Q&A with CRWP’s New and Founding Executive Directors
Q&A with Kate Morse, our new Executive Director, and Kristin Carpenter, founding Executive Director of CRWP.
We are thrilled to welcome Kate Morse as our new Executive Director, effective September 1, 2024!
Kate has been an integral part of CRWP since 2008, when she began as a part-time staff member after earning her master’s in public administration and non-profit management from the University of Oregon, with a focus on managing watershed landscapes. Her case study on the Copper River watershed led to a pivotal connection with Kristin Carpenter, CRWP’s founding Executive Director, who connected Kate with communities and partners throughout the watershed.
We asked Kate a few questions regarding her history with CRWP and her vision for the future of the organization:
Why did you choose CRWP sixteen years ago?
KM—I came to Cordova on a whim to be where the mountains meet the sea, but I stayed here because I appreciate a lifestyle that is so connected to the natural cycles of the land—the tides, the weather, the length of day, the migrations…After growing up on the East Coast and spending some time in the Pacific Northwest during school, I also had an appreciation for the fact that there are not many river systems like the Copper River that exist on this planet. I wanted to learn as much as I could about it, and I loved joining an organization designed to help sustain this great place and the way of life that the people of this region are so proud of.
As the new Executive Director, what is your broader vision going forward for CRWP?
KM—I want to continue to be connected to our communities, our partners, and this region. I want us to be visible, accessible, and responsive to the needs and concerns of the watershed—the fish, the wildlife, and the people. I want to continue to be a convener of diverse partnerships to tackle challenges bigger than any one of us can take on. And I want to support a staff that feels valued and appreciated and maximize the skills and expertise of our team and our generous volunteer Board members to do great things for this place we all love!
What excites you the most about being the Executive Director of CRWP?
KM—We have an amazing team of talented (currently all) women who have diverse skills, creative ideas, and passion for the Copper River watershed. We have multiple high-functioning, productive partnerships addressing watershed-wide concerns like fish passage barrier removal, freshwater temperature monitoring, invasive species control, native seed harvest, and engaging youth in active stewardship of this region—and we’re gaining national attention for these partnerships. We can never fully recover watershed functionality if it is lost. I am excited to help support this team of staff and our network of partners to continue to work in sustaining the health of this region. We have the momentum to do things differently here, and I’m excited to be a part of that.
Kate Morse at the Little Tonsina Bridge project site.
Twenty-five years ago, when the Copper River Watershed Project was first getting started, Kristin Carpenter joined the staff with Founder Riki Ott. Six months later, in 1999, she became the organization’s first Executive Director. Kate and Kristin worked together during the organization’s formative years and beyond, creating a solid foundation to build a sustainable future for the Copper River region.
We asked Kristin a few questions and if she had any advice for a new incoming Executive Director:
What was your favorite part of being the Executive Director when CRWP was getting started?
KC—My favorite part of my time with CRWP has always been the partnership building. It’s an amazing thing to see what a group can do together that not any one organization or individual can do by themselves.
As the founding Executive Director of CRWP, what advice would you give a new, incoming Executive Director?
KC—My dad would say, “Here’s a tip, don’t take any wooden nickels!” And for real, my tips for any incoming ED — not specific to Kate — are:
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help: everyone needs it, and no one has all the answers.
- Practice deep listening: I remember hearing actor Alan Alda talking about truly deep listening and his saying, “Real listening is a willingness to let the other person change you.” Obviously, you can’t change in every situation, but listening to understand (rather than listening to respond) is essential in partnership work.
- And my all-time lodestar, lead by example — you can’t ask someone to do something you wouldn’t do yourself.
A lot of what I might say to an incoming ED, Kate already knows — we’ve been learning from each other for 16 years!
As Kate Morse takes the helm as the new Executive Director at CRWP, what do you feel are the strengths she brings to this role?
KC—Uber organized! Very methodical in her project management work. She brought a system to the CRWP of advancing project work by facilitating a meeting, documenting partners’ “to do” lists, and using the process of dialogue and idea-generating to move the work forward, step by step, meeting by meeting. With her biology background, she has a great foundation for following the science of salmon habitat and climate change, and for conveying the complexity of our watershed’s river and wetland systems through the CRWP’s youth education programs.
Kristin Carpenter attending the Wild Harvest Feast.
