FIELD Notes

Please welcome our new executive director, Carl Fisher!

November 29, 2023

Dear friends,

As late November storms blanket much of Wyoming in snow and we transition to winter, the Outdoor Council is in the midst of its own changes. Our search for the right leader to carry our conservation work into the future has concluded — and we’d love for you to join us in welcoming Carl Fisher as our new executive director!

Carl will bring a wealth of conservation expertise honed over many years and marked by a history of collaboration, advocacy, and innovation. In his most recent role as the long-time executive director of Save Our Canyons, a Utah-based organization, Carl forged alliances with communities and organizations to preserve the natural beauty and wildness in and around the Wasatch Mountains. He has also provided leadership on an array of advisory boards and commissions, including the Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and Central Wasatch Commission Stakeholders Advisory Council.

It’s no secret that our work isn’t possible without a deep commitment to the mission — and Carl’s passion for protecting public lands and wildlife while empowering people to stand up for the places they love resonates deeply with the values we hold close to our hearts at the Outdoor Council.

Carl is looking forward to deepening the ties he’s formed with Wyoming communities during many visits to his family — his wife hails from Green River and has deep roots in Lander, where Carl and his family will move. In Carl’s words, they’re like salmon swimming upstream to their points of origin, a relocation that leaves Carl “excited to expand my networks and really engage with the Wyoming community.”

Carl regards community as the vital “currency” that allows for an organization’s success. I believe he’ll be right at home in Wyoming and at the Outdoor Council, where one thing is certain: conservation isn’t something one does alone. As Carl puts it, “The real power comes from bringing people together, establishing a foundation of understanding, and then working through whatever challenges that emerge. I really think there’s an opportunity to do a lot better for our environment, but also to do a lot better for one another.”

We’ve been immeasurably lucky in recent years to be led by Lisa McGee, who’s shepherded the Outdoor Council through many highs and lows — always fearlessly, and always with patience and wisdom. With her departure at the end of the year, and with Carl’s tenure beginning, we’re confident that WOC will remain in extremely good hands.

Carl will officially begin in January. Stay tuned for more details about opportunities to connect with him and learn more about his vision for the Outdoor Council.

With eagerness for this exciting new chapter,

Paul Howard
President, Wyoming Outdoor Council Board of Directors
Cheyenne, Wyoming