Polly Wheeler Joins SNW!

Sustainable Northwest welcomes Polly Wheeler as our new Forest Program Director!

Polly recently joined Sustainable Northwest as the Forest Program Director after a 20-year career with the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Polly most recently managed the National Wildlife Refuge System in California, Nevada, and the Klamath Basin, a system of public lands dedicated to protecting habitat and species.

Prior to that, Polly spent over 30 years in Alaska, working with Tribes, NGOs, the state of Alaska, and the Federal government on myriad natural and cultural resource issues.

She holds an MA and Ph.D. in cultural anthropology and is most interested in understanding the humanity behind conservation.

Polly lives in Portland with her spouse, Matt, and their three dogs.

We sat down for a quick chat with Polly during her very busy first week!

What are you most looking forward to in your new role?

I am looking forward to working with the whole Sustainable Northwest team. From my first week here, it’s clear that this is a charismatic, smart, engaged, and passionate group of people, which makes for a vibrant work environment.

What excites you about the Forest program at Sustainable Northwest?

The vision of the Forest program excites me, especially the emphasis on resilient and sustainably-managed forests in the Pacific Northwest that provide critical ecological services and forest products. In addition, the work supporting rural and Tribal communities and economies in the region is so important and timely, and I am eager to engage and focus on it with our Team.

You can contact Polly at pwheeler@sustainablenorthwest.org

Learn more about SNW's Forest Program.