Rincon Institute Staff

May brought several exciting changes to the Rincon Institute. Lynsey Gould, intern extraordinaire, began a full-time position as Stewardship Coordinator with the Institute. Lynsey will continue her work on private land protection and with the Cienega Corridor Conservation Council, but due to Michelle Berry’s departure from the Institute, Lynsey will also assist with education and outreach programming. Michelle B. has left the Institute to take a full time teaching job at St. Gregory College Preparatory High School in Tucson. She has promised to be a hyper-active volunteer.

 Berry was the Institute’s Director of Outreach and Education and her contributions to the Institute were extensive. Through her tireless efforts, our website has been incredibly improved and updated, our electronic newsletter has taken on a new form and content, and our audience has dramatically increased. We have engaged in new environmental education programs and created a collaborative presentation series that pulled some of the largest attendance numbers RI has ever seen. Her implementation of the “naturalist outings” series that coupled an informative talk with an outdoor experience lead by a local expert are informative and well received by the public and her work on core organizational tasks including fundraising and program planning were top-notch. Most of all, Michelle B’s work with Michelle Z made for an unstoppable team that made giant strides for the programs and conservation successes of the Rincon Institute.

Thank you, Michelle Berry, for your true passion for conservation, your belief in the Rincon Institute, and your efforts to make the organization grow.

They say changes come in three’s and along with Lynsey’s move to full-time and Michelle Berry’s move to a teaching position, Michelle Z was offered and accepted the position in Denver. Michelle Z will begin her new job in August and will be assisting staff and board in the interim until a new executive director has been hired.

In addition to staff changes, the Rincon Institute, with the help of Walt Staton, at the Sonoran Institute, created a new website. The fresh new look also has fresh new content. To see the new site, go to: www.rinconinstitute.org

Job Announcement Executive Director

The Rincon Institute seeks a leader who can motivate and inspire land protection and stewardship and guide the organization through a pivotal time for land protection in the Rincon Valley. The Executive Director will represent the Institute, expand fundraising, manage daily operations and finances, and demonstrate a commitment to land conservation. The position is full time. Salary DOE. For a full job description visit: www.rinconinstitute.org.

Search Begins for New Exec. Dir.

Michelle Zimmerman, the Executive Director of the Rincon Institute, has announced her intention (sadly) to resign from her current role in order to work on projects in the Southern Rockies region of Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. Michelle has been the Director since 2002.

Under Zimmerman’s leadership, the Rincon Institute has grown significantly. To date, the organization has protected over 4,200 acres through park expansions, support of county open space acquisitions, and conservation easements. In the past four years the Institute’s support base has seen an impressive increase in individual membership and support as well as almost $1 million in unrestricted and restricted grant funds for ecological research and conservation efforts.

“I am continually impressed with the knowledge and energy of our partners and supporters. I feel fortunate to have been Director and I look forward to what the future will being for all of us. Although it is difficult to walk away when so much is going well, I believe that leaving the organization while we have such wonderful momentum will help us attract a great candidate.”

The Rincon Institute has formed a search committee and have been advertising both locally and nationally.