The Willamette River Network board is excited to welcome Jesse Cruz Richards as the Network's new co-director. He will serve as Director of Development and Policy. We’re grateful that Jesse has agreed to bring his commitment to fundraising and coordinating policy efforts to support the Network’s emerging fundraising vision.

We're in an unprecedented, uncertain time filled with hope and anxiety, challenges and the opportunity for real change. That's why we believe it's so important to foster greater connection, trust and collaboration, now more than ever. We're stronger when we help each other and have each other’s backs.

A year ago, partners in the Willamette River Initiative (WRI) celebrated ten years of successful collaboration working to improve the health of the Willamette river basin. Knowing the WRI would sunset at the end of 2019, Meyer Memorial Trust convened a board to lead creation of a new Willamette River Network (WRN) to continue and evolve the impressive work accomplished during the WRI, expand the community of people and organizations engaged, and center equity and inclusion. 

Creating a new Willamette River Network was envisioned by an exceptional, committed team of advisors over the last several years to engage a broader network of partners and communities to work together to ensure people and rivers thrive together in the basin. We want to share where we’ve been, and invite you to engage and help shape what comes next.