As we enter the New Year, we are excited to announce a new chapter in Coalition leadership: This week, we welcome Yvonne Kraus as our new Executive Director. Yes, that’s right – we are entering a new era at the Coalition!
Yvonne brings over two decades of award-winning experience in sustainability consulting and nonprofit leadership in Washington State. A dedicated supporter of the Coalition for the past ten years, Yvonne is well-equipped to guide our next strategic plan and drive organizational growth and impact.
But, before we shift our full focus to the new, let’s take a moment to celebrate the past. We will greatly miss Christine! Over the past seven years (plus two more on staff), Christine has significantly increased the impact and reputation of the Coalition in her role as Executive Director. She successfully moved the state budget from $80 million in 2017 to a record $120 million in the last state budget.
One particularly memorable moment with Christine occurred just this last fall when she secured the participation of both gubernatorial candidates, Bob Ferguson and Dave Reichert, to make a bipartisan tribute to our founding co-chair the late Governor Dan Evans–just weeks before the election. “This might be a crazy idea,” she said when she proposed the idea, “but I think it’s just crazy enough to work.” And she was right.
From such moments to more simple ones, like testing out the zipline with a legislator at a new WWRP-funded project, Christine’s enthusiasm and passion for conservation has inspired many across our state. We celebrate the many great parks, trails, and public lands she has helped bring to reality for everyone to enjoy. The impact of her work can be seen and felt across our state, from Mission Ability Ballfield in Spokane to the Olympic Discovery Trail on the Olympic Peninsula, and the preservation of hundreds of acres of critical habitat in the Methow and beyond. Her unwavering commitment to our mission has left a lasting impression on all of us.
Thank you for all you have done for the Coalition Christine! We wish you the very best in your new role as Executive Director of Kubota Garden, and we look forward to a Board tour of the Garden with you in the near future!
Onwards to 2025 and the Coalition’s Future: As Yvonne steps into her new role, she is tasked with advocating for and securing a record $150 million for the State’s Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program. We believe this amount is both necessary and achievable. Yvonne has embraced this mission, stating: “Our State’s investments in recreation, wildlife habitat preservation and conservation represent our core values as Washingtonians. I’m excited to join the Coalition and contribute to a Washington future that is economically vibrant and environmentally sustainable.”
You may already know Yvonne as an energetic and prominent figure in the recreation and conservation community. She is well-versed in the Coalition’s work and implementation of the WWRP, ensuring our Washington communities remain healthy, active, sustainable, and green. Please join me and the Board of Directors in welcoming Yvonne to the team. You can reach Yvonne at yvonne@wildliferecreation.org.
Welcome to the team Yvonne, and Happy New Year to you all!
Sincerely,
Paul Graves, Board Chair