Advisory Council Lends Talent and Experience to NOLS

by Christina Greenn Development Researcher

Established in 1997, the NOLS Advisory Council is an important but little-known group of up to 30 alumni volunteers who serve as a sounding board for the president, providing outside perspective and insight on business models and practices. Passionate about the mission and purpose of NOLS, they provide diverse experience and are able to commit time, energy, and creative thinking to benefit the school.

Originally, the Advisory Council, also called the AC, was created to help the Development office with fundraising efforts. It offered an opportunity for alumni with a strong affinity for the school to volunteer in a more meaningful way.

“When I took the reins as executive director 25 years ago, it was clear that one of our underutilized strengths was our alumni group,” former president John Gans said. “There was so much passion, talent, and strength in that group, and NOLS needed that if we were to rise to our potential. The Advisory Council provided an opportunity to benefit from the strengths of those dedicated alumni.”

Today, AC members work to engage and support the school by helping to build relationships, stewarding donors, contributing professional experience, and advocating for and promoting NOLS. They regularly

Gretchen Herbert

and directly engage with NOLS leadership and faculty. The director of Alumni and Development serves as the liaison from the AC to the president, faculty, and schoolwide directors.

The Advisory Council is led by two co-chairs. One is nominated and elected by fellow Council members for a single two-year term; the other chair is appointed by the Board of Trustees chairperson. Council members typically serve a three-year term, and can be invited to serve a second term by a selection committee comprised of the co-chairs of the AC, the president, and the Development director of NOLS. The AC meets twice a year, once in October at NOLS headquarters in Lander, and again in the spring, at a location near a NOLS campus.

Some members continue their involvement with NOLS after their term. Current Chair of the Board of Trustees Marc Randolph, for instance, served as an Advisory Council member before his tenure on the Board. President Terri Watson was also a Council member prior to accepting her new role at NOLS.

“The Advisory Council opens a window to people who know us, have a passion for our mission, but live in a world not immersed in NOLS,” Terri said. “These are a group of people who will ask hard, bigger-picture questions and then try to find good answers. I left the Advisory Council with a profound appreciation for the generosity and dedication of this group of people who are willing to read lengthy board reports, respond to specific requests for project input, and travel on their own dime to meet in person two times a year out of love for NOLS.”

See the list of 2019 NOLS Advisory Council members on page 66.