


BethservedastheCenter'sExecutiveDirectorfromOctober2018 toApril2023.
It has been a tremendous adventure, a privilege and an honor to work with former U.S. Senator and Secretary of Interior and Colorado Attorney General Ken Salazar, Colorado State University Chancellor Tony Frank and our many wonderful advisors, partners, funders and staff to bring an ambitious vision for the Salazar Center to programmatic reality. With our partners' help we have regularly convened and engaged leaders from throughout the North American continent to address the major conservation and climate challenges of our time, to support innovation, and to center values of equity and inclusivity in that work.
In February I made the difficult decision to leave the Salazar Center and my final day as Director was April 1, 2023. I depart having great pride in the Center's staffand what we have accomplished to date, and I am confident in and excited about the Center's current momentum, future potential and continued innovation and growth under the next generation of leadership. There is now a solid base upon which to continue to build the Center's work on large landscape conservation, biodiversity, climate and equity in North America.
As you will see on the pages that follow, a few highlights from the Center's first five years include:
• Four international symposia featuring over 40% speakers of color, and including multiple cabinet secretaries, top elected officials, leading researchers and practitioners from across the continent.
• Two international incentive prizes-supporting dozens of leaders through mentorship and financial awards totaling over $600,000.
• The launch of the Peregrine Accelerator for Conservation Impact in late 2022, building on the momentum and lessons of the impact prizes.
• The development of Center staff from one to six full-time employees, and the creation of a high level international advisory board.
• The publication of a variety of groundbreaking multimedia materials, including Elevating Voices, a short film developed in partnership with the Next 100 Coalition and Gates Family Foundation; Weaving the Strands Together - a report on inclusive leadership for large landscape conservation (with the Network for Landscape Conservation and SD Bechtel, Jr. Foundation); and digital booklets that highlight dozens of conservation innovation projects throughout North America.
• Over $4 million in philanthropic support, including many sources new to the university.
Thanks so much for your trust and partnership over the past several years!
Beth Conover Former Executive Director Salazar Center for North American Conservation