I was introduced to Dave Pacheco, who was then WV’s Program Manager. The following year I returned to the Three Sisters Wilderness as a volunteer for WV. In 2012 I attended WV Leader Training in Idaho’s Sawtooth Wilderness. My first project as a leader was in 2013 in Oregon’s Eagle Cap Wilderness. I have been leading projects every year since, including seven more Eagle Cap Wilderness projects, multiple projects in Zion and Saguaro National Parks, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, North Fork John Day Wilderness and Oak Creek Canyon.
Why were you initially interested in serving on the WV Board of Directors?
I was interested in being part of a non-profit with a nation-wide footprint, and that offered an opportunity to continue to be part of public land management. I felt that my public land management and non-profit management experience would add valuable perspectives to the Board.
What unique skills and/or experience do you bring to the WV Board of Directors?
I bring 30+ years of public land management experience, including outdoor recreation planning and program management experience. During my career with the Oregon Department of Forestry, I learned key management and leadership skills, and spent 20+ years as a member of the agency Leadership Team and Executive Team. I also bring experience with several non-profit organizations as both a board member and a part-time Executive Director. This includes fundraising and development experience.
What are some of the tasks you are responsible for as a Board member?
As President, I work closely with the staff to schedule Board and Committee meetings, develop agendas and facilitate Board meetings. I serve on several of the Board Committees, and work closely with other Board members to help define issues and craft solutions. As a supervisor, I provide advice and counsel to the Executive Director on many day to day challenges and opportunities as they arise.
What has been the most rewarding part of serving on the WV Board of Directors?
The most rewarding experience I have had on the Board was leading a nationwide effort to recruit and hire a new Executive Director, which culminated in hiring our current ED in the fall of 2021. Another rewarding part has been helping to turn around the downward trend in revenue that had been occurring for several years prior to my joining the Board, and seeing the organization’s finances stabilize and the endowment start to grow again.
What are your hopes for the organization over the next five years?
I would like to see the organization return to its “pre-Covid” levels of project activity, with steadily increasing numbers of both project volunteers and volunteer project leaders. There is a large backlog of trail and infrastructure maintenance in our country’s wilderness areas and national parks, and I would like to see WV become a leader, and the “go to” organization providing crews for backcountry service projects.
Would you recommend serving on the Board of Directors to a fellow WV volunteer? Why?
Serving on the Board provides a clear understanding of all the necessary work that goes on behind the scenes to make projects happen on the ground. This includes the fundraising work necessary to keep the program going, with volunteer project fees covering half or less of the costs involved in fielding a project.
