​Nesika Wilamut is building a Leadership Team to help guide the network in our mission to implement the four network priorities identified by our Indigenous Advisory Council. We are looking for passionate individuals to join our Leadership Team and Leadership Council. 

​We want to emphasize that we are committed to ensuring that our recruitment and selection practices do not perpetuate systemic biases that exclude underrepresented groups from the conservation, restoration, food sovereignty, and wildland fire/prescribed fire fields and encourage all interested individuals to apply for our Leadership Team and Leadership Council, even if their experience is outside our description.

​We are focused on finding the right team for our Leadership Team and Leadership Council, and we value candidates' transferable experience. As we build our Leadership Team, we have identified certain skills and expertise we would like to have represented. We encourage applicants with expertise in:

• Equity and Social Justice
• Understanding of Environmental Racism
• Lived Experience in Environmental Justice and River Stewardship
• Financial Management
• Fundraising
• Community Outreach and Engagement
• Human Resources
• Environmental Law

Diversity in our Leadership Team and Leadership Council is crucial to achieving our mission of promoting human and ecological well-being in the Willamette River Basin. We encourage all passionate and interested individuals to apply.

Nesika Wilamut Network Model © 2023

We will begin connecting with applicants in late 2023, and we will continue accepting applications until all the roles are filled and our team is complete.

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Network Priorities

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​Understanding our histories

• Importance connected to those histories and relevance to today
• Connection of history of the Willamette River and impacts on everyone who lives here

​Creating effective relationships with Tribes & Tribal communities

• How to self educate
• Building relationships
• Building capacity with Tribes
• Moving beyond performative actions
• Meaningful consultation with Tribes
• Reasonable access to culturally important restored spaces​

Vertical Divider

Health of the Willamette River

• Impact of industry and agricultural practices
• Source of toxins and forever chemicals found in the river and the impact on living organisms
• Impact of drought and climate change
• Healing the River is Healing Ourselves

​Respecting Indigenous Values

• There are many valid perspectives outside of western thought
• Traditional Ecological Knowledge/Indigenous Science is grounded in generations of research and observations
• Creating a pathway to getting these ideas to funders
• Land Back - normalizing a return of homelands to the original stewards leading with trust

Nesika Wilamut Organizational Chart ©2023

Leadership Council Core Expectations:
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• Receive an additional stipend of $1,000 per year
• Attend monthly meetings with Nesika Wilamut staff (virtual)
• Supervise Co-Directors
• Provide fiscal oversight
• Provide policy oversight

Leadership Team Core Expectations:
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• Serve for 2-3 year terms (up to 6 years)
• Receive a stipend of $1,000 per year
• Attend a quarterly Leadership Team meeting (in person)
• Attend a Leadership Team Retreat (in person)
• Attend committee meetings as needed (virtually or in person)
• Attend/Support Nesika Wilamut events (Within Our Reach Conference, Convenings, Virtual Workshops, etc.)
• Share their skills and expertise
• Assist with fundraising campaigns
• Assist with recruitment of new staff (as needed)
• Assist with the recruitment of new Leadership Team members (as needed)​
• Consider serving on the Leadership Council
  

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Apply Now
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If you are interested in joining the Nesika Wilamut Leadership Team, please fill out an application. We will begin connecting with applicants in late 2023, and we will continue accepting applications until all the roles are filled and our team is complete.​

click for application

Leadership Team Selection Process
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Selection (December 2023)

• Board/Staff review applications
• Board/Staff conduct virtual/in-person informational meetings
• Board/Staff make final selections and begin to offer positions to new Leadership Team Members

On-Boarding (January 2024)

• Welcome Packet sent with the offer (beginning in January 2024)
• Attend Within Our Reach (January 2024 in Portland Metro Area)
• Lunch with Staff (February 2024)
• Leadership Team Retreat & select Leadership Council (1.5 days in Spring 2024)
• Attend Nesika Wilamut Events